Boond Jo Ban Gayi Moti (1967): Struggle between Aspirational Idealism & Hard Realities of Life

V. Shantaram began directing movies in the silent era, with NETAJI PALKAR (1927) being his first release. The last movie that he directed was JHANJHAAR (1987). In this six decade career, he gave great classics like DUNIYA NA MAANE (1936), Dr. KOTNIS KI AMAR KAHANI (1946), DO AANKHE BARAH HAATH (1957) and GEET GAYA PATTHARON NE (1964), all representing idealism, hope and social messages.

With BOOND JO BAN GAYI MOTI (1967), he balances ideological aspirations with worldly realities. Seen through the Bollywood Prism, it shows how, two decades after independence, India was just beginning to lose hope, a feeling that was to dominate India in the coming decade.

It was V. Shantaram, who gave Jitendra his first break in his classic GEET GAYA PATTHARON NE in 1964. BOOND JO BAN GAYI MOTI, which came three years later saw Jitendra continuing in the Shantaram mould, with a more mature and a more impressive role than his first outing. The movie has the stamp of V Shantaram all right, but there were many remarkable aspects about it. For instance, the movie has a typical Bollywood item song of the sixties, which showed that even the great masters were struggling to survive with the changing taste of India by that time. Another such aspect was Mumtaz in a new avatar that became her style in the subsequent years, especially during her very successful pairing with Rajesh Khanna.

However, it is the somewhat tragic fate of ideological aspirations depicted in the movie, which makes it a characteristic turning point of Bollywood Chronicle.

Plot

The movie revolves around an idealist village school teacher, Satyaprakash (Jitendra) who is extremely attached to his younger brother, Mahesh (Akashdeep) whom he has raised after the death of their parents since he was a small child, and whom he treats more like a son. Unfortunately, Mahesh is not disciplined and wayward. He gets him admitted in the City College and changes his own job to work in the High School so that he is able to finance his studies. In his new school, he wants to experiment with new teaching techniques, but the Headmaster, who wants to get a relative appointed in his place, starts scheming for his ouster.

Shefali (Mumtaz) runs a shop in the village and begins to like Satyaprakash. She often finds an old woman staring at her, and scolds her, only to find one day that she was Dhanno (Lalita Pawar), her mother who abandoned her when she was very young, to run away with a Christian man. Satyaprakash is given a charge sheet, but the Board of School decides to give him a chance and see the results at the end of the year, which turn out to be excellent. As a result, they decide to elevate him as Headmaster, but Satyaprakash refuses and pleads with them to continue with the Headmaster, which brings an end to their animosity. A lawyer (Surendra) whose house is next to where Satyaprakash lives is his very good friend, and his teenage daughter Renuka (Vaishali) frequently comes to his house. In the meanwhile Mahesh loses his way in the city, and is lost in fiends and enjoyment, even though Satyaprakash keeps sending him all the money that he asks for. Shefali’s dying mother wants his daughter to forgive her, but Shefali refuses. Once she is dead, Shefali is filled with remorse, and is consoled by Satyaprakash.

Once when Mahesh comes to visit his brother, he sees Renuka and they become intimate. Renuka becomes pregnant, while Mahesh, who has returned to city, is not planning to come back soon, even after the exams are over. Satyaprakash goes to attend his Convocation, but finds that Mahesh had not written the exam. He is angry, but on being told by Mahesh that he was thinking of suicide, relaxes and asks him to prepare for the next year.

When he returns to the village, he finds that Renuka is missing. Later her dead body is recovered from the lake, and police recovers her missing ear ring from Satyaprakash’s residence, who is subsequently charged with murder. In the Court, Shefali claims that the ear ring found belonged to her and that she was in love with Satyaprakash. Though Satyaprakash is released, people still taunt and accuse him and he is dismissed from the school. When Mahesh returns again, Satyaprakash finds in his belongings, a letter written by Renuka to him, threatening that she will disclose everything if he did not come immediately. Mahesh confesses to killing Renuka, tears the letter, which is the only evidence against him and pleads with his brother to let things go. However, Satyaprakash insists that he confesses his crime, and finally Mahesh does so.

Idealism & Realities of the World

All V. Shantaram are characterized by some social ill or the other. However, unlike most of his earlier movies, in this one, there are several sub-plots going together. Shefali’s mother depicts a tale of a woman who abandoned her young daughter and is now desperate for her forgiveness. However, her conduct becomes a stigma not only for Shefali, but also for the family which gave her shelter, when their son’s engagement is broken. Shefali hates her mother, but forgives her after her death.

Then there is the school, where Satyaprakash’s attempts to make learning meaningful are resisted, while the Headmaster is baying for his blood. The discussion on the system of education and its shortcomings still remain as relevant for the Indian education system, even after sixty years. If only Indian policymakers and the education bureaucrats could see what V. Shantaram was able to see more than half a century back, many of our national challenges today may have already been addressed!

The main story revolves around the aspiration of the main protagonist to bring the best out of his younger brother. All his efforts get in return, is a teenage crime of lust, for which he nearly had to pay with his own life. At the end, Mahesh confesses, emphasizing that in the end, he did follow his advice. It is a sad end to a story of idealistic aspirations. For the first time perhaps, a V. Shantaram movie seems to be clueless about what went wrong. Was it the new generation after independence. Was it the teen age vulnerabilities, or was there something wrong with the approach of Satyaprakash. What does come out clearly is the huge gulf between the idealistic aspirational world of Satyapraksh and the real world around him with selfish, ruthless, scheming people, unforgiving and practical to the core, who do not give a damn about his values.

Like all great movies, this movie is also centered on human nature and relationships. The role of Surendra, Renuka’s father as an everlasting friend, is refreshingly realistic. The attempt to add glamour artificially as a box office spice is also evident. The love story of the school teacher with the village shopkeeper and her cabaret item number mark the beginning of a new era in Bollywood. But then, there are at least two songs that are typical V. Shantaram that one can identify with him straight away.

Epilogue

Boond Jo Ban Gayi Moti is certainly not the best movie made by V. Shantaram, but it is still good enough, even by his high standards. Certain parts of the movie just stand out as a reflection of his genius. The title song is typical V. Shantaram, but the best part is reserved for the end. The last few minutes have many messages of love, of life and of idealism. It also contains a glimpse of Uttrakhand folk music which was later adopted by Raj Kapoor in RAM TERI GANGA MAILI (1985) and became a rage overnight.

What one takes away though are the challenges of education, and the everlasting battle between aspirational idealism and reality.