This is the story of unfulfilled love of Manek Mulla ( played by Rajit Kapur), a genius who is a source of inspiration and knowledge to his fellow companions. All his life, he is searching for the meaning of love in his own life and life of others but unfortunately this search ends in a black hole. A black hole of social restrictions, economic compulsions, pressure from peers and a life of compromises. This movie transports you in a real world of the real characters of real circumstances. Most of the time, circumstances are playing the real villain, mostly out of the control.
Manek Mulla ( Rajit Kapur) who narrates the story of three leading ladies of the movie is an observer, as well as a participant in the stories. He is a detached man, has complete control on his emotions, more like a silent observer. And, how brilliantly Rajit Kapur played this complex character. He is just superb!!!
Jamuna (Rajeshwari Sachdev) is a free spirited girl who believes in fairy- tale love- stories but she had to face the harsh realities of life. Because of social and economic compulsions and more than that, the lack of courage of her love ( Tanna) to rise above his circumstances, she had to marry a man much older than her age but she never gives up and finally finds the new meaning of her life with her own means.
Tanna is the regular good guy in a bad bad world. He has a dominating father Maheshwar Dalaal ( played brilliantly by Amrish Puri) who is also a womanizer. Tanna never changes himself and his world gets from bad to worst and finally Tanna gives up. Well , he gets what he deserves! What more you can expect from a man who can not stand for himself. Perhaps, losing legs was just a metaphor before he dies.
Lilly (Pallavi Joshi) is another love interest of Manek Mulla who also gets married to a boy not of his choice, again because of social and economic compulsions and she finally leaves her husband ( Tanna).
Yes this movie is outstanding..it also requires a stage in life to understand..it is not a movie i got when i was 18 but at 38 having lived life more, the layers of the movie speaks to me. The ability to take time and transform it the way Shyam babu has is quite something..
Shyam Bengal has been the greatest directors of all times. Suraj ka Saatwa ghoda is a milestone work of his. What ideas directors are developing today from the realities, Shyam Benegal did this when the country had a different social makeup.
I was quite lost- till i read your interpretation on the 6 horses and the 7th horse. thanks for this explanation, that makes sense in itself- and also the different stories of within the film fall right into place.
thanks.
@Fan, my interpretation! Well, according to me Manek Mulla is not the seventh horse. Though he was a genius, intense and brightest among all his friends ( and Rajit Kapur made us fall in love with this character), still he was very selfish, insensitive and irritatingly in- complete- control- of- his- emotions, except in the last scene when he started following Satti. I could hardly believe that he could ever live happily with Satti in a society where it was difficult for even Jamuna and Tanna to get married. If you see the movie, you realize that he washed his hands and feet after meeting Satte for first time.Yes, the society is more open now but things are not much changed on social level if you are not in metros. Jamuna, Tanna, Lilly and Satti are not very special and out of world characters, they are people from the real life and we meet and talk these kind of people on daily basis. There are many stories of love, betrayal and infidelity which born and die daily among us in this chaos of life. But Maanek was an intelligent observer who had ability to pick them from the life. But ironically , Maanek himself is a story who in last scene leaves his role of a story -teller and enters into in the depth of some other untold story.
This story is more like a tribute of a successful man to his lost friends who inspires him to reach a certain mental level, to enhance his vision and confidence on the cups of tea at a tea-stall in some small city.
@Akash, Obviously, this movie leaves you curious with so many unanswered questions!I have seen it three times within a span of 10 days and more I see the movie, more I get sucked into it. Discover more each time! Hats off!!! And now, I myself is looking forward to read the original novel
795a8134c1