Hari- Bhari is a critically acclaimed film that revolves around the lives of five Muslim women in a rural joint family setting. The concept of fertility and its aspects are explored in a way like never before on the Indian screen. Shyam Benegal proves once again that he is still the same great story teller that the world acknowledged during the seventies. The great director who delivered 'Ankur' and 'Junoon', does a sensitive portrayal in Hari- Bhari of male chauvinism in the domain of home, the issue of fertility rights and women caught between the crossroads of seeking emancipation and age-old customs.
Hari- Bhari, a strong contender for the all-time great Bollywood Social Movies, is 2000 Hindi film starring Shabana Azmi, Rajit Kapur, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Surekha Sikri and Nandita Das in lead roles. The film won the 2000 National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare. Hari- Bhari, 'a heroic saga of five women' is a family drama by genre and had some of the most brilliant names of the industry like Priya Chandrasekar in screenplay and Shama Zaidi in dialogue working with Benegal.
Ghazala (Shabana Azmi) has been married to Munirmiya (Srivallabh Vyas) and she is the mother of Salma (Rajeshwari Sachdev). Munir resents the fact that Ghazala has been unable to bear him any sons. An abusive Munir throws Ghazala out of the house to make way for himself to marry again. Hasina (Surekha Sikri), Ghazala's mother bears the risk of uterus cancer. Other characters enter here and what follows is an extremely engaging and intense drama where you find an authentic depiction of the everyday interactions of a relatively few people.
Nandita Das does justice to the role of 'educated, arrogant and god-fearing' Afsana, married to Khurshid (Rajit Kapur), Hasina's son. Najma (Alka Trivedi) is the wife of Khaleej, Hasina's older son and she has given birth to seven children, five of whom have died so far due to malnutrition. Salma grows up amidst all this and is expected to marry at an early age to a much older man. The hopes of her further education are nipped in the bud since she is abandoned by her father.
Hari- Bhari manages to go beyond an average story of a few troubled women due to the outstanding directorial intervention. His study of human nature is authentic. There is a great deal of love in this family. No artificial soap-opera rivalries, no dramatic feuds dating back generations, Hari- Bhari does not fall into the trap of contrived plot devices. The lovely songs breathe soul into the movie.
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