Baseraa (1981) User Reviews

Family Entertainer

[IPyaarCinema · 7/10 · 23 July 2021]

Review By Kamal K

First of all, large kudos to Gulzar for tackling a thorny, oft-mishandled subject - mental illness - with sensitivity and sympathy.

The story follows the your usual happy family clearly on the way to destruction. There is, as per usual, the jolly father, Balraj (Shashi Kapoor), the good-humored mother, Nima (Rekha), and their two sons, Sagar and Babbu . Sagar is now of marriageable age, and he has fallen in love with the pretty, smart med student Sarita (Poonam Dillon). Sarita is clearly your Perfect Daughter-in-Law, and in one sweet scene, she stuns the family by singing early morning pooja. The parents heartily approve, and all seems well.

However, already there are cracks in the perfect façade. It is revealed that the mother of Sagar is actually Sharda (Rakhee,) Balraj's first wife, Nima's older sister. Fourteen years ago, it seems Sharda had been having psychotic episodes. Eventually, she had to be taken to the local asylum. The family still grieves for Sharda, and they are in close contact with her doctor, Dr. Gokhale (Iftikhar ). Sharda has recently had a minor accident in the asylum. When she recovers, however, her mental illness seems to have dramatically improved, and Dr. Gokhale decides to try to continue the improvements by sending her home to heal. He informs the family, however, that Sharda's mental health is fragile, and so no big emotional shocks, please. Ergo, Balraj and Nima must revert to their roles from 14 years earlier: Balraj as Sharda's husband, and Nima as a widow. The rest of the film watches this impossible drama unfold.

Rekha, Rakhee and Shashi all gave good, honest performances. Baseraa is a good emotional family drama which reminds us of the great Indian tradition of family values in which the happiness of the family is the numero uno interest of all its members.

A heartbreaking tale of love, marriage, and sacrifice

[Peter_Young · 9/10 · 6 July 2009]

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.

This is an excellent movie - Story of love and circumstances!

[lgaur · 10/10 · 5 January 2004]

There are no villains and no heroes. Circumstances have dictated their lives as is in any real life. This may be one of Rekha's best movies. She just looked like a million bucks and acted like an Oscar winner. Not only Rekha but the entire cast lived in the film (I wish they could have selected different kid). I especially enjoyed not having "specialty comic relief nonsense" that Indian movies can't do without. Delicate story line told in a no nonsense manner. Screen play is Gulzarish, with heart poured out in every dialogue -- nonfilmi dialogue. Gulzar's lyrics enhance the mediocre music. The title song (not the tune) is just great. But then this movie is not about the songs, it is all about feelings and how each character expressed them in their own special way. A must see.

A nest of love and sacrifice

[smanasvi · 10/10 · 28 April 2005]

Great Story, Great Dialogues, Great Performances, Great Music... I can easily sum up this film ''Baseraa'' in one line.

Baseraa is directed by Ramesh Talwar, who started as Yash Chopra's assistant and has also given us films like Doosra Aadmi, Sawaal and Duniya. Screenplay-Dialogues are credited to Gulzar and G.R. Kamat and Story is by Leela Phansalkar.

The film is about Sharda(Rakhi) who loses her mental balance and goes into coma when she sees her younger sister Poornima(Rekha) as a widow on her wedding night. Sharda is admitted to a mental hospital and her son is looked after Poornima. Time passes by and the son now grown up as the handsome Sagar(Raj Kiran) considers Poornima as his mother. In fact, Sharda's husband Balraj(Shashi Kapoor) has married Poornima and they have a son together. Suddenly one day, Sharda wakes up from coma and escapes from the hospital. Doctor (Iftekhar) reaches home first and tells everyone that Sharda should get the house exactly like she had left 20 years back. Poornima not only changes the curtains and decor of the house but also dresses herself as widow... What happens when Sharda starts her life as Balraj's wife again forms the remaining storyline...

It's not just the story but the way it has been narrated on screen that makes the difference. The film plays beautifully between past and present. The film starts with Raj Kiran and Poonam Dhillon singing the Gulzar-R.D. Burman masterpiece ''Tumhe Chhod Ke Ab Jeene Ko Jee to Nahi''. Raj Kiran's relationship with his step-mother/mausi Rekha and Poonam Dhillon's first interaction with her future father-in-law Shashi Kapoor are some of the finest scenes as far as creating natural day-to-day scenes are concerned.

Rekha's song ''Aaoongi Ek Din, Aaj Jaaoon?'' is a beautiful song that portrays the Jeeja-Saali interaction brilliantly. When Rekha poses as widow again after Rakhi has come back, there's a song in the background - ''Jane kaise beetengi ye barsaatein, Maange huye din hain, maangi hui raatein...''. How aptly can a lyricist portray the situation!

One of my most favourite scene is the whole interaction that happens between Rakhi and Poonam Dhillon in the penultimate scene. It is a great scene in itself and will be included in 10 best scenes of Indian Cinema, I am sure.

I recommend this film. I am sure, you'll enjoy this film as much as I did.

Original story, superb performances!!

[kabirp-1 · 9/10 · 29 December 2009]

I have always ranked Basera as one of the finest stories ever filmed in Hindi cinema. The film tells the story of a happy family suddenly faced with tragedy and how they try to cope with an altered situation.

Rakhee is brilliant in her role, if this was a Hollywood film, she would have certainly won an Oscar!! The scene where she yearns for her husbands affection upon her return is particularly touching, and the final scenes between Rakhee and Poonam Dhillon are simply fantastic and guaranteed to make you cry (by virtue of Rakhee's powerful performance)

Rekha has also played the character extremely well. Overall a great movie which has been lovingly directed, super performances topped with RD's fine music. Unfortunately a highly under-rated movie!

A saga of family bonds and sacrifice

[jmathur_swayamprabha · 10/10 · 13 April 2015]

The great Indian tradition embedding family values, has always kept love and family bonds on a high pedestal. And the litmus test of your love for your family is to be ready to sacrifice self-interest. Baseraa is an excellent movie released in 1981, underscoring the importance of sacrifice. The movie is by no means outdated or something giving an air of imposing self-sacrifice upon some member of the family for the sake of false family pride etc. It is an outstanding movie in which there is no villain. Only the fate is the villain which plays with the members of a family in which everybody loves everybody and keeps the happiness of the whole family above his or her self-interest.

The story plot is different and just very very good. A happy housewife and mother of a son, Rakhee gets lunatic and has to go to the asylum. In order to take care of her small kid, her father gets her younger sister, Rekha who is a widow, married to her husband, Shashi Kapoor. She also begets a son and the family though happy in general amongst abundant love among its members, is always feeling a pinch that the original lady of the house is spending her life in the asylum. The happiness of the family increases with the now grown-up elder son, Raj Kiran being engaged to a nice girl, Poonam Dhillon. Yet the pinch because of Rakhee's condition, exists in hearts of the family members The real plot of the story takes shape when after a gap of 14 years, Rakhee becomes normal. The psychiatrist treating her is of the opinion that she should get her house and her family as if nothing has changed over these 14 years as any setback because of the changed status of things and relationships may give her mind an undesirable jolt, reverting her back to lunacy. Now the family which loves Rakhee very much, tries its best to hide the changed scenario within the family and the household, from her. In this process, everyone suffers, her sister Rekha and her small child being the biggest sufferers. However when Rakhee comes to know the real status of things, she feels that she is the barrier between her family and its permanent happiness. And she takes a big self-sacrificial decision to keep the happiness of her family intact.

The beauty of this movie is that the narrative flows naturally without any undue dragging at any spot. The director, Ramesh Talwar has demonstrated his better sense by not allowing anything going over the top and keeping all the sequences upto their optimum length only. He has used flash backs quite admirably to explain the things. However he has not shown any haste in expanding the real story and taken his time in patiently unfolding the minute details of the family and the happiness within. It is an emotional family drama which flows nicely and maintains the curiosity of the viewer throughout. The plot of the movie does not need a baddie. So all the characters are quite noble whose hearts are brimming with kindness and love. All the same, they look flesh and blood human beings and not like the creatures coming from some other planet. This normalcy of all the characters is the strength of the movie.

All the three main protagonists of the story have given excellent performances. I consider Shashi Kapoor as the most under-rated actor of the Kapoor clan of Bollywood who despite being a very good actor, never got the praise he deserved. He has given a natural performance as the family head, restless to do justice to all the members of his family which include his two wives who are sisters. Rakhee has delivered a fine performance in the difficult role assigned to her (her real life husband Gulzar has written the screenplay, dialogs and lyrics of this movie). However the show-stealer is Rekha who has delivered a mesmerizing performance. She is visible in the movie in many forms - a naughty younger sister and a teasing sister-in-law, a responsible housewife who loves her sister's son not less than her own son, an affectionate and sensitive mother and finally a sacrificing wife and sister who is ready to personally suffer to any extent if her suffering is the condition for her elder sister's normalcy. She has showcased her abundant talent in each of these forms. The other characters - Poonam Dhillon, Raj Kiran and the child artist (who appears to be the childhood version of the now well-known model cum actor, Jas Arora) have also done exceedingly well in their respective roles.

The music does not have any chartbusters to its credit. However all the songs are quite good to listen and the lyrics are quite meaningful. I will mention two songs here - 1. the title song - Jahaan Pe Savera Ho, Wahin Pe Basera Ho, 2. Aaungi Ek Din, Aaj Jaaun which has been picturised on naughty Rekha on the first night of her sister and brother-in-law after their wedding.

The movie contains many emotionally appealing scenes. However the scene between Rakhee and Poonam Dhillon leading to the climax of the movie is the soul of this movie. I am not detailing it. It's better to watch the movie to feel its impact.

The technical aspects of the movie are perfect. The director and the editor have not allowed the movie to be unduly long. It's crisp and not loaded heavily with emotions. It's a tear-jerker, yet everything is kept under control to make the things appear as realistic.

All in all, Baseraa is a good emotional family drama which reminds us of the great Indian tradition of family values in which the happiness of the family is the numero uno interest of all its members.

Had Promise but...

[bhardwaj_03 · 3 May 2012]

The story line of this film was definitely unique and I thought it had a lot of potential. However, when Rakhee's character Sharda awakens from her coma, you can't help but hate both Shashi Kapoor and Rekha's characters. Poornima (Rekha) claims that she only married her brother-in-law because she wanted to raise her sister's child. This was a misleading statement because there are many aunts who are still in the lives of their nephews and nieces while being married to other people.

Another aspect which creates negative feelings towards Sharda's husband, Balraj (Shashi Kapoor)is when Sharda comes back, he exhibits no love for her. You'd think if your wife was gone for 14 years, the man would show some genuine care for her rather than acting like her coming back is a mere disturbance. Furthermore, is Balraj's wedding to Poornima even legal? considering his wife was alive at the time or did he divorce her? If he hadn't divorced her then his line near the end of the film about Poornima being the lady of the house and how their relationship is not illegitimate means nothing.

Another thought the viewer is left wondering is the fact that Balraj has been providing finances towards getting Sharda better for 14 years so he must have had the hope that she would get better. If he had faith that she would get better and continued her treatment then why did he marry her sister? Once the movie is done, the viewer is left asking questions and feeling very sympathetic towards Sharda. She was a genuinely nice woman who's life was not considered when her so-called husband and sister decided to get married to suit their own conveniences. The director tries to justify Balraj and Poornima's actions by showing that it was Poornima and Sharda's own father who suggested they get married. However, no person can force another person into anything, especially not marriage and that too with your brother-in-law. In my opinion, Sharda was the only character in that film who displayed true caring love.

This film was interesting but it did not leave the viewer with a satisfied feeling.

good with evil undertones

[veronica_pescud · 10/10 · 17 June 2013]

In my opinion, there are darker undertones in the film, all is not so innocent. Neema jumps into sister's bed on her wedding night, for example. It was passed on as naive prank, but even girls of 4 are usually in awe of bride and groom and would not think of getting into somebody's bed decorated so lovingly for the wedding! Neema was much older than 4! I guess Neema was always jealous of her sister and whatever her sister had. This is why she behaved in such a manner that she did attract her sister's husband long before her sister went mad. I also guess her sister sensed that, but being noble and truly loving, pushed it at the back of her mind. Why do you think she was crying on Neema's wedding day after her husband was complaining how he was missing Neema? I guess she detected that he loved Neema without realising it himself and preferred her to his wife. When she found out Neema's husband has died, she lost her mind probably because she a. loved her sister, b. thought even then that her husband (whom she loved) and Neema (sister she loved) would be better suited. it was too much for her to take. This explains why the husband or Neema did not encourage the son to visit his mother even when he was old enough to marry!!! Who knows, maybe not another blow on the head but the visit of her son and daughter in law prompted the main heroine to recover! When her sister came back, Neema was crying over her son,whom she was missing,but she was also crying the same day seeing her sister to go to marital bedroom with her lawful husband. She was only thinking about herself! In my view, Neema was a horrible woman who intentionally entrapped a weak sister's husband. This husband was a good match of her, he placated himself by supporting his ex-wife in mental hospital and imagining that this way he did his duty towards her. He had an image of himself as a noble hero with such an unjust fate, romantic and caring,this was fully supported by Neema, who played a caring sister. Thus the husband playing piano and crying over his first wife scene is so misleading. It suited them to lock her away and leave as if they were victims of this tragedy. The same man would have NEVER screamed at his wife, who just recovered, the way he did if he really cared about her. This is why Punam's character was able to get through it all, it was easy for her to see as she wanted to see and was unbiased, unlike those two selfish characters.

Well written and well made family drama

[rtoac1 · 10/10 · 12 August 2020]

This is a Hindi language film starring Shashi Kapoor, Rekha and Rakhee.

It is scripted by Gulzar which really is the true star of the movie.

A well written, well made family drama with no villains. Where circumstances bring in both sorrow and happiness into the lives of a family.

Very solid performances by all the actors.

The ending is also heart wrenching.

I rated it 10/10 in IMDB.

A very enjoyable family drama

[Ibuk · 3 July 2016]

Mental illness is a subject that generally serves as a sideplot in Bollywood, for example the typical Bollywood movie would have the mother losing her mental balance after the death of her husband (Meri Jung). With that in mind I approached Baseera with an open mind and was very surprised by how mental illness is so pivotal to the plot. Rakhee is superb in the lead as a woman who becomes mentally ill after seeing her beloved sister as a widow and how she returns to her home after 14 years after making a recovery. Unfortunately her husband has married her beloved sister in her absence (not to mention fathered a child by her) and how the family try to keep up the pretense that everything was as the woman left her house all those years ago and what happens when she finds out. Yes the scenario is improbable to say the least but the cast really make the movie work. Other reviews have stated that the ending is bad but the way I see it is that the scenario is so tricky that there was no possible good way to resolve the situation. Shashi Kapoor is tremendous as her husband and Rekha as her husband whilst former 80's actress Poonam Dhillon and Raj Kiran lend excellent support. It was only after seeing it that I found out that the immensely talented Gulzar Sahib had a hand in writing this movie, which explains why this movie is of such high quality. All in all Baseera is a highly enjoyable drama and far better than the usual masala flicks.