Hatey Bazarey [DVD]

This black and white classic was awarded the Natoinal
Prize for Best Film in 1967. It also won 2 International Awards. Hatey Bazarey
is the story of Dr. Anadi Mukherjee, Ashok Kumar, a highly respected civil
surgeon in a small tribal district headquarters. He is the beloved of the
local people, among whom we have Chhipli, Vyjayanthimala, her young brother
Shibu/Faltu, Jagadamba, Kumli-didi, Naani, Ajablal, Ali his driver, Amal,
Nutubabu and a host of others. He is so much taken up with them that he
inevitably comes in conflict with the likes of Laxman Lal, Ajitesh
Bandyopadhyay, a tyrannical son of a very dominant local aristocrat. Laxman
Lal lusts after Chhipli, a widow and a happy go lucky tribal girl, who seeks
shelter with Dr. Mukherjee. As Dr. Mukherjee retires and starts treating the
poor he becomes even more entwined with their lives and their little problems.
To the tribals he is a god-like figure, but the likes of Laxman Lal become
less restrained, as Dr. Mukherjee no longer represents officialdom.
Ultimately. Laxman Lal tricks Chhipli and tries to rape her. Dr. Mukherjee
intervenes and strangles Laxman Lal, but is mortally wounded himself. Review
This is one of the rare Bengali Film by Ashoke Kumar and Vyhayanthimala. The
story is based on a novel by Banaphool and very well presented by Tapan Sinha.
We have superb rabindrasangeet Ogo Nadi Apan Bege in this movie by Hemanta
Mukherjee. We even have a song by Vyjayanthimala herself! A great and classic
movie to watch again and again. --
bazarey-1967-ashoke-kumar-vyjayanthimala-bangla-movie/ The first thing that
comes to mind in Hatey Bazarey is the superb acting by the two main
protagonists Ashok Kumar as Dr. Mukherjee and Ajitesh Bandyopadhyay as Laxman
Lal. Both are one dimensional characters. Dr. Mukherjee is all good and Laxman
Lal is all bad, yet such is the power of the acting that both characters
become believable and human. 40 years after it was first screened, I still can
empathise with Dr. Mukherjee and hate Laxman Lal. Equally charming as a blithe
spirit is Vyjayanthimala as Chhipli. These three carry the film. All other
characters are there to add to the flavour and do that perfectly, but it is
these three that you remember. Tapan Sinha has always been a master
storyteller and in Hatey Bazarey, he excels himself. This is a film in which
you realise the importance of screenplay and restraint in direction. It is one
of the most brilliant screenplays I have seen in Bengali films. Since the
story revolves around the conflict of good and evil, there was ample scope for
drama, yet with brilliant restraint, Sinha makes every scene count, and never
allows himself the luxury of exaggeration. Take for example the initial scene
which depicts a rape, involving Laxman Lal. There is no violence. Instead with
a combination of deft camera angles, light and shade and a strikingly low key
soundtrack, Sinha depicts the terror of the young girl running for her life
and the horror of the scene so compellingly that it sets the mood for the rest
of the film. This film is a superb example of Tapan Sinha's mastery over the
technical aspects of filmmaking. Music direction is outstanding. I have always
loved Tapan Sinha's use of Rabindrasangeet and this film does not disappoint.
Equally delightful is the tune to which Vyjayanthimala lends her voice - I had
forgotten how well she could sing - and the song accompanying the tribal
dance. Editing by Subodh Ray is excellent as is the cinematography by the
legendary Dinen Gupta. Hatey Bazarey is not a complex psychological film. It
is rather uni-dimensional. The good is godlike and the evil satanic and the
two meet only in conflict. Instead it is a story that is beautifully told. A
tale that will bring a lump to your throat even today, when the world has
undergone a complete change...
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