{"id":8086,"date":"2023-10-11T19:06:40","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T13:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/?p=8086"},"modified":"2025-10-31T16:44:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T11:14:49","slug":"abhimaan-1973-where-music-leads-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learningandcreativity.com\/silhouette\/abhimaan-1973-where-music-leads-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Abhimaan (1973) \u2014 Where Music Leads the Way"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Abhimaan

Abhimaan poster<\/p><\/div>\n

There are few films we remember from our childhood, especially when aged less than 8 or 10 years. We remember what we see of them in repeat viewing in later years but to recall what we saw then is usually in faint, blurry images.\u00a0 At least, that is how it is with me. Two films I remember clearly from back then.\u00a0One at the age of 5 \u2014Julie Andrews bursting forth on the screen over the green moors and the hall in Calcutta reverberating with \u201cThe hills are alive\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the other? You guessed it. Abhimaan<\/em> \u2013 I watched it on Doordarshan when I was in 3rd<\/sup> standard. While for The Sound of Music<\/em> I remembered the impact of that one scene at the age of 5 (though I must have seen that film at least 20 times since) for Abhimaan<\/em>, I remembered each scene, each song, at an age lesser than 8 years. That was its spectacular impact.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s it about Abhimaan<\/em> that hit me? Difficult to say. I loved everything about it \u2013 the story, the dialogues, the scenes, the songs\u2026 the film practically got printed in my mind. J<\/p>\n

Ok so history over, let me start off about what makes this film so endearing more than 50 years after it hit the screens.<\/p>\n

Some preliminary notes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. This is one film I have used most often to acquaint young movie enthusiasts with the craft of filmmaking, to help them appreciate cinema in its various separate elements \u2013 script, screenplay, acting, music, background, camera angles, editing, opening and closing etc.<\/li>\n
  2. There are many films that begin with songs, many end with songs. This is one of the handful films that begins and ends with songs \u2013 and each song is a vital link in the film.<\/li>\n
  3. One film that had all its songs rage as superhits\u2026 There is a dialogue by Asrani in Abhimaan<\/em> where he says, \u201cJhumritalaiyya se chitthi lkhwake Binaca mein hit kara denge<\/em>.\u201d Don\u2019t know about Jhumritalaiyya but Abhimaan<\/em> had not only hit songs. The whole album topped the charts<\/li>\n
  4. Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri coproduced the film under the Amiya banner (an acronym of their names) but credited their secretaries as producers. They got married while the film was nearing completion.<\/li>\n
  5. Each artist in Abhimaan<\/em> plays his or her role to a level of perfection that is a rare feat \u2014 Amitabh Bachchan as the brooding Subir, Jaya as the simple girl turned star Uma, Asrani as the golden-hearted star secretary, Durga Khote as the affectionate Durga Mausi, David and AK Hangal in their father figure roles and Bindu as an understanding and comforting friend \u2014 the characters emerge as real, identifiable people.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now as our journey into the film begins, let me take you through Abhimaan<\/em> in 7 parts \u2013 woven around each of its songs. Why songs? Well, each song serves as the connecting dots and moves the story forward several notches.<\/p>\n

    Meet na mila re mann ka<\/em><\/h2>\n

    As I mentioned earlier, there are only a handful of films that begin and end with songs and Abhimaan<\/em> begins with a song that places the film firmly in its context. Burman Dada uses a light, soft pop type of music here, to exemplify a popular stage show. As the film opens, Chandru (star\u00a0 singer Subir Kumar\u2019s friend turned secretary), played by Asrani , announces the much awaited\u00a0 stage performance of Subir Kumar. Dressed in a red and black checkered blazer,\u00a0 a beige turtle neck sweater and wide cream-coloured bell-bottom pants, Subir Kumar strides in with the microphone and his song sends the audience into frenzy.<\/p>\n

    \"\"

    The star singer Subir on Filmfare<\/em> cover<\/p><\/div>\n

    The closeups of the resso, guitar, accordion, drums build the tempo, and in the 4.04 minutes of this song, we realize Subir Kumar is a super popular singer, his records sell like hot cakes, his women fans swoon when they hear his voice, his picture makes it to the cover of Filmfare<\/em>, his songs are part and parcel of daily lives of everyone from housewives to couples in love, they are regularly played on radio, in cafeterias, kids dance to his songs being played on spool tapes. To amplify his larger than life image, the camera maintains a steady bottom angle through the song, moving to side profiles for closeups.<\/p>\n

    Majrooh uses this song to project Subir\u2019s loneliness behind all his stardom \u2013 that he is in search of a soulmate and peace. Kishore Kumar\u2019s buoyant, youthful voice catches the verve of Subir.<\/p>\n

    Some notes about the music:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    SD Burman weaves the song on reso, guitar and accordion with congo and bongo. The mukhda has two flutes as feelers and the first interlude builds on a high pitch flute, congos, bongos and accordion.<\/p>\n

    As Stanza 1 begins with Chain nahi baahar, chain nahin ghar mein<\/em>, you can hear the congos, drums, bongo and accordion with violins in the backdrop of the melody as the flute comes in again. In the interludes, the accordion and saxophone and electric guitar and violins make up the M1 and M2.<\/p>\n

    Der se mann meraa, aas liye dole<\/em>
    \npreet bhari baani, saaz meraa bole
    \nkoi sajani, ek khidki bhi na khole
    \nlaakh taraane, rahaa main sunaaye<\/em><\/p>\n

    Majrooh makes it clear that Subir may have hordes of female fans but there is no one in his life that he sings for.<\/p>\n

    And yes, this is the stage that begins the film. It will be the stage where the film will end. But that\u2019s later in the story.<\/p>\n