Review of Anand

Watching "Anand" late one night on TV recently, it struck me that this movie stands apart even today, 31 years after it first hit the screens. It was an unconventional movie then, not in an "arty" way but because it kept away from the usual family, revenge or love and song-and-dance routine, and yet managed to be commercial enough to be a big blockbluster. Even for director Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who is known for his story-oriented movies about ordinary people and their faults and foibles, it was a digression from the light-hearted to the poignant.

The movie is the story of a cancer-stricken young man, Anand (Rajesh Khanna), who has been given just six months to live but who is determined to squeeze out every bit out of life till he is able to. He charms everyone (including the audience) with his lively chatter, infectious humour and positive attitude, so that they find it unbelievable when they come to know how near he is to death.

When he comes to Mumbai for "sight-seeing" he befriends the serious and well-meaning cancer specialist, Dr. Bhaskar (Amitabh Bachchan), who at first mistakes Anand's frivolity for ignorance about his condition. When he finds out that Anand knows all about his illness and its consequences, it is a new lesson for him in living life for each moment's worth.

Then the story covers how the two become inseparable, how Anand "arranges" Bhaskar's marriage and many humourous incidents, ultimately leading up to Anand's death, made more tragic as it happens in Bhaskar's absence.

Come to think of it, the movie has several unconventional elements. Firstly, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan starring together - they became the characters themselves, though personally I think Khanna won over Bachchan in the final tally. Secondly, the characterisation - a young man facing death who is not grasping at life but has it fully in his embrace, perfect foil to his friend, a serious medicine man with a creative bent of mind. Then the humour itself - in the dialogues, in situations (the Johnny Walker interlude is hilarious), which reinforces the tragedy behind the laughter.

Salil Chowdhry's music is in harmony with the theme but not greater than it. The movie has hits as "Maine tere liye hi," "Kahin door jab" and "Zindagi, kaisi hai paheli" - touching, melodious and haunting but without that quality of sadness that is heard in other death-related songs. Just listen to "Zindagi, kaisi hai paheli" and compare it with "Zindagi ka safar" in "Safar."

All said and done about being a new approach in those days, I think no other movie made after Anand, about friendship or death or any other aspect of this story, has ever been able to achieve what Anand did - to laugh at life and death.