ZARA SI ZINDAGI (1983)

Seventies was an era when unemployment crisis was so palpable and corruption and favors of politicians ruled in job interviews. All those hopeless lost generation of jobless educated youth took solace as socialist rebel. They just smoke, do whatever is available and kill their time.

Written & Directed by K Balachander, the film portrays the life three jobless bachelors living strugglers’ life in Delhi's rented apatment. The film is woven with satirical humor and captures delicately the everyday reality of unemployed educated youth of that era. Some of the dialogues penned by none other than Gulzar are really so ironic and striking one to the scenes depicting reality. For example every time a man tries to post his application/postal order into the postbox, he heard sarcastic laughter sound inside the postbox. In another scene all three guys were sitting on road pavement with hunger in stomach and struggling for money and above them we see the huge signboard saying ‘Have you paid your Income Tax?’ Wow what a contrast!!! These are just few examples, there are many such brilliant sarcasm running throughout the film. Watch fake lunch scene full of overacting.

Where most of the Directors often highlighted or emphasized either the melodrama or light comedy while dealing with such a subject, K Balachander had kept the spirit of both of them alive in right proportions and that’s make the film a fine sensible and sensitive watch. Perhaps he would have made some more such films in Hindi!!!

Kamal Hasan has done a few films in Hindi and this one is hardly remembered by anyone but as a jobless struggler poet and hater of hypocrisy, he once again gave his well nuanced performance here. Perhaps a few people of today’s generation know about Marathi actor Nilu Phule who almost did the negative roles of street gambler, drunkard inhis career. Watch him here as for nothing scornful father and I bet that any other actor could do justice to it. Actress Anita Raj ruled in 80’s B grade revenge flicks of Dharmendra- Mithunda but here she too seems so natural and balanced. The only unfortunate parts of the film are its last half an hour which is quite stereotype and dragging one and the other is music. LP failed to score the magic of memorable melodies they composed in Balachander-Kamal’s blockbuster hit ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’.

Recommended to all sensible cinelovers.

Ratings- 8/10

PS- Those who like to watch it can get the original vcd available in moser baer @ just 30 bucks!!!