We rented this movie on the spur of the moment as we hardly ever watch any pre-Sholay Amitabh films. This film is interesting because one can see the seeds of the all-too-famous "angry young man" character, however, this time that rebellious nature is channeled against parental authority. Amitabh plays a passionate poet (a la Kabhi Kabhi) who has no intention of basking in his poetic grandeur and whose lawyer father keeps insisting that he find a professional job. One day while walking through the streets he hears his poem being sung by Jaya Bhaduri's "kotewalli" character and is immediately mesmerized by her passion. He goes to tell her of his appreciation but masks the fact that he is the original poet of the song. She dislikes his tongue-in-cheek bad-mouthing of the poet and so starts an unlikely courtship. Amitabh's father is angered that his son would try to ruin his social standing by frequenting such a place but Amitabh quite resolutely argues for the freedom of love devoid of social chains. Jaya's mother (Nadira) is also angered by the growing relationship between the two because the very nature of a "kotewali" entails projecting an air of aloofness and temptation which can never be attained. What angers her more is the fact that Jaya keeps refusing the invitation of a very rich and powerful nawab.
What could have been a typical young-lovers-whose-parents-don't-understand love story is undercut by the intelligence through which Amitabh is able to articulate his love for Jaya, avoiding stock characterizations of the parental figures, and the investigative/courtroom angle represented by Raza Murad. Never before have I seen him in such a powerful role and it's a sad feeling considering the poor roles he was offered later in life. Murad's intelligent lawyer who spends his entire day in his room reading whatever he can get his hands on is the epitome of the ideal lawyer-one who fights for the cause of truth, and in this case, on Jaya's behalf when she is framed for a murder she didn't commit.
Who the original killer is, the motive for this murder, and the ties which links all these characters together is developed and brought to light with breath-taking pacing and suspense. In fact, instead of having the motives for the murder displayed in a heated courtroom battle, it is instead told through the use of pen drawings and water-colour paintings with Murad's voiceover. A truly stunning work of cinematic creativity. Coupled with the intelligent script, excellent camera framing and editing, and characterizations, Ek Nazar is a must see for Amitabh fans who grew up watching the "angry young man" and want to see his delicate acting prowess.
