Agni Pariksha - Bengali Movie - Uttam, Suchitra
And
Chhoti Si Mulaqat
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Having seen the Hindi remake at an early age when it was quite new, and not thought of it as much but ridiculous - which was not an exceptional opinion about it, then, at that - it came as a surprise, when, halfway through first watching this one realised that this was the original, and it wasn't ridiculous at all. And subsequent viewings merely made the surprise grow along with the intrigue about why, the theme that had seemed rather simplistic in sixties at best, now seems far from it, but much deeper if anything.
For one, there are of course differences between the original and the remake.
This one is done with all the westernised society atmosphere of a comparatively bygone era of ladies and gentlemen, with decorum and more, in an upper strata of wealthy Bengali society that holidayed in Darjeeling regularly, and looked up to education as much as took wealth for granted, all with a platform of the westernised urban social setting that set them up aloft above the ground realities, of not only those less than wealthy but - perhaps more importantly - of those not quite so westernised.
In comparison the remake was set in the sixties post Junglee, yahoo changes that brought in a very overt pursuit of the very unwilling lady by an almost Tarzan cum ape, with the lady eventually giving in to the overtures in terms of romance - still virtuously, of course! And this change was then harder to reconcile with the story that develops.
Here, the quiet but steady devoted candidate for the hand of the beautiful educated modern young woman, and a self confessed fan of her singing, is a role that reveals itself as much more complex, deeper, only on subsequent viewings - when one knows he is more than he has said.
But the real knot remains firm and soul of the theme - and has been dealt with in at least half a dozen films of last two decades or so from US, although with different storylines. Question is, what if one is already committed in a relationship, and then someone new appears who one cannot help falling inexorably in love with?
Here, the said relationship is a childhood marriage that the girl's mother had revolted against, and declared null and void, bringing the family to town and making the girl forget about it in course of education and normal life. But it dies exist, and once the memory is back, it cannot be denied. Legally she coukd free herself, but she finds an inexplicable bond drawing her, and she is uncertain of her duty, the right choice to make.
And then she turns to the old grandmother who had conducted that marriage. The grandmother asks her, what if you do marry the young man you now met, and then you meet someone who attracts you, and you fall in love with him?
That the film is beautifully made, is a bonus, as is the superlative young pair. And the music.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jSuBte1lZWU
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The original Agnipariksha where the golden couple of Bengali films had perhaps their first superhit, was a far quieter, deeper flow; since Uttam Kumar himself produced this remake, he probably had a good reason to change it so much.
The title is changed from the original, Agnipariksha, which was a work of literature by the wonderful Bengali author Ashapourna Devi. Whether the title is from the title song with its then very new very modern dance and coutoure, or vice versa, it announces the change of the perspective, as in seeing it as a love affair stemming from a small encounter, rather than a test by fire that the young woman undergoes when realising she was married and still is.
Uttam Kumar produced this remake. Judging from this dance, perhaps he did it to fit in with the then upcoming trend, or perhaps he needed to ascertain his own multifaceted capabilities. But the story suited the quieter and deeper original far more, and that was probably the reason this one didn't do well. Didn't quite gell with the modernisation of the original, the original was deeply rooted in the region it belonged to and had a sedate, demure character even to the modern, but this was yahooed up for presumably the then young audience, and the dilemma of the film wasn't in tune.
Also, this film came in '67, a few years post the high point of this artist's career in RK's Sangam, and while she did have a couple of hits post Sangam, this role of a young adult virgin bride wasn't likely to go down with the audience after the high drama of her marrying a man who divorced his wife just to marry her.
One recalls the then trend of this variation of draping saree, which was also seen in Sangam. Here, though, she seems to wish to compete with the original of this role, there is a hint of Suchitra Sen in the way she holds herself at times, which was never before or after. They had been together in Devdas by Bimal Roy, before this, and later Suchitra Sen did Aandhi after Vyjayantimala had refused.
An additional delight here is seeing the sweet niece of the veteran Geeta Bali, the then very young Yogita, who later was a heroine for some years and used the name Bali herself. Those years we had seen her first apoearance in a children's film produced by NFDC, Jawab Aayega, and others including this. But having forgotten this and pretty much most exceot one's general reaction, there are unexpected pleasures in revisiting this film now for a second time.
Wonder who played the young bridegroom that is Uttam Kumar when adult.
The point of difference between original Bengali Agnipariksha and this remake comes immediately at the introduction of the young bride grown up into a woman, introduced here with a very western dance she is doing alone in what is presumably her own home, instead of the staid, demure Suchitra Sen lost in fog on mountain roads of Darjeeling while out for a walk with her relatives, which seems normal occupation for the routine of a summer holiday in their home in hills away from the town house, and she is found by Uttam Kumar who informs her he is a fan, and escorts her home after a song she is happy to sing for him - she has found fame and following as a singer.
Wonder if either of the two main artists really did ski 40:00 - 42:00? Rajendranath on the other hand executed a comic stunt that required great skill, but since he shot often enough before this in Kashmir and is from a Northwest clan, wouldn't be surprising if he did ski well.
The scene of various people's calls, looking for a lost one, echoing in the mountains, is here supposedly in Simla, but judging from the tea garden they suddenly are in instead of a park 43:00 - 43:52 where they were at a picnic, this is shot probably at the Peshok Tea Garden. The two meeting twice and him suddenly breaking into a song are a rude shock, especially all the more so after having seen Agnipariksha with it's very romantic first meeting of the two. Really this yahoofication is half the reason this film failed.
The stage dance performed by the heroine 55:00 -59:00 is well conceived, but as usual with Hindi films, while most of the performance goes on there is no clue just where the stage or the audience is, and the heroine is shown from most angles. What is poetically conceptualised but not quite as well executed is the descent of the heavenly Apsara, Menaka, dancing her way floating down to earth and attempting to free herself of a transparent veil - nice use of something very akin to cellophane but presumably a fabric she could breathe through - that she can be presumably seen through but not touched by a mortal, and then the scene background turning suddenly bright red signifying material Earth as she manages to extricate herself from the veil and the fog vanishes. Too bad the person who did this conceptualising of the stage dance wasn't in charge of the whole film.
A significant portion seems to be missing between the end of the dance and the heroine returning home, what with the inexplicably complete turnabout in her mood and stance. This missing portion is evident since she seems to be holding a greatcoat as she enters what seems her own bedroom, and then the film or this vudeo jumps again to show her enter his home, which seems never locked against intruders. Strangely enough, in the process of attempting returning his overcoat she enters his bedroom, rather than leave it in the empty drawing room. She doesn't look curious, so was it spying for a reason, or just faux pas on part of the director and screenplay? Again, she is humming a song here, the melodious key song to this film, so was this song cut from this video? No, it seems she heard it before he sings it, perhaps it's suggested it's written on the photograph of hers she finds in his bedroom, but not visible to the viewer.
Subsequent turns here make it clear why this film failed- where the original had a straightforward narration of a romance interrupted rudely with a memory returning to haunt the young woman who, in the over a decade interim, had indeed forgotten it, here the wedding hadn't happened so long ago, the bride was fifteen instead of the preteen original, and it's the cousin attempting to hook the eligible guy that heaps guilt on the heroine - but the worst part is the compliance with seemingly requisite regular interruptions with songs, and they are quite disappointing to those familiar with Uttam Kumar's playback being given by the mellifluous Bengal singers rather than the then prevalent voice if yahoo romances.
At 1:36 there is another false turn, where the cousin informs him his beloved is married and he shows a puzzled, shocked reaction that doesn't match the reality - quite unlike the silent and observant, hesitant and stoic hero of the original who is never quite told why she suddenly stops seeing him, but instead wishes to tell her something about himself at one point!
But the much worse part is at the engagement party, interrupted by the manager and accountant of the husband, without whose instructions they wouldn't have dared to humiliate her - and here on the picture spoils as far as the hero is concerned, since he puts her through the humiliation and pain, unnecessary suffering instead of simply disclosing his identity once she has fallen for him.
Later, there's a melodious song - Jeevan Ke Do Raahe Pe Khade Sochate Hain Hum - that never got much popularity, and yet it's the one at the turning point.
The original Agnipariksha had a simpler song in the situation, Ke Tumi Aamaare Daako. It related the whole dilemma, and was shown in the simpler setting of the upper class young woman dressed not her usual upper class sophisticated style but in the simpler way a rural married woman would, and singing to herself at the piano in her home as she's used to - which itself frames the dichotomy well.
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Somewhere along the line, having watched the Hindi remake for only the second time, after a gap of half a century, it becomes amply clear why this film was so disliked generally, and why we disliked it in particular.
For, what was originally a sensitive story about a mother who wishes only the best for her children including her eldest daughter, with determination to educate her and make her free of the shackles that traditions will put her in, and subsequently the dilemma of the daughter about her childhood bridegroom vs her newfound precious love, was in the remake turned into a complete melodrama with the mother a borderline viper and the groom turned lover a questionable guy who woos her in the obnoxious ways that sixties had brought in and then let's loose the social stigma at her at every point, cornering her with tides of social scorn into turning her back on her modern ways and to her husband of the ceremony she went through at fifteen.
The original is about three women of three generations, and the gentlemen who stand by them. The remake was about telling women they are objects without power or prestige, and exist with honour only in obeying their male owners.
Was this because the original was Bengali and thus true to India, while the remake was supposed to cater to North and central India, and those were seen as regions adhering to values not of India but those brought in by invading colonisers with their abrahmic creeds?
This seems to be all the more true, since the finale dialogue with the husband ending it is so opposite in the remake from the original.
Originally, he says, he wanted her to come to him on her own - and watching it mire than once makes his quiet, reticent, patiently holding himself back, standing by her in all her travails, makes it clear more than any dialogue.
In the remake, he says he wanted her modern ways wiped out, so she coukd be happy in the old traditional life with him. And he did everything possible that he could, towards this end.
In that, he fails to consider he was possibly risking her life!
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Responding to a comment below the original yt video about why the film didn't do well, by Ramandeep Gill:-
"The best movie! I am surprised that why this gem was flopped? uttam kumar looking so handsome, and everybody's performance was great!"
Didn't quite gell with the modernisation of the original, the original was deeply rooted in the region it belonged to and had a sedate, demure character even to the modern, but this was yahooed up for presumably the then young audience, and the dilemma of the film wasn't in tune.
Also, this film came in '67, a few years post the high point of this artist's career in RK's Sangam, and while she did have a couple of hits post Sangam, this role of a young adult virgin bride wasn't likely to go down with the audience after the high drama of her marrying a man who divorced his wife just to marry her.
Responding to a comment below the original yt video about why she had to make this choice, by Chamatkaar1947:-
"Great performances and music! Vyjayantimala's emotional acting is so unguarded and raw! I love it! The music is wonderful as well! However, I don't know if I agree with the message of the movie....I mean, why is it implying that she should be a "proper" indian woman who believes in the meaning of a childhood marriage? Not following such tradition doesn't make her any less of a proud indian woman!"
That precisely is the question the story, and the films based thereupon, deal with, and its up,to her to make that choice. But notice that in the Hindi remake here, it's not a child marriage - not by the laws as they then were. She was fifteen, and the boy eighteen, when they were married - with consent of adults of the two families, which was completely legal. Remember the '73 marriage of the first superstar of Hindi films, with a fifteen year old one film heroine? That was legal, since her parents were consenting and she was fifteen.
In this film the father is upset but knows this is done, since Indian tradition does not have alternatives. The mother is modern and tells everyone she will change it. Every option, until the point where the bride makes a choice after growing up, is explored. She isn't just given up.
The clincher in the original film is where the grandmother asks her, what if you fall in love with yet another person after you marry the one you love now?
And there are no guarantees about that never happening, as can be seen from the plethora of over half a dozen films in just the last couple of decades, and thousands of real life stories in US and elsewhere in last century or so.
In the original it isn't finally what anyone else says or thinks, it's up to her. That it's a happy ending is because he had come looking for her, to win her over, in the first place - else she might have changed her mind, if she had not been happy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j56HXFe4qH0
