Masoom (1983)

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Director:

Shekhar Kapur

Writer:

Gulzar (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Musical

Tagline:

Can this boy destroy your family?

Plot:

Cpativating story of how a happy family goes through turbulent times because of a BIG mistake by one of the family members.

Plot Keywords:

Infidelity | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Naseeruddin Shah	...	D.K. Malhotra (DK)
Shabana Azmi	...	Indu D. Malhotra
Tanuja	...	Chanda
Jugal Hansraj	...	Rahul D. Malhotra
Aradhana	...	Minni D. Malhotra
Saeed Jaffrey	...	Suri
Urmila Matondkar	...	Pinky D. Malhotra
Supriya Pathak	...	Bhavana
Satish Kaushik
Aziz Qureshi
Pran Talwar
Ram Gopal Bajaj
Anila Singh
A. Kukereja
Malaviya Singh

Also Known As:

Innocent

Runtime:

165 min

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Company:

Krsna Films Unit

Trivia:

Dedicated to the memories of the late Guru Dutt and the late Geeta Dutt.

Quotes:

Rahul: [Rahul has accidentaly smashed his finger with the hammer and has run to Indu for a bandage]
[whimpering]
Rahul: Mummy!
Indu: I AM NOT YOUR MUMMY!

Movie Connections:

Remake of Man, Woman and Child (1983)

Guilt and innocence, love and compassion

Masoom is one of the best Hindi films of the 1980s, a decade known to be disastrously terrible for Hindi films. The directorial debut of the supremely talented Shekhar Kapur, whose work with amazingly distinct film genres during his career has been striking, this one really was a gem. The film is about a happily married couple, DK and Indu. They have two girls, Pinky and Minni, and their life seems to be quite perfect until one day DK informs Indu that he has a little kid from a woman who he had an affair with many years ago and who is no more. He brings the kid named Rahul home, and there starts the struggle. His wife is still shocked to know that she was betrayed and the presence of the kid only worsens the situation. While watching the film, the viewers may certainly feel pity for the little cute boy, who bears the brunt of his father's mistake. He has done nothing wrong, and here we see where the film takes its title from.

Masoom is moving, poignant and exciting. The film is beautifully narrated and is extremely fascinating and alluring. One must note the brilliant portrayal of the urban India of its times. The lifestyle of modern people in the big city is executed with impressive precision. The characters, the dialogues, the situations, are strikingly realistic and simple. The film never goes overboard, it does not have any clichés whatsoever, and it is not overly emotional - it is authentic and real. That's what makes the emotional effect on the viewer even more powerful and the story so easy to relate to. Due credit goes to Kapur's amazing direction and Gulzar's brilliant writing, which are aided by great technical work, fantastic acting and a very memorable soundtrack composed by RD Burman.

Naseeruddin Shah's portrayal of DK, a complex role that has a mixture of guilt feelings, love, regret and responsibility, is outstanding. I cannot see another actor playing DK with the sincerity and sensitivity with which he did. Shabana Azmi is exceptional as Indu. Her role requires both toughness and vulnerability, and Azmi displays such feelings as anger, despair, indifference, remorse and compassion skillfully. The film is also known for having some of the greatest appearances by child actors, and it's easy to see why. Urmila is great as the serious Pinky. One could easily foresee the great actress that she would become while seeing her natural acting here. Aradhana is also adorable as the peppy and bubbly Minny, but it is Jugal Hansraj who makes the greatest impact. It may be because the entire story revolves around him, but he is just one of the cutest kids I've ever seen in a film. He is supposed to be the 'Innocent' this film deals with, and this is perfectly done through his endearingly naive eyes, sweet diction and touching simplicity. You really feel for this boy throughout the film.

All in all, Masoom is a must-watch, and it should provide a treat to anyone who likes good films. The only regret I had is that there wasn't enough of Indu and Rahul's positive interaction. I wish they had extended more into their relationship after the tear-causing "Sorry Aunty", which is the film's best moment (see the film to understand what I mean). Anyway, Masoom is a film that anyone would enjoy watching, and many many times. It is both entertaining, heart-warming and moving. Whoever and wherever you are, if you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend you to do so.