Every human being is a prisoner – either to his circumstances or his ambitions or his values in life or to what he deems should be the ideals of his life. A few are prisoners to their guilt and some are prisoners to their destiny – their fate.
Of all these prisoners, the most unfortunate is the man who is a prisoner to his own conscience since for him no period of atonement, no amount of penance is enough to absolve him of the sins he has committed. A prisoner in a jail anywhere in the world can expect to be released from his bondage after a passage of time, depending on the severity of his crime. But not so the man who is a prisoner of his own conscience, for one can run and run but still not be far from the reach of his conscience.
Can anything be worse than such a life of imprisonment?
Yes… The life of a human being whose life has by himself become an imprisonment is worse than the imprisonment of a hurt conscience. The only difference being that in the second case, the person may silently suffer oblivious to his or her own imprisonment while in the former case, the person is aware of the cause but not the extent of the punishment.
Bandini, by Bimal Roy is the story of common people caught in the cesspool of these imprisonments. Bandini as such means a prisoner and what can best signify the life and feelings of a person in imprisonment than this movie, which can easily lay claim to the best movie on such a dark and complex subject.
As a person who has by her own acts of omission and commissions brought imprisonment onto her life, Nutan delivers a tour de performance. Kalyani is one of the best and most complex characterizations ever in the history of Hindi Cinema, but Nutan delivers a flawless performance, one easily ranked as one of the top 5 performances by an actress. Each and every scene in the movie is a tribute to the thespian skills of the actor and one has to just observe her to see the conflicting emotions, all build up, express itself and then dissolve on her face in a matter of seconds. Her best scene remains undoubtedly the one wherein she murders the patient. The inherent fury, the quiet rage, the hypnotic hold of ruthlessness, the glance of cold terror all combine to instill a feeling of the murder long before the act is committed and then the silent fear, the abject despair and the remorse again makes for the perfect sketch of one who kills in the heat of the moment. Never before and never after has a murder been taken to such creative heights. Equally brilliant is her silence when taunted by the other prisoners and the breakdown on interrogation. A mind-blowing performance indeed
On the other hand of the spectrum is Ashok Kumar as Bikash Babu, a man imprisoned by his ideals. As a freedom fighter who inevitably becomes a cage for Nutan, Ashok once again delivers an impeccable performance. As a man tormented by his past and his guilt at having destroyed someone’s life, although unintentionally, Ashok stands tall among the minions. Each and every frame in the movie speaks volumes for his performance but the best scene is definitely the one wherein he tries to seek pardon from the woman he has wronged towards the end of the movie.
Dharmendra as the doctor Deven who is among the few, not bound by any prisons but one who believes his mission is life transcends the significance of prisons is exceptionally brilliant. This was one of his earliest performances and he’s exceptionally earnest. Although the role of the doctor is not as well sketched in the movie, Dharmendra manages to stay true to his characterization
Among the supporting cast, Tarun Bose as the wise jailor and Iftikhar as his lecherous deputy are exceptionally well versed with their roles. Raja Paranjpe as Kalyani’s father performs the role of a lifetime. His silence is the most eloquent in the movie, second only to Nutan in terms of power and reach.
S D Burman is in his full elements as he weaves magic with each and every composition in this beautiful movie. Whether its’ the maestro himself lending his rich and sonorous voice to the unforgettable “Mere Saajan Hain Uss Paar” or Mukesh giving vent to his feelings of deep loss in “O Jaanewaale” or Asha Bhosle putting out her heart in “Ab Ke Baras Bhej Bhaiya Ko Babul” or Lata talking about the hopes and wishes of a lover in “Mora Gora Rang Le Le”, the music is exceptionally fantabulous. One of S D Burman’s best compositions ever
Shailendra and Gulzar (in his debut-making film as lyricist) have written lines that transcend the normal barriers of creativity. Each and every lyric is a perfect blend of human emotions and dreams and aspirations. Especially the song “O Jaanewale” that can be considered a milestone in depicting a desolate man’s last hopes and pleas.
What else can I write about Bimal Roy than has been written previously? Writing about him is like trying to put a candle to the sun… something highly foolish on the part of amateurs like me. If in other films, Bimal was a master director putting forth his wares for inspection, in this movie Bimal transcends all barriers of mastery and proves himself to be not only a genius but in reality the very embodiment of direction.
Each and every scene is perfect…. Nothing short of it but perfect…. Watch our for the way, the Master executes the murder without a single hint of the murder but terrifying us all the same…. The climax scene, which has been the most debated in the entire film. …. The chants of “Sab Theek Hai” while lives are falling apart…. Everything speaks volumes for a genius of a Man who died far too young.
As Lord Baron would say: “Whom the Gods love, die young”
I would say….”Whom the Gods love, are unaware of their imprisonment”.