Khamoshi (1970 film)

{{About-distinguish|the 1969 film|Khamoshi (2019 film)|Khamoshi: The Musical}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Khamoshi

| image = Khamoshi, 1969 film.jpg

| caption =

| director = Asit Sen

| producer = Hemant Kumar

| writer = {{ubl|Asit Sen (screenplay)|Gulzar (dialogue)}}

| screenplay =

| story = Ashutosh Mukherjee

| based_on = {{based on|Nurse Mitra, a short story|Ashutosh Mukherjee}}

| narrator =

| starring = {{ubl|Waheeda Rehman|Rajesh Khanna|Dharmendra}}

| music = Hemant Kumar

| cinematography = Kamal Bose

| editing =

| studio = Geetanjali Pictures

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|1969}}

| runtime = 127 min

| country = India

| language = Hindi

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Khamoshi ({{translation|Silence}}) is a 1969 black-and-white Hindi drama film directed by Asit Sen, starring Waheeda Rehman and Rajesh Khanna. It is especially remembered for its memorable music by Hemant Kumar and lyrics by Gulzar in songs such as "Tum Pukaar Lo... Tumhara Intezaar Hai" sung by Hemant Kumar, "Woh Shaam Kuch Ajeeb Thi" by Kishore Kumar and "Humne Dekhi Hai In Aankhon Ki Mehekti Khushboo" sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Though what really made this film stand out was the B&W cinematography by Kamal Bose, who won Best Cinematographer at the 18th Filmfare Awards for his work in the film and received high critical acclaim for Rehman and Khanna's performances.{{Cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/the-unmatched-hit-streak/976712/|title = The Unmatched Hit Streak - Indian Express}} Rehman's performance earned her a Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony. The film was a moderate success at the box-office.{{cite web|title=The best of Rajesh Khanna|date=31 July 2012 |url=http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film/the-best-of-rajesh-khanna|publisher=}}

Khamoshi was shot in Calcutta and was based on the Bengali short story titled Nurse Mitra by noted Bengali writer, Ashutosh Mukherjee and is a remake of director Asit Sen's own Bengali film, Deep Jwele Jaai (1959), starring Suchitra Sen.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/movies/news/remakes-of-bengali-films-whats-new-in-this-trend/articleshow/72241437.cms|title = Remakes of Bengali films: What's new in this trend? - Times of India| website=The Times of India | date=27 November 2019 }}{{Cite web |title=আনন্দবাজার পত্রিকা - নিবন্ধ |url=https://archives.anandabazar.com/archive/1140111/11smaran.html |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=archives.anandabazar.com}} The Bengali original proved to be a hit at the box office, especially at the urban centres. Impressed by the story line, producer Vuppunuthula Purushotham Reddy and director G. Ramineedu remade the Bengali film into Chivaraku Migiledi (1960), which was a blockbuster.{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/Chivaraku-Migiledi-1960/article14022703.ece|title=Chivaraku Migiledi (1960)|first=M. L.|last=Narasimhan|newspaper=The Hindu|date=28 January 2016|publisher=|via=www.thehindu.com}}

Plot

Colonel Sahab, a World War II veteran doctor, is head of the psychiatry ward at a hospital. Nurse Radha working the same ward is heart-broken after a civilian patient, Dev Kumar, whom she cured, left the hospital. She had been unable to keep her heart separate from her professional work and had fallen in love with that patient. Arun Choudhary, a writer and poet enters as a patient, suffering from acute mania after being rejected by his lover, Sulekha, a singer. After refusing to take care of him initially, Radha later relents. While caring for Arun, she reminisces about her past and tells a story of how she took care of injured brave army soldiers when she was posted in Ladakh during the Sino-Indian war of 1962.

Gradually, Arun is cured but Nurse Radha, yet again is emotionally involved with her patient. Unable to deal with her complex feelings, Radha becomes emotionally deranged. Ironically she is admitted to the same room of the ward. Colonel Sahab regrets that he always saw a devoted nurse in her and didn't see the woman inside her. Arun promises to wait for her recovery.

Cast

Waheeda Rehman as Nurse Radha
Rajesh Khanna as Arun Choudhary (Patient #24)
Dharmendra as Dev Kumar (Patient #24)
Nazir Hussain as Dr. Colonel Saab
Iftekhar as Doctor
Lalita Pawar as Matron
Deven Verma as Patient #22
Anwar Hussain as Biharilal Gupta
Snehalata as Sulekha, Arun's girlfriend

Background

Director Asit Sen (not to be confused with the actor-comedian Asit Sen) acted in the original Bengali film Deep Jwele Jaai (1959) in a role which was essayed by Dharmendra in Khamoshi. The movie-goers did not recognise Asit Sen in the film, because it was a dark scene marked with the baritone voice of Hemant Kumar. The director revealed this in an interview in the 1990s.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090804050555/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/08/16/stories/2008081653140600.htm Khamoshi 1969] The Hindu, 16 August 2008. After his success in the off-beat films Mamta (1966) and Anokhi Raat (1968), Sen, wanting to make it big in Bombay as well, decided to remake his Bengali hit.

The lead actress of the film, Waheeda Rehman suggested the name of actor Rajesh Khanna to Sen, having been impressed by his work in Aakhri Khat (1966). She said that her own performance came "nowhere near that of Suchitra Sen in the original." She credited the director for helping her a lot during difficult scenes.{{cite news |title=Asitda was a rare talent|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2001-08-26/kolkata/27257888_1_rajesh-khanna-dev-anand-hindi-version |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104065059/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2001-08-26/kolkata/27257888_1_rajesh-khanna-dev-anand-hindi-version |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 November 2013 |date=26 August 2001 |work=The Times of India|accessdate=29 April 2013}} Rehman said in an interview that she could not meet the standards set by Savitri in Chivaraku Migiledi (1960) for the character.

Music

The music was composed by Hemant Kumar and lyrics were written by Gulzar.

"Tum Pukaar Lo... Tumhara Intezaar Hai": Hemant Kumar
"Woh Shaam Kuch Ajeeb Thi... Yeh Shaam Bhi Ajeeb Hai": Kishore Kumar
"Humne Dekhi Hai Un Aankhon Ki Mehekti Khushboo": Lata Mangeshkar
"Aaj Ki Raat Chiraagon": Aarti Mukherjee[http://www.raaga.com/channels/hindi/moviedetail.asp?mid=H000102 Khamoshi songs]
"Dost Kahaan Koi Tumsa": Manna Dey

Awards and nominations

18th Filmfare Awards{{cite web|title=1st Filmfare Awards 1953|url=http://deep750.googlepages.com/FilmfareAwards.pdf|publisher=|access-date=8 April 2008|archive-date=12 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612065210/http://deep750.googlepages.com/FilmfareAwards.pdf|url-status=dead}}

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