Dramatic twist (Mera Saaya)

Wholesome. That describes Mera Saaya, Raj Khosla's courtroom thriller. And, just like a shadow, this 1966 masterpiece stays with you. With a unique plot, nuanced approach, mindblowing music and stunning performances, Mera Saaya is a gem that never goes out of fashion. In fact, tu jahan jahan chaley ga, Mera Saaya saath hoga...

Khosla doesn't waste any time. From scene one itself the mindgame starts. He sets the audience off in a tizzy with rapid incidents. Set in picturesque Udaipur (the use of magnificent sets for a haveli and the regal Lake Palace Hotel), we see an eminent lawyer (Sunil Dutt) rushing to the deathbed of his beloved wife. Shocked by her demise, he goes into mourning. Just when we think that the film will dissolve into a funereal saga of soppy dialogues and sad songs, the police reports a strange case to the lawyer. They tell him that they have captured a runaway woman (an accomplice of dacoits) who declares that she is Geeta, the lawyer's wife. No, this is not a story of ghouls. There's more meat to this...
Soon a series of interrogations and trials ensue. On tenterhooks, the audience feels like a yo-yo with every passing scene. Who is this woman? Why does she claim to be the lawyer's wife? How is she aware of the most intimate secrets of his conjugal life? Why is she mum on certain matters? Who is Sargam? And, if we do give Geeta the benefit of doubt, how on earth did she land up with the bandits?
Lord, that was a flurry of questions, you think...Exactly, that's what this film does to you. Khosla almost gives you the answers, and then in the very next moment, with a dexterous somersault, snatches the bone away. The riddle is back to where it started!!!
The movie's melancholic mood is interspersed with flashes of a beautiful love story. We see spurts of conjugal bliss that the lawyer reminisces about. It throws light on his dejection, his woe on losing his beloved...
Mera Saaya's cast is immaculate. Sadhana is firebrand as Geeta. She is the epitomy of beauty and goodness as the lawyers's wife. And, when she appeals to her 'husband' and the judge to believe her, you sense her helplessness, her distress. But, at the same time, her quizzical expressions at being caught unawares by the lawyer's quick retorts bewilder you! Is she really Geeta? If not, what is the rationale behind her act?
Though Sadhna hardly looks as fresh as she did in Parakh, Asli Naqli and Hum Dono, she is pretty. Her face sometimes looks over-caked and rouged, and lines pop up unexpectedly when she smiles or frowns. But she is convincing. Bhanu Athaiya's chic attires accentuate her lissome shape. In short, Raj Khosla's choice of Sadhana for his thriller trilogy (Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya and Anita) would feel kind of incomplete without this talented actor. Her poise is striking, her glamour understated...
Thakur Rakesh Singh is the best part of Mera Saaya (I think). Sunil Dutt's very persona evokes a sense of royalty. There is dignity in his dejection, a sense of enigma in his style. Dutt's liquid eyes reveal his innermost sorrows. Every time he remembers his wife, his peepers moisten. My heart wells up at that sight. He is oh-so manly as well as vulnerable. His salt and pepper sideburns are killing!! Dutt here is effortlessly dashing and natty!! And, yes he floors you with his part. He melts you with his heartfelt woe, he startles you with his stern temper and flummoxes you with his edgy arguments in the court!!! He is a subtly romantic, a deft lawyer and fiercely protective of his wife's honour!!!
The film's extraordinary music contributes to the taut script, courtesy some terrific compositions by Madan Mohan. He unleashes pure passion into the songs. Naino mein badra starts off with a remarkable jugalbandi of the sitar and the santoor. There is a scene where Geeta distances away from Singh with a coy smile while the latter overpowers her with his loving embrace...And in the background you have Prem Deewani hu mein, sapno ki rani hu mein...Ethereal!!!
The title track is haunting, to say the least! Heard more than once, the song has a certain melancholic feel. Even though it evokes timelessness, one feels that maybe the words are signifying the transience of togetherness...
Aap ke pehlu, is heartbreaking. Mohd Rafi's rendition and Dutt's expressions make it one soulful dirge...
But all's not sad in the score. You have the peppy, spontaneous Naino walen ne . Every stanza is laden with mirth. Sadhana's exuberance and Dutt's charm make it a joyful experience.
The best is of course, Jhumka Gira re. A folk song this, Sadhana outdoes herself in this number. Resplendent in a pink and blue ensemble, her every jhatka matches the beats of the dafli. Never heard such a tantalising take on the intimate exploits of two lovers!!!
The film, till the very last scene, makes you hold on to your seat. In fact, Khosla does give you some false leads to unnerve you...but I guess, the puzzle is best solved by him!!! For, you get submerged in too many knotty twists before light shines forth. There is a sense of foreboding when Geeta, in the penultimate sequence, like an apparition, enters the Thakur's mansion...
Phir kya hua? Phir? Go, find out yourself...