Khamoshi - 1970

 

 

Star Cast :

•   Super Star Rajesh Khanna - Arun Choudhury (Patient No.24)
•   Waheeda Rehman - Nurse Radha
•   Dharmendra - Mr. Dev (Patient No.24) (Guest Appearance)
•   Nazir Hussain - Dr. Colonel Saab
•   Iftekhar - Doctor
•   Lalita Pawar - Matron
•   Deven Verma - Patient No.22
•   Anwar Hussain - Biharilal Gupta
•   Snehlata - Sulekha (Arun’s friend)

Other Film Crew’s :

• Directed by Asit Sen
• Produced by Geetanjali
• Dialogue Written by Gulzar
• Story by Ashutosh Mukherjee
• Based on ‘Nurse Mitra’, a story by Ashutosh Mukherjee
• Cinematography by Kamal Bose
• Release date :  1969
• Country : India
• Language : Hindi

Introduction :

Khamoshi (Hindi: ख़ामोशी, Urdu: خاموشی, translation: “Silence”) is a 1969 black-and-white Hindi drama film directed by Asit Sen, starring Rajesh Khanna and Waheeda Rehman. It especially remembered for its songs with excellent music by Hemant Kumar and some excellent lyrics by Gulzar in songs like Tum pukar lo…tumhara intezaar hai sung by Hemant Kumar, Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi by Kishore Kumar and Humne dekhi hai in aankhon ki mehekti khushboo sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Though what really made this film stand out was the B&W cinematography by Kamal Bose, who won the Filmfare Award for his work in the film. The film is considered Waheeda Rehman’s finest acting feat, as she carries the entire film through her powerful yet understated acting, she received a Filmfare nomination for it. This movie is often considered to be most successful film of Waheeda Rehman.

The film was shot in Calcutta. The film is based on Bengali short story titled, 'Nurse Mitra’ by noted Bengali writer, Ashutosh Mukherjee, and is an almost frame by frame remake of director Asit Sen’s own Bengali film, Deep Jwele Jaai (1959) starring Suchitra Sen.

Director Asit Sen (not to be confused with the actor-comedian Asit Sen) acted in the original Bengali film Deep Jélé Jaai (1959) in a role, which was essayed by Dharmendra in Khamoshi, where the movie-goers actually could not recognise him because it was a dark scene marked with the baritone voice of Hemant Kumar. Later he revealed himself in an interview in the 1990s. After his success in off-beat films, Mamta (1966) and Anokhi Raat (1968), Sen wanting to make it big in Bombay as well decided to remake his Bengali hit.

Actress Waheeda Rehman suggested the name of actor Rajesh Khanna, having been impressed by his work in Aakhri Khat (1966), though she later said, after the movie was released, that “he (Rajesh Khanna) was not mature enough to enact such a complex character” and that Sanjeev Kumar would have been a better choice. She also said that nobody could really hope to equal Basanta Choudhury in the Bengali original, and that her own performance came “nowhere near Suchitra Sen.” She credited the director for helping her lot during difficult scenes.

Summary :

Colonel Sahab is a doctor in a psychiatry ward and Nurse Radha (Waheeda Rahman) is heart-broken after a civilian patient, Dev Kumar (Dharmendra), whom she cared for, pouring out her love and affection, leaves the hospital, as she had been unable to keep her heart separate from her professional work and had fallen in love with her patient. Next Arun Choudury (Rajesh Khanna), a writer and poet enters as a patient, suffering acute mania after being rejected by his lover, Sulekha. After refusing to take his care, Radha relents and starts nursing him. In between while caring for Arun she reminisces her past and tells a story of how she took care of injured brave army soldiers when she was posted in Laddakh during the Sino-Indian war of 1962.

Gradually Arun gets cured by the love of Nurse Radha, who yet again falls hopelessly in love with her patient. Unable to hide from the truth yet unable to face it, Radha herself goes insane and is admitted to the same clinic. Arun, promises to wait for her until she recovers, finding no other options that he could choose to make her better again.

Music Sound Track :

• Music by Hemant Kumar
• Lyrics by Gulzar
• Playback Singers : Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey and Aarti Mukherjee.

Songs :

S.No.  Song Title    Playback Singer(s)

•   01. Tum pukar lo.. tumhaara intezaar hai : by Hemant Kumar
•   02. Woh Shaam Kuch ajeeb thi.. yeh shaam bhi ajeeb hai : by Kishore Kumar
•   03. Humne dekhee hai un aankhon ki mehekti khushboo : by Lata Mangeshkar
•   04. Aaj Ki Raat Charagon - by Aarti Mukherjee
•   05. Dost Kahan Koi Tumsa : by Manna Dey

Awards  and  Nominations :

•   Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award (B&W film category): Kamal Bose
•   Filmfare Nomination for Best Actress : Waheeda Rehman

Remake :

A Hollywood remake of the film, Silence, was announced in 2008 to be directed by Sanjay Patel. It was rumoured that it would star Jennifer Aniston in the lead role but nothing came of it.