बेमिसाल

The year was 1982 and Amitabh was enjoying a blitz of super hits which catered for the masses. In the midst of all them is a film called Bemisal. Amitabh was not into parallel cinema and I think Bemisal was his little foray info it. The result is a confusing love triangle, peppered with self-sacrifice, lust and insanity. Amitabh looks uncomfortable and sullen in his role as a doctor grappling with his emotions for his best friend's wife. Vinod Mehra is his usual one dimensional diminutive self. This was one actor who knew how to play the underdog loser with such aplomb. Then there is Rakhee who plays the clueless wife who thinks Amitabh's affection for her is like a sister. Her character could have been developed much more but she tends to disappear once Amitabh switches his attention to Sheetal, the whip wielding seductress. Watch it if you must but I would rather spend the time watching satte pe satta, mahaan or suhaag. Amitabh at least looked comfortable doing those regular roles tailor made for him.

the movie is also bemisaal like its name. actually it is the story of the movie which makes it different from all other movies. this was a great year for amitabh with hits like "satte pe satta", "shakti" and "namak halal". bemisaal was not a big hit but of course critically acclaimed and it had two of the most finest gazals of that era. performance wise amitabh is unmatchable. it might not be one of the best movies of hrishikesh mukherjee but ofcourse it is a masterpiece vinod mehra has done justice to his role and so has rakhi. i rate this movie as 8.5/10.

No movie captures the great Amitabh as an angry yet soulful young man better than Bemisaal. Although uniquely done for its time of release, when such blockbusters as Shakit, Khuddar, Mahaan, and Pukar hit the screen with quite a punch, Bemisaal is set to give the audience an intimate look at the very soul of Amitabh's portrayed anger. Playing a double role as both the insane older brother and the younger pediatrician, Amitabh performs fabulously in this tale of loyalty, sacrifice, and vendetta. Some of the monologues, that establish the backdrop of his character, are so well performed that one realizes that bone-crackling punches and booming voices are not the only means to express a character's inner rage. In fact, a much more emphatic appreciation is achieved through fine changes in tone and pace that enable dialogs alone to bring Amitabh's inner turmoil to bear. Of course, Lata's lilting rendition of "Ae Ri Pavan" coupled with Kishore's pain-infused performance of "Kaffa Hoon" bring to a nice finish a piece of art by Mr. Mukherjee. If you are looking for action, this is clearly NOT the movie for you. However, if you want to truly experience the rage that Amitabh has portrayed in so many different facets, you want to watch Bemisaal.

This is different movie unlike other commercial movies. Story is the real sole with good direction by Hrishikesh mukharjee. All actors performed well, music exceptional.

Bemisal review :

By the '80s, the angry young man tag was so synonymous with Amitabh Bachchan that the audience was unwilling to see him in any meek and mild avatar. As a result, some of his good films like Jurmana (1979), Silsila (1981) and Bemisal (1982) underperformed at the box office. In fact, Bemisal directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, had Bachchan in one of his best and highly underrated performance ever.

Based on Hrishi da's own Bengali movie Ami Se O Sakha (1975), Bemisaal was a poignant tale of a triangle between Bachchan, Rakhee and Vinod Mehra. As an orphan raised by Mehra's father, Amitabh not only sacrifices his love for Rakhee and gets her married to Vinod Mehra but eventually even takes the blame for an illegal abortion committed by Mehra.

R. D. Burman's scintillating music score complimented the scenic Kashmir locales beautifully. 'Yeh Kashmir hai' song became a chartbuster and it is still in my songlist. Another song which I love is 'Ek roz main tadapkar' picturised on Amitabh and Sheetal who got the chance of a lifetime to be his heroine though her role had negative shades.

Bemisal completed a silver jubilee at Mumbai's Opera House but was still called a box office flop as it didn't perform to Bachchan's high standards. The film is a must watch for his fans who will certainly enjoy seeing him in an emotional dual role.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.