Ghar

Reading through an article on the songs in” Ghar” –a Hindi film made in 1978 made me nostalgic.All the songs are immortal.A brave film nearly 2 hours long was an attempt at making a statement.Vikas & Aarti’s lives are jeopardised after they are attacked & Aarti is gangraped.The couple faces trauma,social taboo & their own awkwardness towards each other.Director Manik Chatterjee made the film on a very low budget.In 70s more emphasis was on the story rather than the money that it grossed.

A critically acclaimed film,made many records of sorts.Pairing of Rekha & Vinod Mehra when they are supposedly married.The eternal diva Rekha in her full bloom.Her sarees are simple yet elegant.Her make up not yet very perfect.Her performance, only what we expect of her.With the loose bun at the nape of her neck & her paloo covering it.I wonder if a lead actress today can look like this! Their home or Ghar– is a love nest.Vikas had to fight & get married to Aarti.

The songs by Gulzar are glittering gems of a rare quality.”Aaj kal paon jami par…” shows the pair in the courtship mood.Very rarely we find songs in sync with the story, her the songs depict the mood & lead us ahead.The word of today–Their chemistry –is evident in each frame.Did he really marry her–we don’t know.Vinod Mehra is not there & we can’t question Rekha.But the admiration cannot be denied.

Tere bina jiya jaye na…is a song where Lata Mangeshkar is at her best.The attraction,the wait,the pining is all depicted so well. The best line is – “Jab bhi khayalon mein tu aaye, mere badan se khushboo aaye…..& ends with …raha jaye na-‘ Love depicted as never before.such words that make us believe,experiencing it is a joy in itself(Hats off to Gulzar Ji ,I think that hat may remain there for ever,raised!) Vikas comes back from work & opens latch with his keys.Hears she is singing & waits in the hall.She chances to see him home,their eyes meet.All that is in the song no words.Eyes talk & we know their kind of love.

Aap ki ankhon..is a duet where we get lost in their love.The next line—Aap Se bhi khoobsurat aapke andaz hai—is just wonderful.Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.Rekha later signed ,Khoobsurat’ –but she was always so in the eyes of all of us.Aap ki khamoshi ya bhi aap ki awaz hai—its difficult to go over each verse.

After the episode things change & so does the mood.Phir wohi raat hai—but things are not the same.With restraint & decent handling it remains one of the masterpieces in the history of Hindi film industry.An Indian writer had written a short story on a similar incident.Returning home from a late show a couple meets goons at an dark alley.The husband gets scared & is made to run away at knife point(not gun point).The wife arrives home in the wee hours in the morning.She is badly injured.After a couple of days she quits.An end that makes you think & leaves you sleepless.

In this movie,Rekha reaches the railway station where she waits for her train.Vinod Mehra finds her & takes her back.But some ends are for the audience.How do they cope up with the trauma?What about the society,their norms? Is a woman only responsible for provocation? Were there no crimes in an era when women were fully clad?Actually instead of labelling or blaming an individual is not the solution.We need to look at it again with our open minds.Our failure to correct the situation remains.The issue even today remains the same.

In Tapsee Pannu’s film her husband tries to slap her for his missed opportunity to go abroad.If she has sacrificed her career to look after her family,where does she go to express her anger,frustration?The grooming of the male child is at fault here.He will be granted all that he wishes,even if by belittling his wife? In a Marathi drama by Jaywant Dalvi–Mahasagar–He takes his wife to a party,where she meets people in his office.After watching the boss getting too cosy with the ladies,she says,’Such incidents are bound to happen in one’s life, but we need to distance ourselves from it.’ The husband is shocked.A housemakes doesn’t make noises,doesn’t mean she knows nothing.

Violation of personal space is a crime. If Indians are bad at holding hands or hugging,I think they can never think of harsh words as abuse.Your love needs to be expressed but it happen by a glance,a word of assurance or without the other person feeling threatened.I love you, you must love me–not a sentiment that can be forced.When are we going to understand? Parents are known to punish their children,to discipline & the intention here is more important.It is never done to cause harm to the child.The old dictum holds true here.First five years shower love.Then comes the discipline stage.Finally at 16 become his friend.Its a difficult stage in life ,guide him.

The family values need to be inculcated.Strong base will provide solid foundation to the skyscrapers that need to be built.It will require tireless efforts by parents,teachers & society at large.Hope to see a better tomorrow that is lovable,violence free & healthy in all respects.Happy & merry build-ups ahead!