Among those many films starring Mithun Chaborty in the mid-to-late 1980s, which were often more or less a rehash of the same formula and only relied on his undeniable star quality, viewers could easily overlook one, and it is the drama Rukhsat. Indeed, in many ways, it stands out. One can also easily fail to notice that the one who directed this film is none other than the famous actress and talk-show host Simi Garewal. Who would have thought that she might even have an interest in directing films? Also the film's screenwriter, Garewal's western sensibilities come to the fore here, as watching this film is unlike anything Mithun or any other actor did in those years in mainstream Hindi cinema. Rukhsat is atypically quiet, subtle, and it almost works as a psychological, character-driven drama.
In this regard, Rukhsat is almost European in style and execution. Everything about this film is different - the story, which is very unusual and traditionally defiant, the matter-of-factness of the relationship between the two leads (including premarital sex which isn't made a big deal of), the lack of high melodrama, the turn of events - everything is treated with great delicacy. The serenity of the narrative is a little slow at times and it may be one of its greatest pitfalls, but then the film is professionally shot, and the cinematography is so different I actually went to check who the cinematographer is, to learn there's two of them actually: US-based Austin De Besche and Indian award-winning Jehangir Choudhary. The minimalist dialogue by the poet Rahi Masoom Raza complements Garewal's script.
Mithun Chakraborty gets a very uncommon character to play, and he does it with incredible restraint and sensitivity. Many of his ardent fans don't actually know that their Mithunda (his nickname) is actually an accomplished, professionally trained actor who was in many ways drawn into the world of mainstream Hindi films by either pure circumstance or a conscious decision to make use of his charisma for financial survival. This film shows Chakraborty in his element (well, he always is in front of the camera no matter the film) in a performance that is realistic, understated and deeply affecting. The beautiful Anuradha Patel is first-rate as his female lead, so is Marc Zuber and even the young girl as their daughter. Even Amrish Puri's villain is unusual and isn't a caricature. The film concludes on a heartbreaking note and leaves a mark.
