A tribute to Hrishikesh Mukherjee: The master filmmaker

Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Top), Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan in Abhimaan

As far as I can remember, it was in 1958-59 that he made the film Anari with Raj Kapoor and Nutan. It was a box office hit film that also bagged some Filmfare awards. Since that film, producers began to look with interest at this talented young 'Bangaali babu' from Calcutta, and it was not long that Hrishikesh Mukherjee became a name worth reckoning.

From the '60s onward he made a number of good films totally bypassing the prevailing trend of film making in Bombay. His films were subtle in tone, delicate in treatment and intellectually rich. Many of his films were based on popular short stories and novels by the talented writers of Calcutta.

Breaking away from the typical 'Bombay formula comedy', he made humorous movies that took entire India by a storm. These were healthy, simple and outright comedies that families could enjoy. Off hand I can remember hilarious comedies like Chupke Chupke, Golmaal and Namkeen.

But how can one write on Hrishikesh Mukerjee without mentioning the film Anand? I fondly recall the thrill of seeing this film in Calcutta in 1975 on big screen. The film left an indelible impression on my mind, which is still as vivid today as it was that rainy evening. Hrishikesh Mukerjee showed the Hindi film viewers his mastery in handling a poignant story that had the potential of evoking deep emotional outpouring. The then superstar Rajesh Khanna and a superstar-in-the-making Amitabh Bachchan delivered stellar performances in the film to make it a classic.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee will also be remembered for two beautiful romantic films Guddi and Abhimaan. Fondly called 'Hrishida', the master filmmaker originally belonged to the unit of another great Bengali filmmaker Bimal Roy. He had started his career as a film editor.

Paying tributes to Mukherjee, Amitabh Bachchan stated, "Most of the interesting characters that I played have been in films that were made by him -- be it Anand or Mili or Chupke Chupke, or Bemisal or Namak Haram, or Jurmana. They were all exceptionally well-etched and, of course, the greatest opportunity to perform for me has been for his films."

Mukherjee's distinctive approach to direction was outlined by Bachchan. In his words, "We never heard any scripts, never heard any stories -- we just came on the sets. He told us to stand there, walk here, say it in this manner, speak like this -- that's how he used to direct all of us.

"So our input was nothing at all. All that you see in his films is entirely his input. If it was a complex character like in Mili, we would sit together and he would give a one-line description and then guide us as the scenes came."

Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who passed away after a stroke on August 27, may not be with us physically but his classic films will continue to make us laugh and cry in the most tender or joyous moments.