Aakhri Khat : Chetan Anand’s unique cinematic experiment with a toddler
Chetan Anand showed a brave attempt by making Aakhri Khat . He tried to set different boundaries with this film.
He had a 15 months old toddler as the lead actor in his film and elder actors had supporting roles in a story revolving around the kid.
Aakhri Khat reveals that cinema can be so powerful that it may force an audience to wriggle to enter the screen to influence the events happening on the screen. After all it is a matter of 15 months old child. He passes through a lot of troubles and one wants to save him from those troubles. He is left on the busy streets of Bombay where a self indulgent world is operating in its own way.
A 15 months old toddler is wandering here and there on the streets of Bombay. He can barely speak two words “Mamma” and his own name “Buntu”. Hungry Bantu needs something to eat. Children are eating food at their homes. A couple is quarreling and husband takes bottle, having sleeping pills, from his wife and throws it out of window. Bottle falls near where Bantu is standing on the road. Pills come out of the broken bottle. Poor kid picks up one pill and keeps it in his mouth. What an audience would feel and do in such conditions? These are the moments when impression that he is merely watching a film is lost and he wants to stop the kid. Kid picks up another pill and eats it.
Next, this kid is walking on the railway tracks!
Mothers, soft and weak hearted and quite sensitive people should be advised before hand to watch this film with a definite pre-conceived notion that they have to constantly remind themselves throughout the film that it is just a film otherwise film is so powerful that heart of the audience can be affected. Little boy and his predicaments have been shown in such an effective manner that it is impossible not to be carried away with the flow of the film.
Many a times father is searching for his son and boy is searching for his mother in the same locality but they don’t cross each other’s path. This is a film where an audience knows that it is all happening in a film but film becomes so realistic that he prays that Rajesh Khanna should see the child.
Kid is thirsty and tries to open the tap but his hands don’t react at that height. He is unable to quench his thirst. He is dependent on others to feed him and such a helpless kid is searching for his lost mother in Bombay.
Film provokes contradictory feelings in the audience and it happens at same time. Any given time a 15 months old kid is suffering on the streets of Bombay and audience’s heart is wriggling to save the kid from all the sufferings but since the kid can not take impact of this suffering and he is reacting as per his natural instincts so audience can not stop himself from falling for the charming traits and actions of the kid. Kid continuously goes on stealing the heart of the audience with his sweet and charming gestures.
It looks impossible to take out a pre-decided work from a 15-18 months old toddler. In most of the scenes Chetan Anand and his cinematographer Jaal Mistry, captured kid’s natural movements with the help of a hand held camera. Director managed to generate and accelerate the movements of the kid and he wandered here and there on the locations and Director and his camera team followed him. Task was extremely difficult because this footage was to be used in such a way so that it could have assimilated with the flow of the film. Continuity can not be maintained in such a case. Somehow Chetan Anand handled this difficult task and presented a unique performance by the toddler actor Master Bunty Behl.
This is a remarkable thing that Chetan Anand had done this experiment 43 years ago in 1966. A similar experiment was later done by Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi in his 1997 film Ayenah (The Mirror) but he had got a girl who was atleast 5-6 years old.
Aakhri khat was sent to Oscar awards in 1967 as India’s official entry.
A child’s presence changes the whole atmosphere of the home. Everybody in the home becomes a caretaker of that child. Child becomes the most important person in the home. He becomes the master of that space. Other’s schedules are changed according to child’s schedule. Child should not suffer from anything, becomes the most essential task of everybody living in the family.
Children get protection at home. Chetan Anand showed the opposite world and this depiction comes to the audience in a heart wrenching manner. Such a sweet child is wandering on the dangerous roads in the chaotic world of Bombay and visual depiction of this struggle of the kid creates more than enough friction in the mind of an audience. Kid has not got any kind of shelter. He has nothing to eat. At same time to produce the comparison Chetan Anand shows other children enjoying a protected life inside their houses where their parents are feeding them or playing with them.
Characterization aspect is good in Aakhri khat . Rajesh Khanna is quite vulnerable. One passes through both kinds of emotions seeing his character. One feels angry on him and one feels sympathy on his helpless conditionsChetan Anandvery well anticipated this kind of reactions towards Rajesh Khanna’s character and Inspector says,”Is aadmi par gussa bhee aata hai aur is par taras bhee aata hai.”
Nothing heroic is present in the film. Rajesh Khanna, father of the kid, has never seen the kid. He knows that his wife and kid are in Bombay. He gets to know that his wife has been died and now his little kid is lost somewhere on the roads of Bombay. He does not even own the photo of the kid. He did not even have photo of his wife and that is why before he and police could find her she dies. A difficult task is there before him and police. They have to search for a child whose photo is not available with them.
Chetan Anand had this special talent to make a perfect kind of blend of realistic approach and romanticism.
Father and police force both are failed in searching the kid and he himself reaches to the home of his father where he identifies the statue of his mother.
His clinging to the statue of his mother represents the sculpture “Mother and Child” of Henry Moore .
Rajesh Khanna’s moving performance in this climax scene in his debut film (released) clearly shows why he became such a rage in the late 60s and early 70s.
He is crying and still enjoying the actions of the little kid and same happens with the audience throughout the film.
Film makes a person more sensitive toward the little children.
Cinematography and sound, two technical departments have shown the excellent performances in the film.
This is Chetan Anand’s remarkable cinematic attempt.
Aakhri khat is one among those films which have brought laurels and a sense of pride to the hindi cinema.
Tags: Aakhri Khat, Ayenah, Chetan Anand, Henry Moore, Indrani Mukherjee, Jaal Mistry, jafar panahi, khayyam, Master Bunty Behl, Mother and Child, Oscar awards, Rajesh Khanna, The Mirror
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I heard a lot about Aakhiri Khat but still not been able to watch it !!
Yeah same here. Never got a chance. Dont think any channel ever aired it. Not even DD.
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Its only after becoming a father that I started thinking about kid stories. A comical film can be designed wherein a hard nosed serious businessman.. the never laughing kind (who makes life hell for his employees) is left suddenly with his grandchild just for a day. He could go through frustrations initially but later goes through emotions, starts laughing and playing and it starts showing in his outlook and relationships in his company as well.
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I had cringed, when Sajid Khan’s movie Hey baby, just didnt capitalize on the cuteness of the baby. The movie never showed why the baby is cute. Not a single playful thing was shown.
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Thanx for the reco Rk. Kabhi DVD store me dikh gaya, toh utha lenge. This Chetan Anand fella.. he’s the same one on whom “Chalte Chalte” was picturised?
Perhaps it was shown on DD. I think I’ve seen it but I’m not sure about it.
It was shown in ATN channel.(anyone remembers???).
@ Vinay-
“Chalte Chalte” was picturised on Vishal Anand.I’m not too sure but I think he’s the son of Chetan Anand because I remember reading somewhere that he’s the nephew of Dev Anand.
Chetan Anand was elder Brother of Dev Anand. Neecha Nagar, Taxi Driver, Haqeeqat, Aakhri Khat, Heer Ranjha, Hanste Zakhm, Hindustan ki Kasam, Kudrat etc were directed by him. and a very popular TV serial Param Veer Chakra (shown on DD) was also directed by Chetan Anand.
Oooh Param Veer Chakra was one serial, which I looked forward to every week. Distinctly remember Naseeruddin Shah improving a jeep to make it a tank, and “vegetarian” Puneet Issar’s episode.
It was based on real war-heroes.
Naseer Played Havildar Abdul Hamid. And puneet Issar either Naik Jadunath Singh or Havildar Piru Singh.
First of its kind, serial was a big hit among people. Because of this serial normal people got to know more about brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the battle for the sake of nation. Before this serial Major Som Nath Sharma, Lt. Arun Khetrapal, Major Hoshiyar Singh and 12 more martyrs were just 15 names for Indian civilians. These names were used in quizes or NCC cadets appearing for C certificate were supposed to remember their names. First timne we got to know that they too were human being like all of us, they too had families.
And serial was nicely made. well researched by Chetan Anand.
Dont have any idea about its availability on DVD. But DD used to show it in 80s and it was available on VCD also. I have seen its VCD available at few CD/DVD stores of Delhi. Try and you will get it.
Great!!
Only PFC is the place where we can find discussion on such a hidden gem!!
I watched this movie in my childhood in ATN channel(anyone remembers!!).
The movie is so beautifully engaging!
Hats off to Chetan Anand.
Thanks RK for posting abt it. I remembered the movie but had forgotten the name.
Thanks!!
Remember ATN. If I am not wrong, it was started by Amitabh and Ajitabh Bachchan in early 90s and later Gulshan Kumar’s T Series bought it from them.
I was searching for DVD on net after coming through this post. I found another good-write up on it.
http://memsaabstory.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/aakhri-khat-1966/
Memsaab – name is good. It reminds me of two films.
- Asrani’s Salaam Memsaab and
- Muqaddar ka Sikandar of Prakash Mehra and Amitabh’s Sharabi act with Raam Shetti in it.
Memsaaaaaaab na tum aatee ho …. something something
Johrabai tum kitna achcha gaatee ho…
Liked most of Chetan Anand’s movies, have not seen this one though, only know it as Rajesh Khanna’s debut movie. Haqeeqat was a really good war movie made, even Heer Ranjha was nice, though i could never understand his obsession with Priya Rajvansh( not a great actress IMO).
He loved her and for the sake of that love he took her in his every film after Haqeeqat. Their intellectual and personal tuning could be very good in real life. She was not suitable for acting business, atleast in films. He himself was an average kind of actor like Vijay Anand. Both the brothers were very good directors but average actors. They both gave their best films with Dev Anand, specially VA shined more with Dev Saab. Anand Brothers team combination was absolutely a killer.
Akhri Khat is a black & white movie made in 1966.
Super Star Rajesh Khanna is a student who loves a girl of a village – Indrani Mukherjee. He comes to the city and has to leave for his education. The girl meanwhile gets pregnant and gives birth to a little boy. Carrying her one year son she comes to Mumbai to meet Super Star Rajesh Khanna. She dies leaving her son alone.
Super Star Rajesh Khanna comes know all through a letter, realizes his mistakes and takes help of police to find his wife and son. He breaks down when he find his wife’s body. His resolve to search for his son gets more strong. The whole story follows the child how he survives in such a big city- how he drinks milk from the milk bottles left on people’s doorsteps by the milk man, avoids accidents etc.. The camera follows him everywhere. The climax is really moving. The baby boy is cute.
The story is new and moving. The music is fine. The acting is first rate. Direction by Chetan Anand is astounding. Super Star Rajesh performs very well looks lean and young. It is a great and completely different movie.
You and 1957, any connection? I’m a fan of that particular year.
1957 was a remarkable year as far as Hindi cinema is concerned.
Pyasa, Paying Guest, Naya Daur, Mother India, Nau Do Gyarah (Vijay Anand Emerged on the surface of Hindi cinema), Musafir (Hrishikesh Mukherjee got to direct his first film), Tum sa nahin dekha (Shammi Kapoor got his first hit) Ab Dilli door nahin and many more good films were released that year. and Superb music in the films of that year.
Yup and so many classics in world cinema as well. Like 12 Angry Men, Paths of Glory, Bergman’s Wild Strawberries and Seventh Seal, Bridge on the River Kwai, Night of Caribia, Throne of Blood etc. Yet to watch many of these movies.
Yes surely.
If second last film in your list is “Nights of Cabiria” of Fellini , then have not seen it. In last 8-9 years two times have missed its special screening. It is on the DVD list.
Rest are wonderful films. I saw 12 Angry Men in the winters of 2007 only. After many years of watching Ek Ruka Hua Faisla.
Yes it is Fellini’s Night of Caribia. Have to watch it.
It was the year of classics.
Some more memorable flicks of 1957, An Affair to Remember( Cary Grant), Do Aankhen Barah Haath, Gunfight at the Ok Corral, Mother India, Ingrid Bergman’s 7th Seal.
I mean Ingmar Bergman’s 7th Seal.
Already mentioned, do aankhen barah haath, mother india and 7th seal