Very few Indian writers can script movies as well as Gulzar. This film is a realistic story of lifelike situations narrated beautifully on-screen. There is no such thing as bad, malicious or villainous in Gulzar's films, there are people who become victims of their own acts. This story is about two loving sisters, Sharda and Poornima, played by Raakhee and Rekha. Sharda loses her mental balance and goes into coma upon seeing her sister get widowed on her wedding night. After she is taken to a mental hospital, Poornima takes it upon her shoulders to look after her sister's family and her little son, and she ultimately marries her sister's husband. But alas, after over ten years, Sharda recovers and comes back. And then starts a dramatic chain of lies.
Baseraa is a Hindi melodrama, and I mean it in the positive sense of the word. Every character in this extraordinary picture is greatly written and is given importance. The average viewer will find it hard to sympathise with Rekha's character, because it's naturally disgusting that a woman could in her own mind get married to her sister's husband. But you could look at it from another perspective, wherein she did it because she was already living in this house and if she was to marry someone else (assuming she would have to remarry one day), it would mean she had to leave her sister's child all alone. That is, her decision could even look logical to some, who would interpret that she did it solely for her sister, to save her family. I personally see it as a major sacrifice.
Being a mainstream film, Baseraa has everything one may associate with Hindi commercial cinema, and yet its subtlety dominates the proceedings. The dialogue is excellent, and while it accepts the slightly theatrical tone that is prevalent in commercial films, some scenes are amazingly rare for films of the sort. The sets are lavish even if not exactly appropriate for the realism of the proceedings, and the actors are well-cast even when they look too polished. Master R. D. Burman's music for the film is beautiful. My favourite song is "Jahan Pe Sawera Ho Baseraa", which is poignant, breathtaking and perfectly performed by the divine Lata Mangeshkar. What the film manages to avoid as opposed to other mainstream films is unnecessary drama where it's certainly uncalled for. The story flows brilliantly without redundant subplots and remains constantly focused on the main characters.
The film quite clearly belongs to the two ladies, Raakhee and Rekha, who are amazingly convincing as two sisters. They actually resemble each other in their general appearance. Both were given amazing roles to play: sisters who sacrifice themselves for each other, just that it doesn't come across explicitly in the film. Rekha enjoys a bigger part, one of more substance and essence of character. She is compelling as a woman who makes unconventional decisions by circumstances. The fear expressed in her eyes before her sister's comeback and later on the suffering and pain when she is like a stranger in her own home are all done wonderfully. But the winner is Raakhee, partly because, as said, it's hard to like Rekha's character, and partly because of her character's sacrifice at the end of of the film. This is one of Raakhee's most memorable performances and she is thoroughly believable and moving.
One of the most powerful scenes is the penultimate scene between Poonam Dhillon and Raakhee. Poonam acts intelligently and gently, and Raakhee is top-notch. Their interaction is so real that the scene shocks you at first but ends up breaking your heart. From then on, the film goes more along the lines of a typical tear-jerker, but there too it's presented with authenticity and some restraint. Baseraa is clearly one of the greatest Hindi family dramas on relationships, love and sacrifice.
Baseraa is a Hindi melodrama, and I mean it in the positive sense of the word. Every character in this extraordinary picture is greatly written and is given importance. The average viewer will find it hard to sympathise with Rekha's character, because it's naturally disgusting that a woman could in her own mind get married to her sister's husband. But you could look at it from another perspective, wherein she did it because she was already living in this house and if she was to marry someone else (assuming she would have to remarry one day), it would mean she had to leave her sister's child all alone. That is, her decision could even look logical to some, who would interpret that she did it solely for her sister, to save her family. I personally see it as a major sacrifice.
Being a mainstream film, Baseraa has everything one may associate with Hindi commercial cinema, and yet its subtlety dominates the proceedings. The dialogue is excellent, and while it accepts the slightly theatrical tone that is prevalent in commercial films, some scenes are amazingly rare for films of the sort. The sets are lavish even if not exactly appropriate for the realism of the proceedings, and the actors are well-cast even when they look too polished. Master R. D. Burman's music for the film is beautiful. My favourite song is "Jahan Pe Sawera Ho Baseraa", which is poignant, breathtaking and perfectly performed by the divine Lata Mangeshkar. What the film manages to avoid as opposed to other mainstream films is unnecessary drama where it's certainly uncalled for. The story flows brilliantly without redundant subplots and remains constantly focused on the main characters.
The film quite clearly belongs to the two ladies, Raakhee and Rekha, who are amazingly convincing as two sisters. They actually resemble each other in their general appearance. Both were given amazing roles to play: sisters who sacrifice themselves for each other, just that it doesn't come across explicitly in the film. Rekha enjoys a bigger part, one of more substance and essence of character. She is compelling as a woman who makes unconventional decisions by circumstances. The fear expressed in her eyes before her sister's comeback and later on the suffering and pain when she is like a stranger in her own home are all done wonderfully. But the winner is Raakhee, partly because, as said, it's hard to like Rekha's character, and partly because of her character's sacrifice at the end of of the film. This is one of Raakhee's most memorable performances and she is thoroughly believable and moving.
One of the most powerful scenes is the penultimate scene between Poonam Dhillon and Raakhee. Poonam acts intelligently and gently, and Raakhee is top-notch. Their interaction is so real that the scene shocks you at first but ends up breaking your heart. From then on, the film goes more along the lines of a typical tear-jerker, but there too it's presented with authenticity and some restraint. Baseraa is clearly one of the greatest Hindi family dramas on relationships, love and sacrifice.