Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi are powerhouse of acting. Their mere presence was enough for me to watch the movie. To begin with, you need not consider it a serious art movie since it has less of art although it hardly is colourful.
Anirudh (Naseeruddin Shah) is the blind principal of Navjivan Andh Vidhyalay. He meets Kavita Prasad, a widow (Shabana Azmi) in a party and in casual conversation asks her to join his school for blind children as he is in need of volunteers. She hesitates initially but changes her mind once she goes to the school alongwith her friend for buying candles made by blind children.
Kavita contributes a lot to the school by teaching children music, drama, telling them stories etc. The school and children keep her busy and she no longer feels lonely. Gradually she and Anirudh develop a liking towards each other and decide to get married. They get engaged and are about to be married soon. However after a while Anirudh gets the feeling that she is not marrying him out of love but is making a sacrifice of marrying a blind man and he breaks off engagement with her without telling her the reason for it. What happens next is for you to watch.
A few things about the movie I found fascinating:
The onset of winter. It is a rare movie where the actors are wearing sweater or shawl without necessarily being at some foreign location for some ridiculous song. It is onset of Delhi winter when it gets slightly foggy in the morning. Those who stayed in less crowded Delhi during early eighties would be able to relate to it.
Aniruddh getting angry with Kavita when she is about to make coffee for him since he may not be able to pour coffee properly in the cups. He slips into calmer and friendlier person as easily. He doesn’t like to depend upon people and hates it if people start helping him. Beneath the calm and strong exterior, there lies a person of self -pity. He is complex person.
Kavita is a loner and has distanced herself from evenrything since her husband’s death except for tending her plants and occasional visits from her childhood friend. Although she is as ignorant in the beginning, she gels perfectly well among blind people. She learns from her mistakes - be it for telling stories that are more sound-centric or ignoring embarrassment caused by Anirudh at restaurant who shouts at other people or when she looks at Aniruddh coming to her house from a distance she rushes in and is about to comb her hair and then realizes that applying perfume is a better idea. She is a woman of strong character.
One normal kid among blind children. He is smart, naughty, jealous but fair. When he has an argument with his friend he fights with him with his eyes closed.
All songs are sung by Sulakshna pandit (i did not know that she was such a wonderful singer). Khali pyala is a sad and melodious song and best heard when you are just about to sleep.
Pyala chalka is a normal song, rather sounds like some radio ad of 80s. Geeton ki duniyan mein sargam is typical song for kids in some school function.
Sparsh fetched a national award to Naseeruddin Shah and filmfare award to director Sai Paranjpye.
This movie leaves a nice aftereffect and isn’t depressing at all. Worth a watch.