Now-a-days when Shahrukh Khan's acting in My Name is Khan is talk of the tinsel town and a hot topic for the moviegoers and the movie-reviewers alike, it is quite natural to refresh the nostalgic memories of Nana Patekar's performance in an almost forgotten movie Yugpurush that got released in 1998. The difference in the characters played by SRK and Nana Patekar is that while SRK is a patient of Asperger's Syndrome since birth in MNIK, Nana Patekar is an asylum-released mental patient (catatonic) in Yugpurush. The similarity is that both the characters are childlike innocent in their attitude and behaviour and that's why simply lovable. Doing no injustice to SRK for his commendable job in MNIK, it will not be inappropriate to rate Nana's performance as Aniruddh in Yugpurush is a nothing short of a lesson in acting.
Yugpurush was directed by Partho Ghosh who is definitely not a legend but he had carved a niche for himself in the nineties through movies like 100 Days and Agnisaakshi. Yugpurush flopped on the box office and got brushed aside by the elite reviewers too under the accusation that it gave preference to the love-triangle aspect of the story over the childlike innocent character of Nana Patekar alongwith his experience in the real world outside the asylum, his impact upon others (and others' impact upon him) and his overall presence in the plot (which could have established him as 'Yugpurush' and justified the title of the story). However it can be considered a classic now.
In Yugpurush, Aniruddh gets released from asylum at the age of 36 years after spending a quarter of a century behind its closed doors. Doctors declare him completely cured and a normal human-being fit to live in the society. He comes in contact with police in the course of saving the life of a child in a riot, Sunita who is the keep of a corrupt politician, Paresh; Ranjan, a spoiled millionaire youth and the family of his mentor, Mohan who is having an eye on Aniruddh's ancestral property. He starts loving Sunita and a lovelorn Sunita, finding herself among greedy and narrow-minded people, too falls prey to the childlike innocence of Aniruddh. Mohan's kind-hearted daughter, Deepti also is in love with Aniruddh. However things take turn with the fact that Ranjan too tries to get Sunita with the help of his filthy richness. Though he had befriended Aniruddh, the beauty of Sunita overpowers his friendly feelings towards Aniruddh. The fact Ranjan could not understand that money can buy only a woman's body, not her heart and sentiments. Sunita runs away from Ranjan (despite having committed to live with him in lieu of money) and goes to Aniruddh whose love for her cannot be measured on any scale. The jealousy and the sense of defeat in Ranjan leads to the climax of the story in which the asylum's doctor who had treated Aniruddh is compelled to tell the relevant people that his toil of 25 years has been undone within a few months.
Yugpurush is by all means Nana's movie only. He has given several marvellous performances in several movies playing different kinds of roles. But his portrayal of Aniruddh in Yugpurush is, in my opinion, is his hitherto best ever performance for which he quite unjustifiably did not get any award. Jackie Shroff as Ranjan, Mohan Joshi as Mohan, Shivaji Satam as Paresh etc. among others have done full justice to their characters. But special mention is needed for the female leads. Ashwini Bhave as Deepti has simply startled with her natural performance. Her overall expressions and particularly the emotions expressed in the climax are simply superb. But it is Manisha Koirala who steals the show as Sunita with her sparkling beauty having shadows of her internal gloom and portrayal of her conflict between practical life with Ranjan and emotions for Aniruddh. As a woman torn between love and money, Manisha simply rocks.
Partho Ghosh has given a sensitive treatment to the story and done justice to it in major parts, if not fully. The story loses its way in post-interval part when the triangular relationship of Aniruddh, Sunita and Ranjan just becomes too much and becomes too heavy for the viewers sending them craving for some relief that they do not get till the end of the movie. But overall the impact of the movie remains with the viewer for a long time after it is over. The scenes of Aniruddh signing the property papers in favour of Mohan without any thought, making Mohan move to the extent of tearing them himself and Aniruddh's saying to Sunita - 'Paise nahi hain mere paas; main pyar de sakta hun, samman de sakta hun' (I don't have money, I can only give you love and respect) leave a deep-seated impact upon the viewer. The movie strongly underscores the point that a person can be good till he is a child (by age or by heart) and the bad elements creep in the personality with the contact of so-called practical life and people.
The music is not great but not bad either. Cinematography and art direction are good. Editing could have been better. Screenplay could have been more innovative and gripping. Director Partho Ghosh could have tried to be a bit more creative while dealing with this unorthodox script making the movie more gripping and entertaining.
All fans of Nana Patekar should watch this movie and the people who have liked MNIK (with Shahrukh's acting as Rizwan Khan) too. It is a well-intentioned movie containing many plus-points for sensitive audience. If you want to see and understand the complexities of human psyche, do watch it.
