Bandini (1963)

About:
This was Bimal Roy's final feature as a director and regarded by many as his crowning achievement. After casting her, in his previous women-centric film, Sujata, now the key laid in persuading Nutan out of her post-nuptial retirement to play the strictly raised, poetry-loving village girl, Kalyani. Nutan is strongly supported by Ashok Kumar and Dharmendra, just beginning to make an impact in the film industry and directed by award winning director Bimal Roy, who ventures into the life of a convict and reveals his/her humanity and the circumstances that often force an ordinary person to commit a crime. This deep social concern is however conveyed subtly without being didactic, through the predicament of the main protagonist, Kalyani lodged in the prison through majority of the film and her longing for freedom. The film also highlights the spirit of sacrifice in the youth during the freedom struggle when a youth would even sacrifice his future wife, at his party's command. Despite having a dramatic turn of events throughout the film, the melodrama never overpowers the narrative, the pace remains engrossing yet easy, and cinematography highlights the stillness and vacuum of a prison life. Nutan remains understated through the film, and the director employs irony and symbolism throughout the film to make his statement instead.

The lead female role was offered to one of Roy's favorite actress Vyjayanthimala who earlier worked with Roy in Devdas and Madhumati. However due to her busy schedule she refused the role which later went to Nutan.

S D Burman composed the songs for the film, at the height of his musical career and even chose to sing one himself, 'O Re Majhi'. The movie has songs such as "Mora Gora Ang Lai Le" by Lata and the haunting and brilliant "O Jaanewale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aana" by Mukesh . The film is brilliantly photographed in Black and white by Kamal Bose with its rich tonal quality and evocative framing, especially in the stark prison scenes, winning him the Filmfare Award for the year.

It's the first movie of lyricist / composer Guljar / Guljaar, famous for his poetic songs.

Awards
1963:  National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi
1964:  Filmfare Awards for -
           Best Movie
           Best Actress: Nutan
           Best Director: Bimal Roy
           Best Cinematographer: Kamal Bose
           Best Sound: D Billimoria
           Best Story: Jarasandha

Synopsis:
During the British Raj of the 1930s, a prison-doctor falls in love with a convict who eventually reveals the story of her past and her connection to a freedom fighter.

A female centric movie, one of the rare ones in Indian movies, Bandini revolves around Kalyani or Bandini, meaning imprisoned. It is also the only film to have depicted the sacrifice made by ordinary rural women during the Indian independence struggle.

Starring:
Ashok Kumar - Bikash Ghosh
Nutan Behl - Kalyani
Dharmendra - Devendra (Prison Doctor)
Raja Paranjpe - Kalyani's Father
Tarun Bose - Mahesh Chandra
Asit Sen - Shambu
Chandrima Bhaduri
Moni Chatterjee - Inspector
Raj Verma
Satyendra Kapoor / Kappu

Director: Bimal Roy

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