Roti

Review By Kamal K

Oh my. How do I begin to describe this film? It's very definitely Manmohan Desai's work. It has all the usual hallmarks of his stories: poverty, heavy-handed symbolism, religious motifs, good versus evil, sin and redemption. There are parts where ideas are presented so powerfully it takes your breath away. But it's also filled with the ridiculous: mind-boggling coincidences, over-the-top drama, and one plot twist after another.

This film felt larger in scale and ambition to me than any of his others. Fate is a hard task-master here, and Rajesh Khanna gives an excellent performance as its victim, driven by his basic needs but haunted by his wrong-doing.

Mumtaz is delicious as the fierce beedi-smoking Bijlee, and Rajesh Khanna is superb as ill-fated Mangal. The songs by Laxmikant Pyarelal are wonderful, and the supporting cast is impressive too. But the mix of masala craziness and overwhelming sadness didn't always work for me. I wish there had been more care taken with the script: fewer plot holes and a more cohesive story. I do recommend the film, though, especially if you are a Manmohan Desai fan.