Love leads (Ghar)

God, it feels so good to be back. To the comforts of my home, to the interactive sessions of my blog and most importantly, to the joys of old films. After a week-long hiatus, I watched one yesterday. With a simple initiation, a sudden twist gradually tightens this 1978 love story. Manik Chatterjee's Ghar turned out to be an emotionally taut drama with convincing performances by Rekha and Vinod Mehra, and an awesome score by RD Burman.
A gruesome personal tragedy can destroy a couple's life. It can perfectly ruin marital bliss, plant suspicion and turmoil in a lover's mind and widen the crevices left by the disturbing incident. In Ghar Vikas and Aarti's halcyon life goes haywire in just one night. Suddenly, everything is shaken, and stirred...

Vikas Chandra and Aarti marry each other after the boy's rich father opposes the match. He is put off by the fact that Aarti is an orphan, and not wealthy at all. But, Vikas will not relent. For, Aarti is a wonderful person. Ebullient and attractive, she loves Vikas dearly. So, as expected, Vikas is shown the door by the senior Chandra when the couple tie the knot. Stripped of his ancestral belongings and rights, Vikas and Aarti now struggle to find a decent place to settle down (it is Bombay after all!). And, after much running from pillar to post, they get hold of a good house. Aarti takes up the cudgels of decorating the house and soon the couple is seen enjoying conjugal bliss. Aarti is the homemaker and Vikas earns a decent sum to feed both of them and cough up enough money to pay the bills. All is well till one doomed night...

The Chandras go to catch a night show of Loafer. The show breaks past midnight. Vikas and Aarti decide to walk home in the absence of proper transport. A pack of leery louts riding a cab attack the couple on the way. They assault Vikas and abduct Aarti. Next morning when Vikas gains consciouness, he somehow staggers to a police station. Tension mounts till Vikas gets the news of Aarti lying unconscious in the hospital. She has been assaulted and gangraped, a trauma that has numbed her to silence...

The rest of the film deals with the repercussions of the incident on the couple's life, both emotionally and physically. Circumstances change in their home, right down to the bedroom. It's worth noting how society reacts to the rape of the helpless woman. Stark yet subtle, Aarti's pain is depicted with perfection...

Rekha comes into her own in the later stages of the film where she has to portray the rape victim. In her blank eyes, you can feel the stinging spasms of pain she feels. In her shrieks and cries you can sense her grief, shock and fear. In her muted anguish you can read the distrust she has for men now. Through her silent suffering she depicts her helplessness. Disgusted with her own body, she is but waiting for Vikas to look at her like before, with the same trust, attraction and love. She feels dirty and slighted, she knows her character has undergone slander. But, is she to be faulted? She weeps with the hope that Vikas's love will not let the world sully her. Even though sometimes her world is shaken when Vikas appears brusque towards her after the traumatic incident, it is hope and love that helps her sail through. Rekha is immaculate as Aarti. Beautiful and charming as Vikas's sweetheart, she shows why she was an actress of top billing when the situation is stormy. She slips into the skin of a rape victim with utmost ease. Is this the same dusky beauty who was romancing Vikas a while earlier with Aajkal paon zameen par and Tere bina jiya jaye na (fabulous singing by Asha Bhonsle)? With Rekha, you can be sure it is...

The chemistry between Vinod Mehra and Rekha (even though this was their first film together) is almost tangible in Ghar (rumours of their affair were doing the rounds then). Their lovemaking scenes are delicate, their romance is teasing and their vibes are fantastic. Awesome pair, I feel. In fact, I think the death of Vinod Mehra was a big loss to Bollywood. He was very handsome and had a lovely smile. Quite a talented actor, Mehra puts in a laudable performance in this film. Especially in the serious scenes where Vikas has to convince Aarti that in his eyes she is the same pure sweetheart and nothing can jeopardise their love. You can almost feel his anger and pain when his colleagues try to hint that his wife's character is devoid of propriety. He is like a strong wall protecting Aarti against the world's slander and ridicule. The scene where he is trying to get intimate with Aarti, helping her to shun her past and recuperate, is deftly executed. Vikas is sensitive and caring, never harsh or egotistic. A very understated persona, maturely balanced by Mehra.

RD Burman's score breathes finesse into this drama. The best song I guess is Aap ki aankhon mein kucch. A tribute to Rekha's beauty and charisma, this song is a memorable classic from Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar. A stupendous love ballad that has stood the test of time...