Sangdil (1952)

Directed by: RC Talwar
Music: Sajjad Hussain
Lyrics: Rajinder Krishan
Starring: Dilip Kumar, Madhubala,
Leela Chitnis, Amir Bano,
Shammi, Surender Jr.,
Baby Roshni, Anwar Jussain

Nearly two years ago, when I was wondering which film to review for Dilip Kumar's centenary, I had three choices. Until Shalini, my partner in crime, suggested Milan. Since I'd never watched Milan until then, I jumped at the chance. A week later, I posted the review of Yahudi, which was one of our initial choices. But Sangdil, one of my other choices, remained on the backburner. I had watched it a long time ago, and had written it up as well, but there it remained.

Like Milan, Sangdil, too, is an adaptation. This time, of a classic from English literature – Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, first published in 1847. Apart from the fact that I loved Jane Eyre when I first read it, the fact that the film has Sajjad Hussain’s music was a bonus.

When the film begins, we see a young girl, Kamala (Baby Roshni), busily washing the dishes. When the lady of the house (Ameerbano) finds her son talking to Kamala through the window, she excoriates him for conversing with a wretch. And to drive home her point, she severely chastises the little girl.

As it turns out, poor little Kamala is not a housemaid at all. For, as we learn from the conversation between the lady and her ailing husband, she’s the daughter of the husband's best friend. When the latter was dying, this man had promised to take care of the child and her fortune. Now, the dying man is worried – his wife has already usurped the girl's fortune. And he  knows she's cruel to the little girl; what will happen to Kamala when he's gone?

Kamala, however, does not lack for friendship – Shankar (Surendra Jr), the son is a good friend, and the Dhaayi ma (Leela Chitnis) is not only kind to her, but also protective of her. She knows her mistress very well and, with her master's approval and Shankar's tacit support, tries to shield Kamala from the worst of her mistress's anger.

One day, Shankar’s father calls for the children. He's inconsolable that he could not protect Kamala and commends her to God's care. He also impresses upon Shankar that he must be protect Kamala, thus keeping his father's promise. He also advises his son that his mother should never be able to lay hands on Kamala’s fortune.

Unfortunately for the poor man, his wife overhears this sentient piece of advice and drags Kamala away, as a result of which he falls down dead. Soon after, his widow sends Kamala away to be brought up in an ashram. The man who is escorting her there is very clear that he will soon teach her how to behave. Kamala only has time to call out for Shankar, who runs helplessly after the horse-drawn carriage that's carrying her away from him.

But, Kamala, though devastated, is sensible enough to realize that she needs to escape her escort. So, when he's asleep, she jumps out of the carriage. She's rescued by some monks passing by, who take her to Badi Maa (Protima Devi), the head of their religious order. 

Seeing her reluctance to go back to her home, and her refusal to reveal who her relatives are, Badi Maa asks her if she would prefer to stay at the mutt and serve Lord Shankar. Reassured that her 'mother' will not land up here to beat her, and that no one will force her to do anything she doesn't want to do, Kamala is more than happy to stay on. 

Soon, she is initiated into the mutt – Badi Maa tells her that she must sacrifice all her worldly belongings and bonds in the sacred fire before she can serve God. The fire will purify her. Kamala does as she is told, retaining only one remnant of her past life.  

Years pass. and Kamala (Madhubala) is now a young woman, a pujaran, who sings hymns to Lord Shankar. But she hasn't forgotten the other Shankar, her childhood playmate. A fact that Badi Maa knows. "What is this bond that keeps you from fulfilling your duty to God, my child?" She asks, gently, to which Kamala replies that she has no thoughts of anyone but 'Shankar'. She has surrendered herself to him. 

Meanwhile, the grown-up Shankar (Dilip Kumar) is flirting with Mohini (Shammi). He is cynically aware that she loves him as much as she does his wealth. But he doesn't seem to care; like the hero of the story she was reading aloud to him, his charming smile hides his bitterness; his eyes mask the hatred that's poisoning him from the inside. Theirs is a very transactional relationship, a parody of love.

Spying the shadow of a man eavesdropping on their conversation, Shankar accosts him. He (Anwar Hussain) makes a few vague threats that Shankar dismisses offhand. But when the man promises to meet him at his jagir, Shankar warns him against coming there. The man laughs offensively as he leaves. It's all very suspicious. 

Returning to Mohini, Shankar informs her that he has to go to his estate for a few days. Mohini asks to go along so she can see his estate, and Shankar is agreeable. Mohini also suggests inviting a few of their friends along.

Meanwhile, Badi Maa tells Kamala that the mutt has been invited to visit Kamalpur for the harvest festival. Goddess Annapurna will be celebrated on full moon's day. When they arrive at the haveli, they are greeted by the Thakurain (Leela Chitnis). 

Kamala is taken aback. Later, she tells Badi Maa that the thakurain looks like their old maid servant. Badi Maa is perplexed but she tells Kamala to be quiet. What will people say if they hear her? Besides, can it not be that there are two people who look identical? Seeing that Kamala seems downcast, Badi Maa suspects that she's lost in past memories. 

Kamala demurs. Past moments and lost friends do not return because one remembers them. She asks Badi Maa if she could go for a stroll; upon the latter's agreement, Kamala makes her way through the flower gardens to a small hillock. 

As she remembers her childhood, she hears a horse trotting through the woods. Just then, the rider falls off his horse, and Kamala runs to help. Though initially polite, Shankar (for it is he) soon passes an inappropriate comment. Though taken aback, Kamala gets the vague feeling that she knows him. It's more likely she's heard of his wealth, Shankar snaps before going on his way.

When Kamala returns to the house, it is to find the thakur and his friends there. The thakurain takes her upstairs; the thakur and his guests have to be accommodated on the ground floor. Later that night, as Kamala lies in her room unable to sleep for trying to makes sense of all that's happening, she's disturbed by eerie screams that echo through the halls. Bewildered and frightened, she steps out of her room only to find the thakurain near the stairs. 

Upon being questioned, the thakurain informs Kamala that the haveli has a ghost – a ghost that quietens down only when it sees the master of the house, who appears as they are talking, his sleeve torn and bloodied. 

Kamala is horrified, but the thakur as brusque as ever, admonishing the thakurain for filling the house with pujarans and prayers. Is this a house or a temple, he snaps.

If all this weren’t puzzling enough, Kamala is soon witnessing the thakur’s  behaviour towards Mohini and towards her. She soon realises that neither the thakur nor Mohini really love each other. 

But with Kamala, even when he's not being brusque, he's insulting."There are no coincidences except those wrought by women," he tells her when her dupatta flies out of her windown onto him.

That night, Kamala is once again awakened by the slamming of the door to her room. There's someone there, holding a candle which is doused as soon as she screams. Frightened, she steps out of her room, only to spot flames coming out of the thakur’s bedroom. The unwary thakur is still asleep on his fiery bed. She quickly wakes him by throwing a jug of water over him. For a change, the thakur is grateful, but Kamala is taken aback when she recognizes the small idol of Lord Shiva fallen to the floor. 

Just then, Mohini comes in, wondering why the bhikshuki is in the Thakur’s bedroom so late at night. Shankar explains, but Mohini chases Kamala away. 

 Kamala is still trying to make some sense of what she has discovered. Why and how had her friend Shankar changed into this rude, bitter man? And who is responsible for those ghostly screams she hears at night? Why does the thakurain say that the ghost will only be silenced if it sees Shankar? And how is Dhaayi maa the thakurain anyway? 

And meanwhile, Shankar has also recognized his childhood playmate. But, where will all this end?

Sangdil is a good adaptation of Jane Eyre, as adaptations go. There are obviously changes made to the film, as much for brevity as for the change in setting. But, otherwise, Sangdil remains relatively faithful to its source material. Other than Jane and Rochester, other characters from the book too find a presence in the film, especially Blanche Ingram (Mohini), Mason (Anwar Hussain) and Mrs Fairfax (Leela Chitnis). However, Adele's character is missing; it wouldn't do, perhaps to have a Hindi film hero have an illegitimate child he's bringing up.  

Sangdil wouldn’t have been the film it was if it weren’t for Dilip Kumar’s searing performance as Edward Rochester. He knows that Mohini is pursuing him only for his wealth, for example, and it amuses him. Yet, as he draws closer to Kamala, it is clear that he is capable of a deep, sincere love. Dilip Kumar portrays the duality with a subtlety that lends verisimilitude to his character of Shankar/Rochester as a bitter, cynical man whose life experiences have shattered his faith in human nature.

Madhubala plays Jane with an innocence and vulnerability that makes her extremely appealing. Her commitment to her sect and her growing love for Shankar whom she's reunited with becomes the dilemma she has to grapple with – and she does a good job of expressing that conflict. Her chemistry with Dilip Kumar is searing – this is their second film after Tarana – and it makes their relationship both real and tragic at the same time. They made a lovely pair on screen.

 

Sangdil is also a fabulous auditory experience thanks to Sajjad Hussain’s wonderful score. From the romantic Dil mein samaa gaye sajan to the sublime Ye hawa ye raat ye chandni (Talat’s honeyed voice juxtaposed with Dilip’s cynical expressions made the lyrics very ironic) to the devout Darshan pyaasi aayi daasi to the sorrowful Woh to chale gaye ae dil and the poignant Kahaan ho kahaan, each melody stands testament to the composer’s genius.

Sangdil is available for viewing on Tom Daniel’s channel; Tom has done a stellar job as usual cleaning up the print and ensuring the audio track is in sync with the visuals.