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Aaina (1977 film)
| Aaina | |
|---|---|
| File:Aaina 1977.jpg Poster | |
| Directed by | K. Balachander |
| Produced by | L. Duraiswamy, N. Selvaraj |
| Written by |
|
| Starring | |
| Music by | Naushad |
| Cinematography | B. S. Lokanath |
| Edited by | N. R. Kittu |
Production company | Kalakendra Films |
Release date | 11 March 1977 |
Running time | 150 min |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Aaina (transl. Mirror) is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by K. Balachander. A remake of the Tamil film Arangetram (1973), it stars Mumtaz in the lead role and A. K. Hangal, Nirupa Roy, Lalita Pawar, Jayasudha and Madan Puri in supporting roles. This film has a special appearance by Rajesh Khanna. The film is about a Brahmin girl becoming a sex worker to support her mother and siblings.
Plot[edit]
Ram Shashtri, an upper Caste Hindu Brahmin, lives in a small village in India. He has a large family, consisting of his wife, Savitri, five daughters and three sons. Ram performs prayers and last rites for the Hindu community, and it is through these meagre earnings that the entire household survives. The eldest is a daughter named Shalini. Ashok, the son of the Village Mukhiya, Jagannath Rao, is in love with Shalini and wants to marry her. As the Rao's are of a much lower caste than the Shastris, Ashok is told by his dad that he cannot marry Shalini. One day, after an argument with his dad, he leaves to join the army, and a few weeks later a telegram is received by Jagannath that Ashok has been killed.
As Ram's work dwindle and he can no longer sustain his family, Savitri attempts to poison the entire family. Shalini stops her in time. She gets a job and is able to get the family to get back up on its feet. Her brother, Gautam, wants to be a doctor, so she arranges for his studies, while her sister, Poorna, wants to be a singer, and a music teacher is arranged. Then Shalini leaves her village to travel to Poona to get her brother's admission into Medical College. She is able to get the admission at the cost of her dignity and innocence. The family though are in the dark about this. Shalini gets a ‘raise’ and an offer for a big pay-raise if she re-locates to the capital, Delhi, which is what she tells her family. She sends plenty of money so her dad does not have to work, and her siblings can carry on with their respective studies. In Delhi late one night Shalini expecting a client has Ashok knock on her door. Ashok alone in a new city and wanting company was told to go to an address where he could find a prostitute. They both are shocked to see each other. Shalini makes no attempt to hide her trade and tells Ashok that this is the way she has been supporting her family. Ashok, still in love with Shalini leaves heartbroken. Shalini's sister, Girja, meets a young man, Raju, and both fall in love. Gautam, now a doctor, is in love with the Tehsildar's daughter, Usha, and wants to marry her. Shalini returns home to attend Girja's marriage and recognises the groom as one of her good clients. Before the wedding the groom is nowhere to be found. Shalini goes looking for Raju and finds him: they both promise to keep their past relations a secret, as he loves Girja and still wants to marry her. Girja's marriage takes place with great pomp and ceremony and everyone compliments Shalini, for without her efforts, the family would have been destitute. Her brother Gautum who does nothing throughout the story except, asking his sister for handouts tells her to arrange her marriage to Usha. Meanwhile, Ashok returns home to meet his father who had been expecting him as Shalini had told him that Ashok was alive. Ram and Savitri arrive to invite them to the weddingik After they leave,withok shares with his father about Shalini being a prostitute. His father is shocked and says he is relieved Ashok said nothing in front of her parents. Unfortunately Ram and Savithri overhear them and Ram falls unconscious in shock. Meanwhile, Ram's sister also finds out and due to her bitterness at her own daughter not receiving any marriage proposals tells the Tehsildar and the rest of Ram's family of how Shalini earned all the money that she spent on the family. The Tehsildar, Shalini's aunt and Gautam demean her, disown her and throw her out of the house.
After all she has done for her family,it is only her mother who feels for her but is helpless to do anything for her.
Ashok and her father take her in. Shalini has an emotional meltdown and talks of committing suicide. The sound of shehnai from her brother's wedding can be heard in the background.
Ram comes to invite Jagannath to the wedding and Jagannath and Ashok refuse saying they support Shalini. Ashok accepts her for what she is and marries her with the blessings of his father.
Cast[edit]
- Rajesh Khanna in Special Appearance
- Mumtaz – Shalini R. Shastri
- A. K. Hangal – Ram Shastri
- Nirupa Roy – Savitri R. Shastri
- Rita Bhaduri – Poorna R. Shastri
- Adil Amaan – Dr. Gautam R. Shastri
- Jayasudha – Usha G. Shastri
- Lalitha Pawar – Janki
- Manmohan Krishna – Jagannath Rao
- Jagdishraj – Managing Director
- Polson – Shastri's Client
- Brahmachari – Shastri's Client
- Madan Puri – M. B. Patil
- Jagdeep – Music Instructor[1]
- Suresh Chatwal – Shyam Lal
- Kamal Haasan – Prem Kapoor (Uncredited as an actor, cameo role of a few seconds appearance, shown in a shooting of a movie of Dharmendra and Neetu Singh)
- Dharmendra – Himself (shooting of a movie)
- Neetu Singh – Herself (shooting of a movie)
Production[edit]
Aaina is a remake of the Tamil film Arangetram, also directed by same director, starring Pramila, Kamal Haasan and Sivakumar.[2][3] This film was Kamal Haasan's first Hindi film, though he was cast in a very unimportant role and also worked assistant choreographer of this film.[4][5] This was Mumtaz's second to last film, preceding Aandhiyan (1990).[6]
Music[edit]
| Aaina | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Naushad | |
| Released | 1977 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Language | Hindi |
| Label | EMI |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dharti Hansti Hai Chhalke Masti" | Jan Nisar Akhtar | Lata Mangeshkar | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Jane Kya Hojaye" | Jan Nisar Akhtar | Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Kaho To Aaj Bol Doon" | Jan Nisar Akhtar | Asha Bhosle | 2:52 |
| 4. | "Woh Jo Auron Ki Khatir" | Jan Nisar Akhtar | Lata Mangeshkar | 4:47 |
| 5. | "Ghyan Dhyan Ki" | ? | 0:53 | |
| 6. | "Sa Re Ga Ma" | ? | 2:20 | |
| 7. | "Teri Dulhan Badi Jaadugarni" | Vani Jairam |
References[edit]
- ↑ "Jagdeep's Funeral Details: Legendary Comedian to be Buried at South Bombay Cemetery Around 11:30am". india.com. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ↑ Srinivasan, S. (11 July 2011). "K. Balachander: The Middle-Class Maestro". Forbes India. Archived from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/NFAIOfficial/status/1212310823164497921
- ↑ "Kamal Haasan: My best roles came from Balachandersaab". Rediff.com. 18 December 2014. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ↑ "ஜெமினிகணேசன் உதவியால் எனக்கு வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்தது - கமலஹாசன் வெளியிட்ட தகவல்". Maalai Malar (in தமிழ்). 29 January 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ↑ "I don't want to play Shah Rukh Khan's mom or Akshay Kumar's aunt- Mumtaz". Filmfare. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
External links[edit]
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