Anand
1971 · Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Original language: Hindi
- drama
The story
Dr. Bhaskar Bannerjee struggles with his patients' suffering and the darkness and poverty he confronts daily. He treats cancer patient Anand who upon learning of his impending death determines to use the time he has left to the absolute fullest.
What it’s like
Warm, bright and tender, with a hospital drama that keeps finding room for sunlight: Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 1971 film moves between sterile Bombay wards, crowded streets and open beaches shot in clear daylight, with the camera often settling on faces in close, unhurried medium shots. Its palette is soft and lived-in, cream walls and saris in bright colour, and the mood shifts easily from quiet melancholy to exuberant joy, carried by a lilting Hindi film score of songs and a voice-on-tape device that gives the story its intimate, confessional texture. The pacing is loose and episodic, happy to linger on small domestic moments and playful exchanges. Terminal illness is the premise, handled with warmth rather than dread: there is grief and some tearful scenes, but no graphic medical detail, no gore and no violence. It suits a rainy afternoon, a comfort rewatch or a sit-down with someone who wants something moving but gentle. It is for viewers who enjoy sentimental, humane character studies about a lonely doctor slowly learning to live more fully alongside a man who has decided to.
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