Anuradha (1960 film)

Anuradhaa
Album cover featuring Leela Naidu
Directed by	Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Produced by	Hrishikesh Mukherjee L. B. Thakur
Screenplay by	Shachin Bhowmick Rajinder Singh Bedi D. N. Mukherjee Samir Chowdhary
Story by	Sachin Bhowmick
Starring	Balraj Sahni Leela Naidu
Music by	Pandit Ravi Shankar (composer) Shailendra (lyricist)
Cinematography	Jaywant Pathare
Edited by	Das Dhaimade
Release dates	1960 (1960)
Running time	141 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Anuradha (Hindi: अनुराधा; English: Love of Anuradha) is a 1960 Hindi-language film produced and directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The film stars Balraj Sahni, Leela Naidu in lead roles along with Asit Sen and Mukri. The film is noted for being Miss India Naidu's debut film.

The film's music was composed by Pandit Ravi Shankar, in one of his rare forays into Hindi cinema. The film was based on a short story written by Sachin Bhowmick, first published in the Bengali monthly magazine Desh and according to his autobiography, he was inspired by Madame Bovary, a novel by Gustave Flaubert, to create this story.

The film went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival in 1961.

Plot

Anuradha Roy (Leela Naidu), a noted radio singer, dancer and daughter of a rich man, falls in love with an idealistic doctor, Dr. Nirmal Chowdhary (Balraj Sahni). She decides to marry him against her father's will. Nirmal, whose mother died of illness, has decided to serve the poor in the distant village of Nandagaon. He asks Anuradha to not follow the hardships his life has but to live the life her father plans. But she still insists to follow her love. She rejects the wedding proposal set by her father with the London-returned Deepak (Abhi Bhattacharya). Deepak wishes her well and promises her to help in future if she ever needs any.

After the marriage and a daughter, Anuradha realizes the gravity of the choice of living in a village. Taking care of the family, doing all household chores she quits singing, the singing that once was her life. After many years one day her father comes home to visit them and reconcile. Seeing her poor condition her father asks them to come and stay in the city with him. But due to his patients Nirmal rejects the offer and promises to move after sometime.

Deepak while travelling with his girlfriend meets a car accident and is hence rushed to Dr. Nirmal. Nirmal does successful plastic surgery on his girlfriend. Deepak gets to stay with Anuradha for some days and realizes her hardships. He requests her to leave Nirmal and move to city and pursue her passion for music. It is then she has to decide between her love for husband and music. The clinching moment is when Dr. Nirmal concedes to her desire to leave him and restart her life in the city. At this point she asks him: "Can't you ask him to go away? And never come back again?", indicating she has no plans to leave him (her husband).

Cast

• Balraj Sahni as Dr. Nirmal Chaudhary
• Leela Naidu as Anuradha Roy
• Ranu
• Abhi Bhattacharya as Deepak
• Nasir Hussain
• David
• Hari Shivdasani as Brijeshwar Prasad Roy
• Asit Sen as Zamindar
• Mukri as Atmaram

Awards

National Film Awards

• 1960: President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film

Berlin International Film Festival

• 1961: Golden Bear: Nomination

Soundtrack

The film music department had a rare combination, sitar maestro, Pandit Ravi Shankar, with lyricist, Shailendra.

• "Jaane Kaise Sapno Main" - Lata Mangeshkar
• "Sanware Sanware Kahe Mose" - Lata Mangeshkar
• "Kaise Din Beete, Kaise Beeti Ratiyan" - Lata Mangeshkar
• "Bahut Din Huye" - Mahendra Kapoor
• "Hai Re Woh Din Kyon Na Aaye" - Lata Mangeshkar

External links

• Anuradha at IMDb