5 Aspects That Made ‘Abhimaan’ A True Masterpiece Of Indian Cinema

From Anand to Chupke Chupke to Bawarchi, if there was one man who honestly knew how to make Indian families get together and have a mesmerizing cinema watching experience, it was Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The filmmaker who prominently in the 70’s defined true human emotions from within and meritoriously projected those pure emotions on screen was something Indian viewers hadn’t seen before. The craftsman who held the nerve of genuine human emotions and little moments contributing to large happiness in life, also created a priceless cinematic masterpiece called Abhimaan. 

Released on July 27^th, 1973, the musical journey enclosed in a husband-wife relationship, Abhimaan was a first of its kind experience in Indian cinema. A soulful narration dominated by love being overtaken by jealousy and one-upmanship, this musical romantic drama was something that struck nowhere but in the hearts of its audience.

As the film turns 43 today, we take a look at what made Abhimaan a true masterpiece coming out of Indian cinema:

Performances

To say the lead pair of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan merely enacted their hearts out would be an understatement. Both of these legends truly lived the characters they were portraying and what we saw on screen were genuine emotions making their play. While Big B as a cloistered husband with immense love for his wife eventually getting laden with jealousy was fabulous, it was Jaya who won most hearts along with winning the Best Actress Filmfare Award. Her heartfelt display of emotions were so breathtakingly real that it made us shed a tear or two along with her.

Surreal Storytelling & Direction

We have always known what Hrishi Da as a filmmaker has accomplished in life. His ability to get hold of true meaning of one’s life was a quality he masterfully explored in all his movies. Abhimaan was a tough chapter to unfold though! To have been able to maintain a measured balance between love, relationship eventually falling through personal jealousy was invariably learned. While our heart goes out to a loving Jaya getting abandoned by her husband, Big B’s helplessness along with a needed feeling justifies his situation too. It was Mukherjee’s sheer genius ability to have sprinkled emotions to make things alright and asserting the fact a personal loss is what makes us see reason.

Characterization

While its lead pair was the strength the film had its weight laid upon, how beautifully the other characters were written was equally commendable. Asrani as Chander Kripalani, a sensible Bachchan friend who not only pursues him to sort himself out but also stands as a support to Jaya in distress, was quite mitigating. On the other hand, Bindu who was only seen portraying negatively shaded vamps or a cabaret dancer until then, came out of her shell to wonderfully enact this layered character. While she didn’t resist expressing her feelings for Bachchan, her sympathy towards Jaya as a fellow woman was evidently visible.

Music

Yes, besides every quality this film as a whole packaged, the real hero of the film was someone or something else. Abhimaan was made what it is today, owing to its extremely poignant music by the legendary S.D. Burman. The music that’s relevant even in today’s times was the real asset this expressive film got so enriching as an experience. Songs like Tere Mere Milan Ki Raina, Teri Bindiya Re, Meet Na Mila Re Mann Ka have obviously enumerated themselves as the finest examples of songs filled with soul. The one big reason Abhimaan’s musical theme got rightfully justified, was through its music that complimented its excellent narration.

Course of a Masterpiece

Abhimaan is one of those rare Hindi movies that haven’t aged one bit! The concept, the treatment and its storytelling is so magnificent to the level of genuineness, that it is still can be viewed a multiple times without an iota of thought. It came out in 1973, the time cinema was slowly shifting its focus to loud level of commercialism. Heroism was soon going to be the only refuge for filmmakers and Bachchan was nowhere close to being called an Angry Young Man. The only means Abhimaan took to express its message was through heartfelt storytelling, touching music and genuine performances.

While cinema will boast of classics like Sholay, Deewar, Mughal-E-Azam, Shakti to have defined entertainment in its own realm, here is a film that that only drew the most real picture of cinema, with true emotions and expressive music.