It is officially my birthday and what could be better to start it than honoring the legacy of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, among my most favorite film makers.
It was back in November 2025, that Priyanka Mukherjee Rajpal (Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s granddaughter) messaged me that she had secured the screening permission for a restored print of Anupama, and was looking at theaters to do the screening. It was to mark Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 20th death anniversary.
My relationship with the Mukherjee family began in 2007, a few months after Hrishi da had passed away and his daughter in law Swati Mukherjee happened to read an interview I had done with actor par excellence Farooque Shaikh. She said her father-in-law would have been so happy had he read the interview because he had felt that the world had forgotten him in the last few years of his life.
It led to my deciding to do a webcast on Hrishi da. What was to be a one Podcast/webcast, became a multi-episode series. It is still among my most accessed series on my website to date. I told Swati ji, that no one had forgotten Hrishikesh Mukherjee and that his stories remain timeless and universal to this day. I was right.
Because when I decided to go ahead with the series, everyone – be it Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Farooque himself, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lata Mangeshkar. Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Subhash Ghai, Rakesh Roshan, Sachin Bhowmick, Amol Palekar, Deepti Naval, to name a few, all of them – were so kind and appreciative of Hrishi da and made time to have a conversation with me.
The music of his films was the first thing that drew me to him and his work as a child. And every one always started with talking about the music of Anuradha and then Anupama, Abhimaan, Anand. The list is endless.
I had not seen Anupama on the big screen, so it was a rare treat to sit in the Culver Theater and watch it with Ajit Acharya and people of all ages from different walks of life. It was so moving to see first hand the emotional, deeply appreciative response through the applause, the tears and questions that followed.
The story was based on a real life incident in Hrishi da’s family. It was about a complicated relationship between a father who loses his beloved wife to childbirth and his trauma and grief directed at the baby girl who he blames for his wife’s death. In many families, a death does not always define dysfunctional relationships, and the film resonated with many people in the audience. There were some I knew personally who shared about the difficult relationship they had, had with their own fathers growing up.
Anupama gave some of the greatest actors of Indian cinema roles they would not have been given because they had all been victims of stereotyping.
Dharamendra, who I have always felt was one of the most underrated actors of our time because people were so dazzled by his mesmerizing good looks, would not be given roles that tested his amazing acting talent. I believe even Hrishi da’s own father who was far removed from films once met Dharamendra and said, “Oh so you are the guy who everyone refers to as ‘Garam Dharam‘ (Hottie Dharam!)” making Dharamendra blushingly acknowledge the compliment. Having met Dharamendra I can vouch for his good looks but also that he was what Hrishi da’s saw in him, and what many didn’t… an authentic, empathetic, genuinely kind and emotionally vulnerable, heart chakra-oriented gentleman. And a brilliant performer.
That authenticity and empathy is what makes his role as Ashok (an honest, ethical poet, who nurtures Anupama from afar with patience and kindness) so credible.
Ashok gives her quiet support, but indicates the freedom to break the walls of guilt and shame that have suffocated her so far, has to happen by discovering her own inner strength. There is no rescuing of “the damsel in distress” which would have been much more in character with Dharmendra’s “He-Man” image. But Hrishi da relieved him of that burden not once but several times, be it Guddi, Satyakam, Anupama and Chupke Chupke, by giving him roles that broke the stereotype.
I was noticing as I sat watching the film that I had seen literally four days before flying to Los Angeles, for the 10th time that even when the camera was panning on other characters, whenever Dharmendra was in the frame, an entire gamut of emotions was running across his face responding to the conversations happening around him with quiet sensitivity and empathy. And he always gave Hrishida credit for bringing out the best in him.
While the film’s main lead was Sharmila Tagore, Shashikala who was known more for playing vamps was given the role of a lifetime. She played Annie, a positive, youthful, bubbly, girl who like Sharmila’s character Uma, had lost her mother in childbirth but whose father unlike Uma’s father, did not hold it against her and pampered her. The contrast between a repressed Uma and an outgoing Annie brought out the best performances from both and perhaps played a very significant part in finally giving Shashikala the respect she deserved as a very fine artist who was capable of doing so much more than being just a vamp.
Sharmila Tagore (in an interview she did with me) said the song Kuch Dil Ne Kaha remains an iconic song in her eyes. Lata ji (Lata Mangeshkar) also told me, it was also among her favorite songs. Sharmila ji told me that they had to wake up at 4 am and be ready by 5 am to shoot that song and even Dharmendra who was a late riser showed up on time, such was the hold Hrishi da had on all the actors. He was very strict on sets. But very respected at the same time. Sharmila ji also said that she wanted to do her hair up in a bouffant hairstyle that was very popular and refused to give in to Hrishi da who tried to convince her that it was not needed. She was beautiful as she was, he said, and she had to remember she was an orphan and a bouffant was not necessary for someone who had to just emote with her eyes and depict simplicity. Sharmila ji would not budge but laughingly admitted she regretted that decision later. Well, I think she looked stunning either way.
Tarun Bose who played the troubled father who could only show affection to his daughter when he was drunk, gave an incredible performance. A man torn by despair and a longing that indicated he wished things were different. The ending of the film where Anupama finds her wings through discovering her own inner strength and leaves with Ashok, while he hides behind a pillar watching her leave with both pain and pride is often considered one of the most powerful, iconic endings for a film.
I believe Hrishi da took Tarun Bose to a small railway station near Kajrat to help create that deep emotional response to the parting between the father and his daughter.
The family shared some personal stories in the post screening session. Swati ji mentioned that when she was in the 7th grade, she had gone to Kashmir with her parents and Sharmila Tagore was shooting there. When Swati approached her for an autograph, Sharmila ji declined and said that if she gave her an autograph she would have to do it for everyone else and it wasn’t possible. Swati went away disappointed. Cut to many years later. Swati was summoned by her father in law only to find Sharmila Tagore seated there. “Isn’t she the woman who didn’t to give you the autograph?” said Hrishi da mischievously, embarrassing both the ladies. Swati said Sharmila was really sweet, apologized and they had a great conversation..
There was more laughter when Swati Ji said exactly what she had been coached not to say, “Oh, Dharmendra! I met many times but more closely when he was making a film with my brother in law called lathi. He was SOOOO handsome! Well people in my generation thought so!” I think people in every generation thought so!
Priyanka’s husband Nik pointed out that Hrishi da’s films were based on real life experiences and sometimes those stories were brought home in more ways than one. He then turned to Priyanka and said “ Why don’t you tell everyone how Putti baba (Priyanka’s nickname for Hrishi da) “Guddi-ed” you!” Guddi (for those of you who haven’t seen the film) is about a young girl who is dazzled by the glitz of the film word and has the biggest crush on a famous actor. The star was played by – who else, and rightfully so – the “Garam Dharam” himself. She finds out soon enough that the world is as unreal as the glitz associated with it. Priyanka was trying to be diplomatic when she said she had a crush on a famous actor she won’t name… only to have Swati ji let the cat out of the bag by mentioning famous superstar Aamir Khan!
Priyanka kept wanting to meet Aamir Khan and finally Hrishi da called him home so she could meet him. An unusual phenomenon to begin with since Hrishida kept his family away from the world of films. Immediately after the meeting where Priyanka said a seemingly frightened Aamir Khan, came, met her and fled, Hrishi da made her sit down and watch Guddi. “See it worked,“ said her mom “because you married Nik, a year later!!.”
Mohan Subramaniam, a close friend of the Mukherjees for many years pointed out that in the 60s and 70s music was used to promote films, and an intrinsic part of the story telling. The songs were released way in advance and good music ensured a hit film. Hrishi da used the songs brilliantly not only to reveal the characters and their essence but also to tell their stories through the lyrics. He also used the right singers. So for the bubbly Annie, he used Asha Bhosle’s voice to bring out the liveliness and effervescence of her character. For Sharmila’s ethereal, quiet, introverted presence he used Lata Mangeshkar and for Dharamendra’s deep, underrated, persona, he used Hemant Kumar’s rich, resonant baritone. Kaifi Azmi’s multi-layered genius revealed in his lyrics told a huge part of the story. Hrishi da never wasted anything in his films, be it the producers’ money or elements to enhance his stories.
To an excited audience member whose name was Uma, she pointed out that she never hears the name Uma in many films but was thrilled that Hrishi da used it in 3 of his films. Swati ji revealed that it was because the name of Hrishi da’s mother was Uma! Well I think every Uma will be thrilled to have the handsome Dharmendra call out their name.
It took several months of running around by Priyanka and Nik Rajpal (and her parents supported her every step of the way) for the red carpet and screening of Anupama to happen.
I was in constant touch with Priyanka, and know first hand of the herculean effort it required.
Nik said great credit needed to be given to both Shemaroo for the fabulous job they did on restoring the black and white print, and how well they followed up and were there to help no matter what time they were called. The quest for finding a theater was not easy either. No one wanted to screen an Indian film until the Culver Theater stepped in with their support.
People stayed on till the end. Many, including Ajit had not seen Anupama before and everyone loved the film. Priyanka had said to me some time back that she wondered if people would be able to relate to a black and white film made in 1966.
I know it was gratifying to see how many people were moved and were crying as the film reached its climax. Priyanka said that her grandfather told her he was the proudest of making Anupama among all his films.
Not just the Mukherjee family, but it is my fervent hope that we continue to be inspired by Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, to learn the key life lessons he shared though his films. And that was that no matter how tough life may be, there must always be humor and always be hope. That everyone has shades of gray within them. And that we can always focus on the good, try and understand, and not just blindly judge others.
I do miss Ashutosh Kumar Banerji a lot. He was a walking treasure trove of stories we would have all loved. We lost him too soon.
And as Priyanka and Nik said (and I too hope) that film makers who love the kind of films Hrishikesh Mukherjee made, will be inspired to make films with rich melodies, and universal themes that will be remembered decades down the road .
And I hope I can continue to share and reshare many more stories that made Hrishikesh Mukherjee so unforgettable. 