It was mature love enacted quite earnestly by two of the most accomplished actors, Uttam Kumar, past 50, and Sharmila Tagore, not quite young, both striving to lend credibility to their on-screen love story. It is a simple tale of a rich boy and poor girl, coming from different religious background, cementing their childhood association with the wedding bond. We have seen many such plots in Hindi cinema but this one is so brilliantly delivered, thanks to the directorial skills of Shakti Samanta.
For Uttam Kumar, adhering to the demands of the script was a natural phenomenon. He had given a sterling performance in “Amanush”, which was also a Samanta offering with Sharmila Tagore as his lady love which again like “Anand Ashram” was a double version film in Hindi and Bangla by the director. But “Anand Ashram” throws light on the acting prowess of a star line up that includes Ashok Kumar and Asit Sen with Rakesh Roshan and Moushami Chatterjee completing the cast.
Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore gave their best when working with Satyajit Ray. Uttam achieved a legendary status with “Nayak” while Sharmila, after initial forays in Bengali cinema, ventured into the world of Hindi films, bagging plenty of glamorous roles but reserved her finest for “Amar Prem” and “Aradhana”, both coming from the stable of Samanta.
“Anand Ashram” was aimed at giving the message that rural India needed the services of good doctors and the protagonist of the story Deepak (Uttam Kumar) dreams of a similar project. In the process he encounters Asha and they are wedded even as Deepak faces a stern father Pratap Narayan (Ashok Kumar) who would not accept a Christian as her daughter-in-law. The broad-minded son defies his father’s dictates and walks out of the house to chase his drams in a village.
Deepak’s world is shattered when Asha dies during a complicated delivery. Faced with the tough task of raising his son, Deepak accedes to request from an elderly help Girdhari (Asit Sen) who raises the child as Prakash (Rakesh Roshan) without revealing his identity to his grandfather.
Prakash goes on to become a doctor and also travels overseas for studies, thus fulfilling a wish of his late mother. Deepak follows his son’s progress like a proud father but confronts him when the former commits to work in a pharmaceutical company. Deepak coaxes the young doctor to spare his services for the needy in rural areas and Prakash comes to accept the noble suggestion out of respect for the elderly person, still unaware of their relationship.
Circumstances lead Prakash to Kiran (Moushami Chatterjee) and ultimately his father’s identity is known to him when Girdhari spills the secret to Pratap Narayan. The emotional climax is in keeping with Samanta’s style but what stands out is each individual emerging with a neat show. For old timers, used to watching Asit Sen’s comic acts, this is a refreshing change as he makes his presence felt brilliantly.
It is Uttam Kumar’s commanding performance that leaves an impression on the viewer, especially the latter stage of his character when he carries himself with distinction. At no point does he indulge in histrionics. The director in fact does not allow anyone to drift from the balanced narration. The scene where Deepak parts from his father, citing ideological differences, is a Samanta special, emotions in control and no high-pitch dialogues for creating an impact. Uttam Kumar’s work was immensely appreciated by critics and fans because of his ability to hold his place against a stalwart like Ashok Kumar.
The cast was a recipe for success even though the film did not quite conquer the box office, not even its Bangla version, but it was a quality product nevertheless by a collection of distinguished artists. The presence of Uttam Kumar and Ashok Kumar ensured class on the screen, not to forget the cameo of Utpal Dutt, as Kiran’s father and sponsor of the young Deepak’s dream of setting up medical facilities in a rural area. The banter between Rakesh Roshan and Moushami Chatterjee rekindled memories of similar Rajesh Khanna-Farida Jalal encounters from “Aradhana”, which saw Samanta extract a memorable contribution from Sharmila Tagore.
Shyamal Mitra, an under-rated music director, lent some lilting compositions where Kishore Kumar’s “Rahi Naye Naye Rasta Naya Naya” and his duet with Asha Bhosle “Sara Pyaar Tumhara Maine” stood out for melody. Regardless of the general response from the fans this is a film worth a revisit.
