Synopsis
Surya (Anant Nag), the college-going son
of a well-to-do farmer is forced into giving
up his studies in order to look after the
family property. He is married against his
will to a young girl, Saryu (Priya Tendulkar),
who would join him when she attains puberty.
Bored and lonely in his farmhouse, Surya
finds himself attracted to his maidservant
Lakshmi (Shabana Azmi), wife of a poor deaf-mute
potter Kishtaya (Sadhu Meher) but she spurns
his advances. Kishtaya is caught stealing
Toddy and is punished. Humiliated, he runs
away from the village. Lakshmi, now destitute
gives in to Surya who promises to look after
her. Their brief idyllic association ends
with the arrival of Saru who senses their
past relationship and dismisses Lakshmi.
Lakshmi, who is now pregnant, wakes up one
morning to find Kishtaya beside her, giving
her the money he has earned in his absence.
Lakshmi breaks down but is reassured when
he appears pleased at her approaching motherhood
thinking the child to be his. Kishtaya goes
to Surya asking for work and to tell him
the good news. In a frenzy of conflicting
emotions and fearing exposure, Surya beats
him mercilessly. Lakshmi rushes to her husband's
rescue and hurls a torrent of insults and
curses at Surya. Surya cowers at his own
pain and prevarication, coming to terms
with his circumscribed life.
The film
Ankur was a brilliant debut for
Shyam Benegal
and a film which immediately gave him National
prominence. Based on an actual incident
in the Hyderabad area, the film focuses
on power and privalege - not in the standard
hero - villain and black and white terms
but with careful thought and acute perception.
The film is memorable for its engrossing
details of rural life and its exposure of
the feudal system that is brutal and indifferent.
But before anything it is primarily a study
of human rather than social relationships,
and it is this facet of the story which
gives it wider significance.
Before he embarked on Ankur, Benegal had
made quite a name for himself as an advertising
filmmaker. Blaze Advertising, which dominated
the booking of ads into theatres, proposed
backing Benegal in making a feature film
as they had surplus funds to invest and
wanted to enter feature filmmaking. Benegal
immediately got the scenario for Ankur
out of the closet and went to work. He had
earlier tried for years to get funds for
it but was unsuccessful.
Benegal's direction shows a sure, subtle
control. The women particularly are directed
with much sensivity and his handling of
crowds suggest a seasoned virtuosity. The
sounds of nature are omnipresent - the rustle
of leaves in the wind, the chirruping of
birds - and the colourful photography carries
a warm golden glow. Benegal shows a keen
eye for composition and his use of a tracking
camera adds dramatic impetus to the script;
at other times he is content to let the
actors create their own tension - Surya
being shaved in front of his house, or the
moving return of Lakshmi's husband near
the end.The final act of rebellion when
a small boy throws a stone at the landlord's
window foreshadows much of Benegal's later
work. The film also sees the use of Hindi
with a 'Hyderabadi' accent being deployed
by the characters keeping in tune with the
area where the story is set.
 Ankur is greatly aided by a sensational performance
by Shabana Azmi in the central role of Lakshmi.
An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute
of India, Pune (FTII), it is hard to believe
it is her first feature film. It is a pyschologically
penetrating performance, her eyes acting
as ciphers for the emotions churning within
her and went on to win Shabana the National
Award for Best Actress. Ironically Shabana
wasn't even the original choice for the
film. Benegal had met Waheeda Rehman,
Anju Mahendru and Sharda for Lakshmi's role
but they all refused. Then he met Shabana
and cast her in the film altering the script
a little to suit her, making Lakshmi a younger
woman.
Shabana is prefectly supported by rest
of the cast including Sadhu Meher, Priya
Tendulkar and Anant Nag. Again neither were
Priya and Anant original choices. Zarina
Wahab refused Priya's role and the actor
playing Anant's role got jaundice. Meeting
prospective actors, Anant came along with
a friend of his who was the actor, to meet
Benegal and got cast instead!
Ankur won a host of awards the world
over and what's more was a success at the
box-office too thus setting the basis for
a fine career as a filmmaker for Shyam Benegal.
In fact, the success that New India Cinema
enjoyed in the 1970s and early 1980s could
largely be attributed to Benegal's quartet
Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975),
Manthan (1976) and Bhumika (1977),
which were artistically superior yet commercially
viable films. Tapping fresh talent mainly
from the FTII and NSD like Shabana Azmi,
Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Smita Patil,
Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Amrish Puri, Benegal
has made several sensitive and stimulating
films since which have been appreciated
by both the classes and the masses. |
