Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, (हज़ारों ख्वाहिशें ऐसी) (2003) is an Indian movie made by director Sudhir Mishra in 2003, but released in 2005. Set against the backdrop of the Indian Emergency, the movie tells the story of three youngsters in the 70s, when India was undergoing massive social and political changes. The movie's title is taken from the couplet of Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib.

It went to 12 film festivals in 6 months including Turkey, Estonia, River to River (Florence), Berlin, Edinburgh, Washington, India (Goa), Bite The Mango (Bradford), Commonwealth (Manchester), India (Los Angeles), Dallas, and Pacific Rim (California).^{[citation needed]}

Plot[link]

The film opens in Delhi University in Hindu College with the story of three students, Kay Kay Menon (as Siddhartha Tyabji), Chitrangada Singh (as Geeta Rao) and Shiney Ahuja (as Vikram Malhotra). It follows their lives over the next five years in a story of politics, love, and ambition. Shiney Ahuja's role has him as a pining lover one moment and a political fixer and a wheeler-dealer the next.

The movie deals with the aspirations of three protagonists - Siddharth, Vikram and Geeta. Siddharth is a driven revolutionary who dreams of bringing a revolution in the state of Bihar that will end the caste-based discrimination there; bring social justice, and, change the society for the better. Vikram is the son of a Gandhian politician who has grown up in less comfort than Siddharth and Geeta but wants to climb the social ladder no matter what the cost. Geeta is portrayed as a London returned, South Indian girl in love with the firebrand Siddharth. She has led a very sheltered life thus far, and is yet to explore the terrain of the Indian socio-political landscape. While she finds Siddharth's Naxalite rhethoric attractive, she is not sure if she can whole-heartedly subscribe to it. And every time they come to point of choice, Siddharth chooses his ideology over his love for her thus breaking her heart time and again. Vikram is a middle-class boy who dreams of making it big, whatever the cost. He is particularly afflicted by his father's Gandhian ideas, but irritated and frustrated at the same time, seeing his father's way of life as ineffective in bringing about a change.

The movie begins with the three protagonists leaving college and heading towards their respective goals. Siddharth leaves for Bihar to bring about a revolution; Geeta leaves for Oxford to get a degree, and Vikram sets up an office in Delhi.

A few years later, Vikram is a fixer in the power corridors of government, Geeta is married to a promising IAS Officer Ram Kapoor(as Arun Mehta) who, as Geeta says "has it all", and Siddharth is still trying to foment a revolution. But all is not as it seems. Below the mask of happiness, each is quite unhappy. Vikram has 'made it', but he still cannot get Geeta, the love of his life. Geeta is married, but she still meets Siddharth on the sly, cheating on her husband.

Eventually, Geeta gets a divorce from her husband because of her love for Siddharth, even though she does not want to hurt her husband's feelings. Geeta joins Siddharth in the village where she starts to teach the children of the village, whilst the police repeatedly try to hunt down her now husband, Siddharth. She bears a child with Siddharth whom she sends to London to her parents since she believes he deserves more than to grow up in the remote village.

Eventually the police round up the entire village, capturing Siddharth and Geeta for intent to cause unrest and brutally assaulting them both, fabricating a story of a villagers' riot to explain their injuries. Geeta is soon bailed out of prison by her now influential ex-husband, while Siddharth, on the run is shot by the police and admitted to a local hospital and is placed under arrest while Geeta believes him to have been killed.

Vikram, who has been consoling Geeta and taking care of her during the absences of her ex-husband and of Siddharth, is informed that Siddharth is still alive. Vikram travels to meet Siddharth and release him through the use of his influential contacts, however he has an accident on the way and is admitted to the same hospital as Siddharth. During the night, local Naxalites break into the crude hospital and free Siddharth while Vikram still lays there. The next morning, the policemen in charge of guarding Siddharth, frustrated, accuse Vikram of having conspiring to free Siddharth and beat him up further. After discovering that he is a man of influence, they resolve to kill him and throw away body to make it unrecognisable. Vikram, terrifed, attempts to escape but is chased down, however the policeman finds that the Naxalites have emptied his revolver, and they beat Vikram up with an iron rod. Soon, the police chief and a local politician come looking for Vikram and are able to stop the policemen from killing him.

Vikram suffers heavy brain damage and is rendered handicapped, while Siddharth tells Geeta that he intends to leave but Geeta refuses to accompany him. Siddharth has moved beyond simply trying to foment a revolution, and is prepared to delay it because he feels that the people are not ready in spite of their saying otherwise. He goes to London for studying medicine and through a letter, Siddharth voices his anguish and his disillusionment with the idea of revolution, he writes saying "I hope the mysteries of the human body will be less confusing" (in reference to his studying medicine and quitting the revolution).

The last scenes show Geeta going back to continue working in the village and is taking care of the handicapped Vikram, who can no longer speak. the movie ends with Vikram having written "I love you Geeta" on the rock with brick, as they both sit by a quiet lake and watch the sunset.

Characters[link]

The story revolves around three friends, Siddharth Tyabji (Kay Kay Menon), Geeta Rao (Chitrangada Singh) and Vikram Malhotra (Shiny Ahuja) and how each tries to find his or her purpose in life.

Siddharth is the son of a retired judge, born and raised in luxury and privilege. But he is attracted by the communist movement, especially the Naxalite movement of West Bengal. He sees the social inequalities around him, and is convinced that a communist revolution is the answer to all the problems. That he lives in wealth, smokes pot and listens to Western rock while espousing the ideas of Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong does not affect this decision.

Geeta Rao, meanwhile, is from a middle class South Indian extended family. As such, she is a sheltered person. She is in love with Siddharth and his firebrand personality. But while she likes to hear him talk of revolution, she herself is not so sure about taking part in one.

Vikram is from a middle class family, with a Gandhian father who is an idealist. Vikram is very ambitious, and wants to be successful, by hook or by crook. He is also in love with Geeta, but his love is not reciprocated.

Other characters playing a significant part in this film are Saurabh Shukla, Arif Zakaria, Yashpal Sharma, etc.

Cast[link]

• Kay Kay Menon ... Siddharth Tyabji
• Chitrangada Singh ... Geeta Rao
• Shiney Ahuja ... Vikram Malhotra
• Yashpal Sharma ... Randhir Singh
• Saurabh Shukla ... Bihari Constable
• Anupam Shyam ... Jhanda Singh
• Satyajit Sharma ... Maharaja's elder son
• Sanjay Singh ... Sanjay Singh

Crew[link]

• Director:: Sudhir Mishra
• Story: Sudhir Mishra
• Producer: Rangita Pritish Nandy
• Music: Shantanu Moitra
• Cinematography: Ravi K. Chandran
• Lyrics: Mirza Ghalib, Swanand Kirkire, Ajay Jhingran, Bhikhari Thakur & Pushpa Patel
• Executive Producer: Sushil Datta

Reception[link]

Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi had a poor run in theatres mostly due to its novel theme and art cinema qualities. It was, however, critically acclaimed^{[citation needed]}

The film won the Filmfare Best Story Award, while Shiney Ahuja won the Filmfare Best Debut Award for his performance.

Songs[link]

• Baanwara Mann (Male): Swanand Kirkire
• Baanwara Mann (Female - Part 1): Shubha Mudgal
• Baanwara Mann (Female - Part 2): Shubha Mudgal
• Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (Part 1): Shubha Mudgal
• Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (Part 2): Shubha Mudgal
• Mann Yeh Baanwara : Swanand Kirkire & Ajay Jhingran
• Hey Sajani : Swanand Kirkire
• Na Aaye Piya (Thumri) : Shobha Joshi
• My Sharona: The Knack

Trivia[link]

• Director Sudhir Mishra and Executive Producer Sushil Datta appeared in a small cameo in the film.
• 'Them Clones' an Indian rock band make a brief appearance in the film.
• The scene in which 'My Sharona' is played at a party is probably set around 1975 if one charts the time-line of the story. However, 'My Sharona' debuted only in April 1979.

References[link]

1. ^ Sanjay Chauhan at the Internet Movie Database

External links[link]

• Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi at the Internet Movie Database
• Sudhir Mishra's interview on Hazar Khwaishein Aisi