Gulzar Saab gave us three classics in 1975. Khushboo, Mausam, and Aandhi. Among them, Aandhi was the one that whipped up a serious storm. Subhash K Jha looks back at the film that was released 50 years ago and also shares some unknown facts!
Set in the same year of Sholay and the just released dreaded Emergency came this political fable that was far-reaching in its resonances. Aandhi is the story of Aarti Devi (Suchitra Sen), who arrives in her constituency to fight the elections with Chandra Sen(Om Shivpuri). All hell breaks loose when Aarti Devi is espied with the owner of the hotel where her entourage stays. In a series of typically Gulzarian flashbacks, Aarti Devi re-lives her past with JK (Sanjeev Kumar).
The film seems to borrow sheaves from Mrs Indira Gandhi’s life story down to an overbearing politician-father (Rehman) whose ambitions on his daughter’s behalf destroy her marriage. The film exudes a wistful, elegiac tone that haunts us. Then there’s Suchitra Sen, specially brought to Mumbai from Calcutta to play the central role.
Ms Sen stands so tall and stately that it would have been impossible for any actor except Sanjeev Kumar to stand up to her. Rahul Dev Burman’s Kishore Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar duets ‘TereBina Zindagi Se Koi Shikwa To Nahin’,’ Iss Mod Se Jaate Hain’, and ‘Tum Aa Gaye Ho Noor Aa Gaya Hai’ add considerably to the relentless romantic resonance of the drama.
Here are eight unknown, intriguing facts about Gulzar’s Aandhi
1. 1975 was a decisive year for Hindi cinema. It was the year of all-time hits Sholay and Jai Santoshi Maa, Deewaar, and Chupke Chupke. It was also the year of two momentous Shero films Julie and Aandhi. The latter brought the legendary Suchitra Sen out of Kolkata for a rare foray into Hindi cinema. Her first Hindi film since Asit Sen’s Mamta in 1966.
2. Gulzar’s first choice to play the politician in Aandhi was Vyjayanthimala. But she had retired a few years earlier and could not be persuaded to change her mind. It was Sanjeev Kumar who was keen to work with Suchitra Sen.
3. Gulzar had three releases in 1975, Khushboo, Mausam and Aandhi, all masterpieces. Two of them starred Sanjeev Kumar as men much older than his actual age. The actor par excellence always grumbled to his buddy Gulzar that he cast him in old men’s roles and also cast him in women-oriented films like Namkeen, Mausam, and Aandhi. When Gulzar Saab narrated Aandhi to Sanjeev, his reaction was, ‘Yaar, yeh toh heroine ki kahani hai. When will you make a movie for me?’
4. Interestingly for Aandhi, Sanjeev Kumar won the Filmfare award, Amitabh Bachchan lost the trophy for Deewaar. Suchitra Sen lost it to Laxmi in Julie.
5. The Emergency was on in 1975, and the rumor spread that Aandhi was a bio-pic on Mrs. Gandhi. After 23 weeks in movie theatres, Aandhi was banned by the Government and pulled out of theatres. It never reached its optimum level of commercial performance.
6. More than anything else, Aandhi is today remembered for its music by Rahul Dev Burman. Selecting the best from the three Lata Mangeshkar-Kishore Kumar duets ‘Tere bina Zindagi se koi shikwa’, ‘Tum aa gaye ho noor aa gaya hai’ and ‘Iss mod se jaate hain’ is an impossible choice. R D Burman considered Aandhi, along with Amar Prem and Kinara, to be his finest. He was shocked when Aandhi wasn’t nominated for the Filmfare award. But he did get nominated for two other inferior soundtracks of Sholay and Khel Khel Mein in the year of Aandhi.
7. Aandhi was about the price a woman has to pay for her career. Ironically, the director separated from his wife as she wanted to pursue her career after marriage.
8. Scandalpoint: during the shooting of Aandhi in Kashmir, Sanjeev Kumar got drunk and behaved inappropriately with Suchitra Sen.
