A master craftsman indeed... Review on Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Before I start, may I admit that this is not a tribute to Hrishi da. It is a mere acknowledgement of his sheer genius, his instinctive knowledge of the behaviour of humans and society. His knack for being able to give a natural and fresh outlook to the most mundane and ordinary of happenings and to make everyone realise their significance in the way we live.

In a way, what R K Narayan achieved through his writing, Hrishi da achieved through his camera. All his works centered around people and subjects that the Indian audiences could very readily identify with. At the same time, his films attempted not to glorify the accomplishments of the middle class or of the common man but to let people understand the values of their practices and decisions. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films were as much about understanding the importance of making the right choices as they were about developing a profound understanding of the human psyche.

Hrishi Da can be said to have been an almost ordinary human being. And yet, it was in this ordinariness that lay all his brilliance. If one has a look at the kind of films he made, certain trends in the style and subjects will be distinguishable. Hrishi da belonged to one particular breed of directors who all hailed from Bengal, believed in their convictions and were together responsible for giving the Indian film industry some very precious gems of films in the decades of the 60’s and the 70’s. This included directors like Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy, Basu Bhattacharya, Basu Chatterjee and the like.

The place where Hrishi Da distinguished himself, though, was in portraying the Great Indian Middle Class. He exemplified the habits, the routine of life and took great interest in matters otherwise considered trivial. In his debut film ‘Musafir’, he took an allegorical approach to the stages of life- marriage, birth and death through the events in a particular house with its different tenants.

Some of his best works include the evergreen Guddi (1971), Bawarchi (1972), Abhimaan (1973), Namak Haram (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mili (1975), Golmaal (1979)and Khubsoorat(1980). Most of these films became an integral part of the social ethos of the time and are still considered stunning examples of what can be achieved in 35 mm. Apart from these, there were many other films also that were critically acclaimed but did not translate into commercial success stories. For instance, films like Aalapand Satyakaam, although they didn’t really get the box office on fire, were appreciated for the novelty and simplicity of the subjects and the fine performances.

One thing that a director does not generally compromise is on the strength of the characters. This was one area that turned out to be extremely strong in case of Hrishi Da. Although one wouldn’t probably remember most of his characters as historical, but none of them can be termed insignificant either. Hrishi Da gave all his actors a deliberative and distinct role to play and it was no coincidence that many of them gave their career best performances in his films. Anand was responsible for what was perhaps Rajesh Khanna’s finest performance ever. Amitabh Bachchan became a regular in most of his films and came out in performance of roles that were quite distinct from his ‘angry young man’ image. There were other regulars too like Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Utpal Dutt and the like. Although not all of Hrishi Da’s films remain etched in the minds of the audiences, a few of them certainly have made a difference as no other brand of filmmaking in India ever has. These films introduced us to the simple pleasures and beauty of life and made the viewer contemplate and think. Hrishikesh Mukherjee never disappointed anyone who came with a view to enjoy themselves at the theatre and always managed to bring a smile on the faces of all who left. It was only natural for him to be recognized through the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 2001.