Abhimaan, a 1973 film starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, is about marriage and the fragility of relationships.
Amitabh played Subir Kumar a young, aspiring singer, while Jaya featured as his wife, Uma, who went on to achieve far greater success as a singer than he did. This eventually becomes the source of Subir’s insecurity and the couple’s growing distance.
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The Hrishikesh Mukherjee-directed film was a huge hit when it was released, but today we’re going to focus on one aspect that shows how it was far ahead of its time.
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A Twitter user accurately pointed out a scene in which Uma and Subir’s ex-lover Chitra (Bindu) meet, but the makers don’t resort to pitting the women against each other.
So much goodness in this scene pic.twitter.com/YW6eIjyiuy
— Manish (@rmanish1) March 22, 2022
Numerous yesteryear films, even a handful today, couldn’t help but push the female protagonists against one another. And if they both have affections for the same man, there will undoubtedly be a “cat fight.”
Reminds me of Silsila ….face off between ex lover and present day wife; Scene pulled off with so much grace and decency! ♥️ https://t.co/dE8dPOPmEH
— Pinky_Chatterjee (@sharmistha2405) March 23, 2022
Padma Khanna Ji’s character in Abhiman is distinct, complex and ahead of time, one of the most subtler one in Hrishida’s filmography.#hindicinema https://t.co/FR6PCTGTEc
— Nilosree ☕✒📚 🎬 🌿🥊 (@Peachtreespeaks) March 23, 2022
Abhimaan, on the other hand, handles the subject with grace and awards dignity to the characters. . In fact, when Subir tries to misbehave with Uma, Chitra, played by Bindu, sticks up for her.
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In Hindi cinema, female characters are often stereotyped as “good girls” or “vamps.” Abhimaan, directed by Mukherjee, also breaks that mould by portraying Chitra as a modern woman who isn’t villainized. Uma, despite her humility, does not hesitate to speak up for herself. Subir, despite being a male protagonist, is made accountable for his actions.
A range of such elements not only make it classic, but also make it a film relevant for current times. You can watch this masterpiece Jio Cinema.