Rajnigandha (1974)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

"Rajnigandha" represents the romance from 70s, that has much of quietness and maturity. The central character, Vidya Sinha, is in a dilemma but she never speaks up her mind at any instance. So are the other protagonists, including Amol Palekar and Dinesh Thakur. The quietness and the rationality the characters are delved into represents the time period for which the film is likable. The plot doesn't have much of twists or turns due to which the film appears very slow at times. Regarding the performances, Amol Palekar is pretty good. And few songs are also quite good to listen. If you're a fan of 70s movie, you might like it.Rating: 1 star out of 4

Rajnigandha (tuberose) is a celluloid adaptation of the Hindi story - Yahi Sach Hai (this only is true) written by the lady author Mannu Bhandari who is a big name in the world of Hindi literature. The director has nowhere digressed from the original story and presented it ditto on the screen.The story - Yahi Sach Hai revolves around Deepa who loves Nisheeth while living in Calcutta but he breaks up with her without explaining anything to her. Heart-broken Deepa moves to Kanpur and comes in contact with Sanjay. In no time, love blossoms between the two. However when she visits Calcutta for a job interview, she meets Nisheeth again and the fire of her first love is rekindled in her heart. She starts feeling that her love for Sanjay was just an attempt to give solace to her broken heart and her first love is only the true love. But her dilemma continues whether she should opt for Sanjay or Nisheeth whose feelings can only be derived by her through his gestures, not expressed properly. However the ending scene of the movie brings a twist in the tale with the realisation coming upon Deepa that the heart of a woman (like her) is too weak to take tough decisions.In the movie, the locations have been changed from Calcutta to Delhi and Kanpur to Bombay and the name of the character Nisheeth has been changed to Naveen (perhaps because Nisheeth is an uncommon name). Rest there is hardly any change. While the good story was the director's advantage on one hand, its thinness was the disadvantage on the other because, after all, an interesting movie of a duration of two hours or more was to be presented to the Hindi movie audience. Hence here lay the challenge for him and the litmus test of his ability to keep the viewers tied to the screen throughout. And admittingly, Basu Chatterjee passed this test with distinction. He has directed many bad movies too but Rajnigandha is definitely one of his best works.The name of the movie is fittingly Rajnigandha because the hero Sanjay is habitual of bringing the gift of tuberoses (Rajnigandha) for Deepa who loves these flowers. And the fragrance of love spreading in a woman's heart is no less than the enchanting fragrance of tuberoses.The story (and the movie) tries to peep into a woman's heart and explores an answer to a question - Can a woman love two men at the same time ? The answer from the viewpoint of the storyteller (who is a woman) is - Yes. It may happen when one of the two men is her first love. The first love always remains in a woman's heart because of the fragrant memories it carries. However love is not just an emotion. It's a need for every human-being (from my viewpoint - every creature) which should be met. Hence, it's just not practical to spend the remaining part of one's life with a broken heart and memories of a bygone love affair. The lovelorn Deepa finds solace in the arms of the outspoken Sanjay whereas the bygone love of introvert and silent Nisheeth (or Naveen) is very difficult for her to discard from her heart . Yet, in the end, when she is almost tired of the wait for Nisheeth's letter, all of a sudden Sanjay breaks into her room with her favourite tuberoses and her craving need for love overpowers her abstract emotion. Then she feels that this love-drenched moment is only true, rest everything is (and was) false.Personally (though I am a man), I feel Deepa comes across the truth in the end because we live (and relive) in memorable moments of life. A moment of victory, a moment of love, a moment of satisfaction or a moment of bliss overpowers an uneventful and repetitive routine of a lifetime. Hence the golden moments are not to be let gone or wasted. They are to be lived to the full. And the bliss gained in a few moments is better than a treasure of stale memories and false, unfulfilled expectations.The emotional story has been told nicely on the screen and there is no boredom. All the three lead actors - Vidya Sinha as Deepa, Amol Palekar as the extrovert Sanjay and Dinesh Thakur as the introvert Naveen have delivered admirable performances. Technically the movie is simple and simplicity itself was the pre-requisite of this emotional story of middle-class people. Hence acceptable. Music is a very big plus point of the movie. It contains only two songs, written by Yogesh and composed by Salil Chowdhury but they can very easily be counted among 100 best songs of bollywood - 1. Rajnigandha Phool Tumhaare Mehken Yun Hi Jeevan Mein, Yun Hi Mehke Preet Piya Ki Mere Anuraagi Mann Mein (sung by Lata), 2. Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai, Ye Jo Mann Ki Seema Rekha Hai, Mann Todne Lagta Hai (sung by Mukesh). The lyrics have a high poetic quality and the music composition of both of them is just excellent.All in all, Rajnigandha is a very good emotional watch. However, with my recommendation for the movie, I also advise those who can read Hindi and are fond of good literature, to read the story - Yahi Sach Hai which is a gem from the treasure of Hindi literature.

The protagonist this time is played by Vidya Sinha. She once again plays the love interest of two men. The shy Amol Palekar of Choti Si Baat becomes a motor mouth Asrani- like character in 'Rajanigandha' and the 'smart Alec' Asrani of that film gives way to the silent, brooding, Dilip Thakur here. The two films are linked extremely closely with each other and ideally should be seen as companion pieces to each other (using apwbd's language w.r.t MD and IE).Here, the events are seen from Vidya's perspective. Her lover is a caring man (Amol Palekar) who is liable to be brash, callous and indifferent at times. But he is nevertheless her constant source of support. They seem to have an ideal life as a couple in Mumbai until a job interview forces her to go to Delhi where she meets a man from her past, played by Dilip Thakur. She had known him to love her secretly but since he had never confided his feelings to her, she was helpless and had had to move on. Now, she secretly and maybe even selfishly, wishes that he finally confesses his love for her. This, even while she has a loyal (well, imperfect as he may be) boyfriend back home…Now, the guessing game begins and the audience gets involved. Will he tell her or won't he? Why doesn't he tell her? She's so clearly in awe of him..can't he see? But even while he gets several opportunities, he doesn't say the needful and she's once again, helpless.In the anticlimax that follows, she goes back to Mumbai to her old life. Still, she secretly hopes for a letter from him. Finally it arrives, but to her chagrin, it is merely a letter congratulating her on her successful interview and not much else (though she can gauge that a lot has been left unsaid). Then, one day when she's waiting for another letter of his, someone delivers a bunch of Rajanigandha flowers at her door. But it is not from her secret admirer in Delhi but from her tangible suitor in Mumbai and then the truth dawns upon her. Pragmatism wins over incessant yearning. Dreams give way to reality and she gives her heart to Amol's character.How real is this? What is our life but a series of choices and chances and when they collide, serendipity happens and love blooms and when they don't, one moves on, still trying to solve the complex equations of love and life. And we are left with a lot of questions that start with 'What if…..'. Yes, Choti Si Baat and Rajanigandha are like twin sisters and alter egos of each other. While in the former, where the tone is much more humorous, one is elated at the victory of Arun over his rival whereas in the second, where the tone is much more maudlin, one can't help but feel a deep sadness for Dilip's character. They don't have non linear narratives, they don't have weird camera angles, deep focuses, extreme close ups, long takes, violation of 180 degrees etc etc. but both films have their heart in the right place and both are masterpieces IMO because not only do they make engaging viewings out of commonplace situations and ordinariness but they touch upon such a sublime and subtle truth in our behavior and build so effortlessly on that foundation, that the resultant building is a house of hearts, built with bricks of love, the doors to which open only to the brave ones