Sujata Movie Review: Straight from the heart

Sunil Dutt was one of the more versatile actors to have graced the Hindi film screen, but strangely, little has been written about Dutt, the actor. We have reams written about Dutt the man, the politician, the father. He was undoubtedly an extremely popular star but his cinematic work has largely remained invisible.

Sujata, made in 1959 by Bimal Roy was a film in which Dutt didn't have an author backed role. In fact, the focus of the entire film was on Nutan. Dutt's character wasn't even fully fleshed out, but what remains to his credit is the sincerity and earnestness that he brings to the role of Adhir. He plays the role of a progeressive young man, driven by ideals and manages to hold his own against Nutan. The most endearing quality about him as an actor was the sense of reality that he brought to every role that he did. He made it believable.

Sujata revolves around the story of an untouchable girl who is given shelter in the house of the local engineer Upendranath Chowdhury (Tarun Bose), a Brahmin. His wife Charu (Sulochana) and he give shelter to this baby girl as a temporary measure, till some arrangement can be made for the child. They have a baby daughter of their own as well called Rama (played by Shashikala, when the child grows up). But the arrangements never really fall into place, and in time, the girl stays on with them and grows up along with their own daughter. The couple also get quite attached to the girl, who is named Sujata (Nutan). She is often mistaken by others to be their daughter and Charu always refers to her as someone who is 'like a daughter.' Sujata grows up realising that she and Rama are different, but does not know the real reason, till one day when she overhears a conversation between Charu and Upen. She compels Charu to tell her truth and then learns that she is not their daughter but an untouchable.

Everything seems to be moving fine till Adhir enters their life. Adhir is a progressive, educated young man from a rich Brahmin family and is the grandson of Buaji (Lalita Pawar), a close family friend. Buaji was always opposed to Upen and Charu keeping an untouchable in their house. And now she makes it an issue. It is decided to get Sujata married off so that she would not be present at the wedding of Rama and Adhir. But the problem arises when Adhir falls in love with Sujata and decides that he will marry her and not Rama. Buaji is outraged but in the end concedes defeat to her grandson. But Charu is not able to stomach it. She holds Sujata responsible for this and in fit of rage asks her to leave the house.

An upset Charu, while railing at Sujata, falls down the steps and injures herself badly. Her life is in danger and she needs to be given blood transfusion. The only one whose blood type matches hers, is Sujata's. When she learns of it, she realises how much the girl loved her and finally accepts her as a daughter. She says as much to Sujata and agrees to the marriage between Adhir and Sujata.

One has to remember that this film was made in 1959. Untouchability was an issue then. But trust Bimalda to give the entire issue such a humanistic treatment. The film deals with untouchability but doesn't get reduced into a diatribe on the issue. It remains a work of art as well. Bimal Roy was able to balance both in the film. There is no element of self-pity here. The scene where Charu finally accepts Sujata as her daughter could have easily been reduced to a crying matches under any other director. But Bimalda deals with it so simply and so sensitively, that even today it brings a lump in one's throat. Kudos to the actors for executing the director's vision so perfectly. He managed to convey the emotion without letting the scene drag with an overdose of sentimentality. These touches are there throughout the film.

The show obviously belongs to Nutan who plays the role of Sujata. She is all dignity and grace as Sujata. Nutan and Bimal Roy were perhaps made for each other. Their styles were so similar. Both believed in the art of understatement. Nutan's expressions, her eyes, her little gestures, were enough to convey what she was feeling or what she wanted to say. She didn't need reams and reams of dialogues to do that. Sunil Dutt was a perfect foil for her in the film. He played the thorough 'bhadralok' who lives by what he believes in. Dutt's innate decency and sense of fair play perhaps takes over and spills onto the screen.

Like all Bimla Roy films, Sujata too is shot with a lot of play of light to bring out the emotions of the characters. He enhances the emotional quotient of the film with some very apt framing. SD Burman's music adds the final seal of perfection to Sujata. The film is strewn with gems like Talat Mehmood's Jalte Hain Jiske Liye, Burmanda's Sun Mere Bandhu Re, Geeta Dutt's Hawa Dheere Aana, and Bachpan ke Din by Asha Bhonsale. Perhaps the most famous of them is the Talat Mehmood number. Surely one of the most romantic numbers of all times, Jalte Hain Jiske Liye has been shot memorably as well. Who can forget the ardent Adhir singing to his sweetheart over the telephone !

Sujata remains an alltime favourite for so many reasons. Its direction, its actors, it camerawork, its music. All most everything about it was perfect. There is nothing that you would like to change. Finally, it's the honesty of the man and his vision that makes it such an enduring classic.