The Fragrance of Gulzar. Review on Khushboo

~ Only Gulzar could have captured the essence of Saratchandra’s sensitive novel and converted it into a work of cinematic art.

~ Only Gulzar could have tied down Jumping Jack Jeetendra into a serious shawl clad village doctor with thick rimmed glasses and a toothbrush moustache.

~ Only Gulzar could have extracted the emotions from dream girl Hema Malini’s eyes and provide an understated yet powerpacked performance.

This is the strength of Khushboo.

This is the fragrance of Gulzar (which itself means Rose Garden in Urdu)

When a sensitive poet takes to filmmaking he can come up with the most radical outcomes. And with another genius like RD Burman at the tunes, the tuning between the two can only create gemstones like this moving tale “Khushboo”.

Set in rural India, the story is about a young girl Kusum (Hema Malini) who, in her childhood, is engaged to be married to her companion Brindavan (Jeetendra). However, there is a feud between their families which results in some humiliation of Kusum’s parents. Brindavan’s family moves away and he grows up to become a doctor. After many years, he returns to his village with his family – his old mother (Durga Khote) and young son, Charan (Master Raju). Yes, he is a widower now, his wife (Sharmila Tagore) having passed away.

Kusum, still unmarried, has mixed feelings about Brindavan. On the one hand, she develops a close bond with Brindavan’s son, but her silent pride refuses to give in to her heart’s desire to re-unite with Brindavan. (In a flashback, we see her burning her arm where his name has been tattooed in her childhood). Brindavan’s mother calls Kusum’s brother Kunj (Asrani) to their house and advises him that it is not right to keep a girl unmarried at home. Kusum is incensed at the unsolicited advice and snaps back at Kunj. In order to give further hints, Brindavan’s mother gifts Kusum some gold bangles but Kusum quietly puts it back in her bag – Brindavan’s mother gets the message.

However, Kusum’s relationship with Charan keeps growing as she insists that he call her Ma due to which she grudgingly accepts Brindavan’s offer. But unfortunately, a disease epidemic in the village compounds things. Kusum’s close friend (Farida Jalal) who lightens up her life with her humour, loses her husband (who is assistant to Brindavan) to the disease.

Reflections:

Although not a rabid feminist, Kusum has a high self esteem which is reflected in the way she carries herself. Behind the serene exterior is a passionately proud woman. And Brindavan is able to sense this sentiment despite the absence of verbal communication. The exchange of emotional correspondence between the two protagonists is a deftly woven part of the film.

Music:

The RD Burman and Gulzar combination is sheer magic as has been repeatedly proved. And in Khushboo, the richness of poetry and the mellifluousness of the tunes combine to create perfect harmony.

“O Maanjhi re” by Kishore Kumar is a soothing song with stormy undertones. Asha Bhosale enthralls with the playful “Bechara dil kya kare” and “Ghar jayegi”, while Lata’s soulful “Do nainon mein aasu bhare hain” is poignantly touching.

Performances:

Hema is outstanding with her understated portrayal, emoting only with her eyes. Shorn of her makeup and coy mannerisms, she seamlessly merges with the character giving one of her most memorable performance of her illustrious career.

Jeetendra looks a bit wooden with most of his face hidden behind those huge glasses, but is adequate for the part. Perhaps a Sanjeev Kumar would have been able to bring out the more finer nuances of the character.

Other actors Durga Khote, Farida Jalal, Master Raju provide able support. Sharmila Tagore in a cameo looks quite different from her usual self.

Direction:

Gulzar lends his poet’s sensitivity to the treatment of the film. His main achievement is in extracting sensitive performances from his lead pair, both of whom are not particularly reputed to be great in the histrionics department. Without use of dramatic gestures or melodrama, the story, the emotions and the attitudes are effectively conveyed to the audience.

All in all, this is a film which is a definite collector item material.