Bimal Roy's 'Sujata' remains relevant in today's times

If there ever was an award for the most unforgettable, romantic phone song, Sujata’s ‘Jalte Hain Jiske Liye’ would win hands down. Majrooh Sultanpuri's words weave magic with lines like ‘Dil Mein Rakh Lena Ise, Haathon Se Ye Chhoote Na Kaheen, Geet Naazuk Hai Mera Sheeshe Se Bhi, Toote Na Kaheen’.

The hero Adhir (Sunil Dutt) has a tune in his head. He promises the heroine Sujata (Nutan) that he will sing the song when he has the words. The wait is worth every tear she cries over the phone as he sings to her. Sujata has realised that she will never be able to marry Adhir because she is ‘achhoot’, an untouchable.

Bimal Roy makes it very clear right from the start that this film has a social message. We are shown the perfection that is Nutan who in the film is an 'achhoot'. You are taken aback by the horrendous nature of society. Is it relevant today? The moment you fill in a form— whether it is a high school exam form or an application for a government job—you have to fill in an answer to the question: what caste are you? 

Bimal Roy knew that he needed a strong yet silent man who could carry this story on his shoulders in an unhurried, quiet manner. This is Upen babu, played brilliantly by Tarun Bose. He is an engineer who gets posted in different places every so often. At one such posting when he’s overseeing the building of a bridge, the workers bring a baby girl to him because her parents have died of cholera. Upen and his wife Charu (Sulochana) are celebrating the birthday of their daughter Rama. Upen tells the villagers to go away and to find a family of same ‘jaat-biradari’ (caste). But the villagers have a point— finding a family of the same caste would take time and where would they keep the baby until then? This is how Sujata enters Upen, Charu and Rama’s home.

We soon see a young and beautiful Sulochana singing ‘Nanhi Kali Sone Chali’ to her child and, inadvertently, also to the restless new baby in the maid’s room. Upen calls her Sujata, meaning 'of a ‘good caste'. No matter how much they try not to, the family falls in love with the baby.

 Bimal Roy knew how to film children (remember Devdas? Deva and Paro’s childhood is delightfully filmed) and these scenes are a pleasure to watch. With every event in Rama and Sujata’s life, we see sisters competing for attention. Rama gets a tutor, and Sujata wants one too. If Rama is decked up for her birthday, Sujata wants the privilege of sitting on mama’s lap and eating kheer as well. There’s lots of laughter and happiness even as it bothers us as viewers to see the difference parents maintain in their upbringing. A scene where the maid takes Sujata away kicking and screaming for a simple thing like sleeping on the same bed as her mother tugs at your heart. Another tearful scene is one where they try to send Sujata off to an orphanage. The father who loves Sujata as his own, makes work an excuse and stays away. The mother too is unable to let go, but is made of sterner stuff. The tutor is the one who finally agrees to trick Sujata into leaving.

The girls have this deep connection of sisterly love that is evident even when Rama and Sujata grow up. ‘Bachpan Ke Din Bhi Kya Din The’ is a wonderful tribute to that easy acceptance of growing up together. But Sujata hears more of ‘Beti jaisi’, and continues to work like clockwork at home.

Now Upen babu has retired and settled down in a bungalow and his role as a man has changed. As an engineer on travel duty, he could keep an ‘achhoot’ at home and nobody would be the wiser for it. He could watch brahmins like Asit Sen walk away from his home and not care for concepts like ‘achhoots have poisonous gases emanating from their bodies!’. But as a retired man, with a grown up daughter now eligible for marriage, he needs to care about social conventions. To monitor and carry out these conventions, there is buaji (Lalita Pawar).

For those of us who have seen Lalita Pawar as an ancient crone in most movies, it is a pleasure to see her look so young and beautiful. She puts the fear of ‘Who will marry Rama if that achhoot is in your house?’ into Charu’s head. As always, it is up to Upen to deflect these awful regressive ideas, but this time he looks defeated and lets Charu have her way. Buaji manages to fix Sujata’s marriage with an ugly widower with two kids, who is of the same caste as her. Rama is primed to marry her grandson Adhir.

Now Adhir, played by a gorgeous Sunil Dutt is bookish, studious, and oh so eligible, because he will inherit buaji’s millions. He likes Rama well enough. Shashikala as Rama is young, chirpy, competitive college girl, who is not only good at literary pursuits, but also good at sports and music. The perfect candidate for a wife. Adhir, however, falls in love with the quiet, big-eyed Sujata who shies away from him because she knows she’s an untouchable. Adhir’s quiet concern and persistence of feeling turns into love.

‘Kali Ghata Chhaye Mora Jiya Tarasaaye’! When you hear Geeta Dutt ending the line with a lovestruck ‘re!’ you hear all the emotions Sujata feels when Adhir explains to her how Mahatma Gandhi spent a lifetime fighting against the caste system. It feels preachy and too convenient to see the Gandhiji’s mural at the ghat, Sujata’s pallu getting caught at the plaque when she is distraught, but I guess it drives the message home. Sujata is upset when she’s not allowed to accompany the family to Rama’s play and she steps out into the rain to jump into the river waters. Adhir leaves the play Dutt ending the line with a lovestruck ‘re!’ you hear all the emotions Sujata feels when Adhir explains to her how Mahatma Gandhi spent a lifetime fighting against the caste system. It feels preachy and too convenient to see the Gandhiji’s mural at the ghat, Sujata’s pallu getting caught at the plaque when she is distraught, but I guess it drives the message home. Sujata is upset when she’s not allowed to accompany the family to Rama’s play and she steps out into the rain to jump into the river waters. Adhir leaves the play Chandalika (about an untouchable who meets Buddha’s disciple) and finds Sujata at the ghat.

SD Burman’s ‘Sun Mere Bandhu Re’ rings inside our heads and our hearts. Bimal Roy’s films have always boasted superlative music. Even though ‘Jalte Hain Jiske Liye’ remains my all time favorite, you cannot forget the birthday song that is sung even today, ‘Tum Jiyo Hazaaron Saal, Saal Ke Din Hon Pachaas Hazaar!‘

Nutan is beautiful and even though that is enough to fall in love with her, I find Adhir’s instant love a tad difficult to swallow. There is a slight hesitation you see when Nutan’s Sujata tells him that she is an untouchable, but then he recovers and tells her that he doesn’t care. Saviour complex? I wish there was more to the romance than just love at first sight. Did Bimal Roy hurry this love story in order to get to the conclusion? 

If you’ve ever felt like an outsider in your family, then many moments in the film will resonate with you. It’s called Sujata, but Upen babu shows us how to stand tall even when the world is against you. Once upon a time, this film would have been advertised as a six hanky tear-jerker.

For me, the most poignant moment is when little Sujata runs and gives her father a hat because it is too hot outside, and he sort of hugs her. Sort of. Because she is not really his daughter. But his eyes betray his feelings. This kind of acting is rare indeed.

The film makes me heavy hearted because I know these injustices still exist. Maybe when new viewers watch what the masters have created, a change could be possible.

Zee Classic's Bimal Roy Festival will be presented by Boman Irani. During the series, viewers will get a chance to catch exclusive snippets from a documentary on Bimal Roy, courtesy of his son Joy Roy. This will include rare and interesting interviews of Dharmendra, Vyjayanthimala, Gulzar and Ashutosh Gowariker amongst others reminiscing their days with Bimal Roy. Sujata, the third film of the series, airs this Saturday onSujata, the third film of the series, airs this Saturday on Zee Classic at 8 pm.

Manisha Lakhe writes on films, teaches about cinema, writes poetry, short stories and screenplays, and helps bring brands into the digital space.