My childhood memories are inextricably linked to Hrishida's films. Those were the days when we were held on a tight leash by our parents and films that catered to family audiences were the only ones that we were allowed to see.
Hrishida's films best qualified in this category for almost every film of his had this 'tug your heart' kind of feel. He was a master of creating those tender, heartfelt moments woven into a rich tapestry that bestired everybody to the practical and intense realisation of human emotions. All his films had a pronounced middle-class setting and I cannot recall him depicting the opulence & grandeur of the social elite in any of his films.
Such was the magnetic quality of his films that almost every actor was willing to undercut his/her price just to be associated with Hrishida's simple, uncluttered & no-frills attached family entertainers. It is quite a pity that with the turn of the 80s, his brand of filmmaking found little or not takers as violence & action now took centrestage.
During these poignant moments, I join all like- minded cineastes to pay obeisance to an immortal film-maker.
With the passing away of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Indian film industry has lost one of the bastions of hindi cinema. He started his career as an editor and assistant to Bimal Roy. Being a worthy disciple of a worthy guru he was able to create a niche for himself. Coming out from the Bimal Roy school of film making his films reflected his gurus touches but he was able to put his own stamp of class and vision in his films. He started his directional venture with Musafir in which he directed Dilip Kumar. He directed all the big stars in 60s and 70s. He directed Raj Kapoor in Anari, Devanand in Asli Naqli, Ashok Kumar in Aashirwad, Balraj Sahni in Anuradha, Dharmendra in Anupama, Satyakam, Chupke Chupke etc. and above all Amitabh Bachchan in Anand, Namakharam, Abhimaan, Chupke Chupke, Mili and others. Where in Satyakam he raised his voice against corruption, in Namakharam he showed the class divide in society, in Anand he shown us the life of a cancer patient which was much much better than Shahrukh Khans Kal Ho Na Ho. If he was able to make sensitive films like Anuradha, Anupama, Satyakam, Anand, Namakharam, Mili and Abhimaan, then on the other hand he made comedies like Chupke Chupke, Khoobsurat and Golmaal also. Anuradha went on to win Presidents Gold Medals for the best film and Dada Muni won the Presidents Gold Medal for the best actor for Aashirwad, thanks to Hrishi da.. Many people are in the impression that Amitabh Bachchan was maximum directed by Manmohan Desai or Prakash Mehra. It is wrong. Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed him for maximum films. The void created by Hrishi Das passing away will be difficult to fill.
Feel inspired when I think about his long journey of filmmaking. After Udayer Pathey (Bengali) Bimal Roy shifted to Bombay brought Hrishida, Salil Chowdhury and even Ritwikda to Bombay, those days in the Indian cinema is now part of history. I as a upcoming filmmaker from Kolkata feel proud when I think of him. May his soul be rest in peace.Jaydip Mukherjee.
He has made such wonderful films. The biggest of the stars have acted in his movies but he deglamorised each one and still made such memobarable films which you love to watch again and again. His films touched the hearts of people. It is a great loss to Indian cinema.
In the pomp and glamour world of the silver screens, Hrishida's films looked more like long dramas or telefilms, but I believe that's exactly where the magic lies. People get fed-up and bored with the mainline cinema where logic, real life characters or stories have little place.
In contrast, everyone watching a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film can almost instantly connect to the story and find himself/herself or someone he/she knows in a similar kind of situation. His characters are down to earth, wear simple dresses, live in ordinary houses and his hero's doesn't jump tens of meters or hit 5 people in one blow.
It's like comparing serials "Kyonki saas bhi..." with "Saans" or "Humlog". Both types have their own fanclub but the later is obviously closer to the heart and leaves a lingering feeling of pleasure and fullfilment in your mind and soul that lasts longer... much longer....
I do not think a person like great Director Hrishda shall take birth in India again. His every movie gave some hidden message to people, simple & family orianted. His movies can be wathed together by all including grand son & grandpa which is not possible now a days with the present movies. Great Great Person Tujhe Shat Shat Pranam
There can not be another great film-maker in the history of Hindi films. His films were so down to earth and yet succesful. He was the first to discover the talent of the great Amitabh Bachchan. If one is a fan of Amitabh, one can make out that the actor in him was brought to the forefront only by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and after him it was Sanjay Leela in "BLACK", in between it was only Amitabh's charisma which made his movies super-duper hits
I grew up watching his films, in fact I was a kid when he was at his peak and I learned the depth of his movies by watching them again and again. No one can recreate a GolMaal and a Chupke Chupke and Aradhana! Its just a masterpiece created by a Legend.
