Aandhi (1975): watch the full film free, legally

Aarti Devi returns to J. K.'s hotel

Aandhi, translated as “Storm,” is a 1975 Indian political drama directed by Gulzar. Sanjeev Kumar plays J. K., manager of a hotel, and Suchitra Sen plays Aarti Bose, also known as Aarti Devi, his estranged wife and a leading politician. Their story begins when Aarti stays at J. K.'s hotel during an election campaign, bringing the separated couple together after several years. Om Shivpuri plays Chandrasen, and Om Prakash plays Lallu Lal, Aarti's campaign manager. The cast also includes Manmohan as S. K. Agarwal, A. K. Hangal as Brinda Kaka, Kamaldeep as Chowdhary, C. S. Dubey as Gurusaran, Rehman as K. Bose, and Master Bittoo as Aarti's daughter Manu.

Like many Gulzar films, Aandhi unfolds through flashbacks. It considers the life of a career-minded woman in a political arena largely dominated by men. Aarti inherits the legacy of her ambitious politician father, while her public ambitions come into conflict with her role as a dutiful wife. J. K. is an unambitious hotel manager who refuses to support her career. Aarti parts from him, placing career before her personal life. Their meeting after nine years of separation makes the choices behind that break newly immediate.

The film has a feminist theme, questioning the price women may pay for political or professional aspirations. It also satirizes political opportunism in Indian democracy, where politicians visit ordinary people only every five years, during elections. A line spoken by Aarti to her husband paraphrases a remark that Rakhee, Gulzar's wife, had once made to Gulzar about his being a poet.

Controversy around a political figure

Aandhi was alleged to be based on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her relationship with her estranged husband. Gulzar said the film had no resemblance to Gandhi's personal life. He wanted to make a film about a modern Indian politician, and modelled Aarti on Indira Gandhi and, to some extent, parliamentarian Pratibha Patil. The resemblance discussed at the time included Aarti's saris, mannerisms, and streak of white hair. Some promotional material heightened the controversy by presenting the film as an opportunity to see the Prime Minister on screen.

The film was released in February 1975 after being cleared by two staff members and Information and Broadcasting minister I. K. Gujral. During the Gujarat Legislative Assembly election campaign in June, opposition politicians screened scenes showing Aarti smoking and drinking. Some exhibitors promoted the film as an appearance by Indira Gandhi. It was eventually banned after 26 weeks, on alleged grounds that it violated the Model Election Code of Conduct and could damage the Congress party's reputation. The National Emergency declared in 1975 further extended the ban.

While Mausam was being premiered in December 1975, portions of Aandhi were reshot. The changes included the drinking scene and an added moment intended to establish that the film was not a biopic. Aarti looks at a framed image of Indira Gandhi and tells her father that Gandhi was her ideal. After Gandhi lost the 1977 general election, the Janata Party cleared the film for re-release and it was shown on state-run national television. It became the biggest hit of Sen's Bollywood career, and her final Hindi film. Sen retired from acting in 1978.

Burman melodies amid Kashmir ruins

Rahul Dev Burman composed the score, Gulzar wrote the lyrics, and Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar sang the noted songs. “Tum Aa Gaye Ho” was filmed around the Pari Mahal gardens in Srinagar. “Tere Bina Zindagi Se” was shot at the ruined seventh to eighth century Martand Sun Temple near Anantnag, while “Is Mod Se Jaate Hai” was filmed at Pahalgam. Architectural ruins appear behind many songs, depicting brokenness.

“Is Mod Se Jaate Hain,” a Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar duet, uses a major scale with an added sharp, Teevra Madhyam, and a reminiscence of Raga Yaman. Its interludes include flute played by Hariprasad Chaurasia, sarod by Zarin Daruwala Sharma, sitar by Jairam Acharya, and a violin ensemble. The tune for “Tere Bina Zindagi Se” was first created as the Bengali Durga Puja song “Jete Jete Pathe Holo Deri,” which Gulzar liked before writing lyrics around it.

At the 23rd Filmfare Awards in 1976, Aandhi had seven nominations and won two awards. Sanjeev Kumar won Best Actor, Suchitra Sen was nominated for Best Actress, and the film won Best Film, Critics. “Tere Bina Zindagi Se” and “Is Mod Se Jaate Hain” ranked fifth and fourteenth on the 1975 Binaca Geetmala annual list.

Film details from the Wikipedia article “Aandhi”. Text adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0.