Aashirwad

'Aashirwad' is among Hrishikesh Mukherjee's lesser known film and it is somewhat different from his more popular pictures. This one is more on the lines of 'Satyakaam'. It tells the story of a wealthy Shivnath Choudhary whose happiness centers around his daughter. Much to the chagrin of his pathologically arrogant wife, he likes to hang out with the poorer folks of the village and practice music and poetry with them. Leela only tolerates the poor folks when they pay tax. However, when she learns that her husband has used her money to help them, she has the village burnt down. This takes Shivnath to a new path.

Like most of Mukherjee's film, 'Aashirwad' is emotionally engaging and this one is more poetic than his popular works. Gulzar's poems and lyrics are beautiful and they are excellently recited by Kumar. I also liked the cinematography which was used very subtly. The script is mostly good. However, there are certain sequences that I failed to understand. After all, Shivnath only killed his accountant to protect Rukmini so why did he accept a murder plea? Moreover, a few scenes tend to be melodramatic especially the ending.

Sanjeev Kumar delivers a sincere performance with a natural charm and Sumita Sanyal has good screen presence. Sarika too is brilliant in a very small role and Veena, as usual, is good at playing the evil wife (and I liked that her character was humanized rather than demonized). However, 'Aashirwad' is Ashok Kumar's film. He has a commanding presence without being too obvious. Natural, involving and heartbreaking are at least three words that describe his performance. I especially enjoyed his scenes with the children in the park and the grown-up daughter.

Even though it tends to go overboard at times, like any Hrishikesh Mukherjee film, 'Aashirwad' is definitely worth viewing. It showcases Ashok Kumar's talent. It's a heartfelt story about a father's love for his daughter.