Courageous courtesan (Sadhna)

The blatant divide between pure and impure is smudged immaculately as Geeta Dutt croons Tora manwa kyun ghabraye rey in the lips of Leela Chitnis. Through the song we are actually made to ponder on whether Champabai is seriously an impure woman who needs to be judged by society and its norms? Or is she just like any one of them who has a right to offer her prayers to the Almighty, touch the idol and seek her heart's prayers? Is the world made by mortals equipped enough to decide on whether she deserves a second chance?

B R Chopra's Sadhna is a brilliant film. Woven around the life of a beautiful and wronged courtesan and the people who she comes in touch with, this drama unfolds a host of emotions and feelings that regale and endear. The gripping story and taut execution only help to get the point so fluently across. What starts as a film that just might have become discoursive and obvious, is rescued by the able performance of the actors, mighty talents in their own right. Leela Chitnis, Sunil Dutt, Manmohan Krishna and Vyajayanthimala together pull off a compelling drama that is emotional, exciting and poignant at the same time. And yes, we cannot forget the fantabulous histrionics of Radhakishan, without whom the story would have gone nowhere.

What is awesome is how at the very outset the director shows the college professor having the conventional opinions against a prostitute, who he considers a fallen woman. That young men should be wary of such women is evident from how and what the professor lectures. Mohan is a normal brought up on the ethics and taboos laid down by society. As you listen to him criticise the prostitute, you realise that he has been tutored in conventional modes. But then, that he will not change is outlook is not guaranteed. 
Mohan's mother has been behind him to get her a pretty and dutiful daughter-in-law. But even though Mohan is a loving son, he has been pushing the thought behind just as any young man probably would. Ailing and infirm, Mohan's mother's health steadily declines. Then comes a day when she is so ill that Mohan has to search for a woman who can face his mother as an impromptu wife. A woman who would be willing to pose as his better-half for a certain sum of money. Thus, the script needs Jeevan Ram (Radhakishan), the wily, astute yet extremely comical neighbour to come forward and help Mohan. He promises to get his cousin to play the wife's part but what he does, greedy for double income, is use the help of Champabai, a local courtesan who holds court before many faithful patrons.

Champabai (Vyajayanthimala is so beautiful that she actually makes you gape at her vision), too is brazen. She sees this as an opportunity for some extra income. Egged on by Lallubhai (Manmohan Krishna), she parties with Jeevan Ram. Jeevan Ram says that if Champabai is able to fool Mohan and his mother, who he feels is on her deathbed, then she will become the owner of a box of jewels. That is incentive enough for Champabai, Lallubhai and Jeevan Ram.
Champabai rids herself of her garish attires that is synonymous with courtesans and gets in clothes that are supposed to make her respectable. Question is, is her soul now respectable too? She meets the ailing woman and his son. The first meeting shows her as a conniving woman playacting to perfection. The kind words of the victims do not affect her. She is all set to win her game and flee with the loot.
But gradually Champabai changes, the first hint of change being when Mohan looks at her adoringly. All she can think is how handsome he is. Probably if her position was different, she might have become his lover. Probably this is the first time when this woman has desires that are genuine...
The final weapon of change is the harsh and cruel remarks made by her patrons when she playfully dresses up as a newly-wed bride to entertain. A prostitute in a bride's clothes? Is that possible? When Champabai's visitors laugh and hurl at her ridicules and insults, she realises that a prostitute shouldn't have dared to become a respectable bride. These people are just too accustomed to her singing and shimmying to Babuji tum kya kya kharido ge. Society, responsible for making her what she is today, will not give her a chance to reform herself... What a brilliant scene!

When Champabai realises that it is none of her business duping the good people, she returns the valuables that Mohan's mother had handed over to her, but does not explicitly define the reason to the old woman. That pristine morning, the recuperating woman asks Champabai to light the lamp before God. And our courtesan is stunned! Is she the right person to do so? Frightened, jittery and extremely shocked, as Champabai slowly progresses towards the prayer room, you witness a range of emotions on her face? Who are we to judge this woman, who is, now we know, a pure soul? She is scared, sad, distraught yet expectant. Does she want that one touch from God to wash away her sorrows and her dark past? Does she need that? We realise that in this very request of hers is her gateway to liberation from what she thinks are her sins? She never sinned. She was forced into the trade by the cruel society which could not stop salivating at the thought of a helpless, poor and orphaned yet a pretty and young girl. No one came to her rescue when she was ranting about her misfortunes. They just enjoyed the sight of her being sucked into the vortex of man's greed and lust.That is why the song Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko is so apt to describe Champabai's state.

A well-known prostitute, surely society will not have her even willing to get out of it all. When Champabai wishes to move away from her sinister past, she is attacked and forced to return to her kotha. But by now she has sensed that Mohan is head-over-heels in love with her. In the song Sambhal e dil, you can see the romantic desires of a young man and the predicament of a young woman who is trying to reason with her heart. A beautiful and sensitive song, I must say. Great rendition by Mohd Rafi and Mangeshkar and lovely music by Datta Naik.
As is with B R Chopra's films, the endings are hardly sad. This too has a hopeful and halcyon end. But the journey is worth the watch. Champabai's story is definitely interesting.
The drama and tension is interspersed with brilliant comic interludes by Radhakishan, a crazily good character actor. His nasal twang, his facial expressions, his quick retorts, his grimace, his lies, his cheekiness, everything is so wickedly funny. You know he is slimy piece of rogue but you cannot hate him. You cannot love him, too. But yes, you will lose out on all the fun if you chose to ignore him. Radhakishan is kickass in the film.
Leela Chitnis plays the regular ailing mother, who is loving and doting. Sunil Dutt is very handsome and is sensible. He soon falls in love with the young woman coming to visit his mother because, firstly because she is a sweet person who is gorgeous, and secondly because he knows his mother will love the match. It is heartening to see him change his outlook towards courtesans when he hears Champabai's tale. He decides that this woman should now get her due. That is really reassuring... 

Champabai is the reason why 1958's Sadhna will be etched in your memory forever. Vyajayanthimala's beauty is not just captivating, her performance if mesmerising, too. Initially cut-throat and clever, one has to see the change in her personality to believe it. When she sends out a plea to Mohan's mother in the last scene, you can see that she is sincere. She is sad but still very strong. She is the quintessential liberated woman who is not scared to face the truth anymore. In her tears you see her quest to face the world with renewed fervour...