Saaransh
File:Saaransh.jpg
Directed by	Mahesh Bhatt
Produced by	Tarachand Barjatya
Written by	Mahesh Bhatt
Starring	Anupam Kher Rohini Hattangadi Soni Razdan Madan Jain
Music by	Ajit Verman
Cinematography	Adeep Tandon
Editing by	David Dhawan
Distributed by	Rajshri
Release date(s)	1984
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Saaransh (Hindi: सारांश) is a 1984 Bollywood film starring Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi and Soni Razdan. The film marked the screen debut of Anupam Kher. It was nominated for India's official entry for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This movie was distributed by Rajshri Productions.

Plot[link]

Saaransh is a story of an old couple living in Bombay, coming to terms with the death of their only son who is killed in a mugging incident in New York. Devastated to learn that their child has been killed, former headmaster B.V. Pradhan and his wife, Parvati, grieve.

With their son dead, there is no income coming in, so they rent out a room in their Shivaji Park (Bombay) apartment to a budding Bollywood actress, Sujata Suman, who has been having an illicit affair with Vilas (Madan Jain), the only son of a politician named Gajanan Chitre. Vilas lacks the guts to tell his father that he is in love and would like to marry Sujata and puts off any marriage plans. They get intimate and, as a result, Sujata gets pregnant. When Pradhan finds out, he offers to take Sujata to meet Gajanan with the hope that he will permit her to become his daughter-in-law. Gajanan not only refuses, he also threatens them: He warns them of dire consequences if Sujata does not abort the child and moves away to another town. Pradhan refuses to let Sujata out of his house, and then begins the stalking and harassment by Gajanen's men. Pradhan goes to file a police complaint but is told that the police cannot even touch Gajanan's men. Sujata has no choice but to continue to seek shelter with Pradhan and Parvati. Sujata does not know that they have a secret agenda of their own in keeping her within their sight

One poignant moment is when Pradhan (Anupam Kher) is haggling with the customs officials to recover his son's ashes. (Anupam Kher was only 29 years old, but he played the role of a retired stubborn old man with aplomb, thereby establishing himself as a great actor.)

Reception[link]

Encyclopædia Britannica's "Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema" described Saaransh as Mahesh Bhatt's "finest film — moving, mellow, and mature — as the viewer feels the pain and despair of an elderly couple..."^[1] The film's lead pair, Anupam Kher and Rohini Hattangadi were praised for their portrayals, described by The Tribune as "immortal performances".^[2]

Saaransh won three Filmfare Awards: Best Actor (Anupam Kher), Best Story (Mahesh Bhatt), and Best Art Direction (Madhukar Shinde). It was nominated for four other awards, including Best Movie, Best Director (Bhatt), Best Actress (Rohini Hattangadi) and Best Supporting Actress (Soni Razdan). The film won one National Film Award for Best Lyrics.

The film was India's official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, though it did not make it to the final run. Among other awards, Bhatt received a special prize at the Moscow International Film Festival, and was a nominee for the Golden Prize.^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Saaransh at the Internet Movie Database