This film is far superior to the standard melodramas that Bollywood churns out so relentlessly. There is not a single car-chase, not a single gunshot, and no misogynistic villain.
It will come as no surprise that Rajesh Khanna plays the hero, but it is a tribute to the writer and director that they manage to coax a performance more believable than the two-dimensional efforts Mr Khanna has delivered in dozens of his films. He uses his trademark "look" in only a couple of the scenes. Anyone who's seen the 1980s BBC documentary about Mr Khanna will know exactly what I mean!
The supporting cast is mostly good, with Asrani playing, unusually, a backstabbing friend. The only miscasting is in the role of the little girl who plays Rajesh Khanna's daughter - she is more annoying than lovable. But, of course, the film belongs to Ms Rekha. Frankly, it's a travesty that she only gets co-star billing - her performance is what makes the film so compelling. The double-role is a Bollywood staple but the first role is short and most of the time we see Rekha in her role as the governess. She captures the emotions perfectly as she is torn by the lies she has to tell to keep everyone around her happy. Yet her inner strength is evident - at no time is she a victim. She makes her choices with full acceptance of the consequences. It is an added bonus that Ms Rekha was at the height of her beauty when she made this film - she lights up the screen as the camera lingers on her every expression.
There's one other plot feature worth noting which makes this Indian film unusual, if not unique. When it comes time to propose (after the song "Dheere Dheere"), it's Rekha's character that does the proposing. The dialogue is beautifully written for this scene.
There are only seven songs, with three of them being different versions of the title song. In fact, the title song is quite lovely and has that haunting, sad quality that those of us of Asian origin seem to have a genetic pre-disposition towards!
A few words about the DVD. Sadly it is in 4:3 format, but the resolution is acceptable. The colour is also acceptable except for a few scenes where it has a noticeable tint. The sound is clear during dialogue, but distorted during the songs and it is in mono.
