# **Film: *Meera* (1979)**

***Meera*** is a 1979 Hindi-language film by **Gulzar**.

**PLOT:** \*\*\*\*\*
**MUSIC:** \*\*\*\*\*
**PERFORMANCE:** \*\*\*\*\*
**CINEMATOGRAPHY:** \*\*\*\*\*

### **Starring**

**Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Shreeram Lagoo, Shammi Kapoor, Dina Pathak, Vidya Sinha, Bharat Bhushan, Amjad Khan**

**Review by Dr Usman Latif Khwaja**

# **A SAINT OR A SINNER?**

The magnum opus by **Gulzar** is a very underrated movie. It received critical acclaim but was a commercial flop when released in 1979. It is historically accurate, and the making was immaculate too, but our audiences want masala, and that was absent. **Hema Malini** was devoid of her nakhras, wigs, elaborate sarees or dancing, especially *post-Sanyasi*, so it was rejected. But it remains Gulzar's best effort and the only historical movie he has ever made.

Unfortunately, the only two historical movies which are accurate like *Meera* were flops too, like *Shatranj Ke Khilari* and *Jahan Ara*.

It was a movie based on the real life of Meera, the Rajput princess who was in love with a god, and this was not traditional as such. She was found guilty and punished for being in love, even when the love was neither human nor physical but merely spiritual and metaphorical. The account of the trial is one of the most creative moments in Indian cinema, as well as the very subtle ending, which has never been seen in Hindi cinema before or after.

The cast is headed by **Hema** as Meera and **Vidya Sinha** as her cousin, who is pledged to marry the neighbouring prince, Rana (**Vinod Khanna**). But, as circumstances have it, she has to sacrifice herself, and Meera takes her place as the bride, although she has vowed herself to Lord Krishna for eternity.

The drama unfolds in a very natural manner, without any hysterics or melodrama, until Meera is banished from the palace and takes to the road barefoot, with an **ektara** and in a simple white saree. This then gives inspiration to her to create her immortal bhajans, or spiritual poems, as an offering to her Lord, which will live forever in human memory.

The rest of the cast includes **Amjad Khan** in a stellar role as Akbar the Great and **Shreeram Lagoo** as Meera's uncle. The backdrop of the wars and politics between Mughals and Rajputs is brilliantly captured by Gulzar without intervening with the main theme of Meera's astonishing devotion to a god.

The fact is, Meera was Hema's best role ever, but as her songs were dubbed by **Vani Jayaram**, instead of Lata Mangeshkar, the brilliant musical score by **Pandit Ravi Shankar** did not find favour with the masses. Hema's voice was synonymous with Lata's voice, but it takes nothing away from Vani's great rendition of Meera's bhajans:

*“Mere To Giridhar Gopal, Dusro Na Koi”*

and the colourful yet simple:

*“Main To Tere Rang Rachi”*

and the absolutely ravishing but simple choreography, where Hema sings and sways to the rhythm of the ektara, is memorable itself. But since it didn't work at the box office, it has been relegated to the archives of the quality movies which never get seen again.

It's a pity, as this deserves to be seen and cherished as one of the only accurate historical epics ever made by Bollywood. But then, you have to have a different audience to appreciate the truth portrayed in a tasteful and artistic manner, and it's difficult to find that from an audience fed on spaghetti westerns like *Sholay* and spoofs like *Dharam Veer*, which create history at the box office.

Anyway, it's a great achievement from Gulzar's artistic mind and pen, and hopefully, it will one day find its true pedestal.

The film was also nominated for **Filmfare Awards** as well as the **National Film Awards** in 1980.

**AMEN.**

**Thanks for reading.**