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The want of a male heir in a family, domestic abuse by a husband, seeking a companion as a single mother – Sai Paranjpye’s ‘Saaz‘ was a story of survival for a women in a patriarchal world. More than 25 years later, the movie is – for good or bad- every bit relevant, showing how little progress has been made.
The story was believed to have drawn inspiration from the lives of two of the most iconic female playback singers of Bollywood, who are also sisters. While professional and sibling rivalry seemed to be the central theme, the story was much more than that.
Nearly every performance by Shabana Azmi in her decades-long acting career has been extraordinary. This movie, goes without saying, had its heart in the right place because of her presence, among other reasons.
“Each time I sing, my focus is the most important person for me in life at that point of time” – the confession by Bansi, played by Shabana, is not just that of an artist but an individual deep in the quagmire of existentialism.
When Bansi’s elder sister Mansi – played by Aruna Irani – gets her married to a stranger from nowhere – “to continue the bloodline”, she tries her best to sustain the marriage, like a lot of woman do. But she refuses to tolerate any damage to her self-respect. “I have not done it even for my parents,” – is her reply when the husband asks her for a foot massage. She walks out of the abusive marriage after having a child – something that women today also struggle to do.
Despite the challenges, she builds a career on her own terms, and raises her child. Even as seeking therapy is still not the preferred option for a lot of people (for whatever apprehensions), Bansi’s cathartic conversations with her psychiatrist – that help in revealing her ordeal – are the most endearing part of the movie.
She finally bounces back after revisiting her past. And not just the two leading ladies, but Ayesha Dharkar, playing Shabana’s daughter, Raghuvir Yadav, the father who wanted a son but got two brilliant singers in his daughters, Parikshit Sahni, the psychiatrist, and Zakir Hussain, the rebel lover, deliver commendable performances as the story unravels their part.
The movie, arguably, had the much-needed female gaze.
