Satyakam
Encyclopedia
Satyakam is a 1969 Indian Hindi film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
, based on a Bengali novel by the same name by Narayan Sanyal
.. The film stars Dharmendra
, Sharmila Tagore
, Sanjeev Kumar
, and Ashok Kumar
. The music for this film is given by Laxmikant Pyarelal
.
After the success of Anupama
(1966), Hrishikesh Mukherjee got together the same team of actors: Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, David; dialogue writer: Rajinder Singh Bedi; lyricist: Kafi Azmi and cameraman: Jaywant Pathare.
This is considered to be Dharmendra's finest acting performance of his career. In addition its director Hrishikesh Mukherjee
names this film as his favourite film. This speaks volumes of the film considering that the renowned director has made several memorable movies like Anand, Bawarchi
, Abhimaan
, Chupke Chupke
and Khoobsurat.
It won 1971
Filmfare Best Dialogue Award
for Rajinder Singh Bedi. The movie also won National Film Award For Best Feature Film in Hindi.
), are more enthusiastic, and for them India’s forthcoming independence is not a run of the mill event: it is a watershed, an epistemological rupture
, a paradigm shift
. It would be a triumph of sympathetic-rationalism that will sway India’s populace – from rags to riches. His conviction is guided by his grandfather's world views, whose thought-pattern has reached its non-realistic pinnacle due to the constant and isolationist pursuit of truth – informed by prevailing rigid customs and rituals – in a Gurukul.
Armed with an engineering degree, Satyapriya ventures out to build HIS new India. On the way, he mostly encounters characters who hold diametrically opposite ideals and life styles. During his first assignment he meets Ranjana (Sharmila Tagore
) who is about to be sexually exploited by a debouched Prince, the employer of Satyapriya. Despite the obvious awareness that Ranjana loves him, Satyapriya hesitates in rescuing her, letting her become prey of the morally corrupt Prince. The incident shakes the moral foundation of Satyapriya who has betrayed his conscience, feelings and ethical demeanor. To redress the mounting guilt he marries Ranjana, but their lives are never same again.
Later Satyapriya takes up a number of jobs, but due to his convictions he can not settle at one place. A chain of intra/inter struggles goes on within/between Satyapriya and Ranjana. Ranjana tries to lead a normal life and longs to forget her past. Satyapriya is constantly reminded of his mistake (dishonesty of feelings) and tries to rectify it through his unflinching uncompromising stance; rather he appears to derive energy from his guilt. In his post-mistake life, he ruthlessly follows a rationalist obsession to eliminate the difference between a fallible human being and infallible God, which drives him more and more into egocentric dispositions at the expense of everybody around him, including Satyapriya himself (as a person).
In the later part of the film, it appears more and more that it is not the truth-pursuit that has taken Satyapriya as hostage but vice versa. He becomes the protagonist of absolutist entrapment of truth. All types of relativism are mercilessly excluded; no thought is given to the service of truth for long term goals. In the end, Satyapriya, as often happens in such conditions, breaks down. He sacrifices himself for the contradictory ideals of his grandfather, who believes in worldly rituals and inequalities supported by mortal scriptures to achieve cosmological goals. Unfortunately, only his death exposes the dogmatic and paradoxical conceptual foundations of his grandfather's ideals.
This plot was based on a Bengali novel of the same title, written by a renowned writer Narayan Sanyal.
This film was made in 1969. By this time, disillusionment with post-independence expectations had begun to take root. Unemployment, continual poverty and rampant corruption were severely undermining institutions all around. In a way, the film underlines a gradual disappearance of the followers of absolutism
– whether in terms of truth, non-realist convictions or practices of all kinds of discriminations.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Hrishikesh Mukherjee ) was a famous Indian film director known for a number of films, including Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, and Namak Haraam.Popularly known as Hrishi-da, he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades,...
, based on a Bengali novel by the same name by Narayan Sanyal
Narayan Sanyal
Narayan Sanyal was a well-known & versatile writer of modern Bengali literature as well as a civil engineer.-Biography:Narayan Sanyal was born to Chittasukh Sanyal and Basantalata Devi...
.. The film stars Dharmendra
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Singh Deol |Punjab]]), better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime...
, Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress. She has won National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances.She has led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011...
, Sanjeev Kumar
Sanjeev Kumar (actor)
Sanjeev Kumar was one of the most prominent Indian actors in Bollywood.-Personal life and background:Sanjeev Kumar was born as Jariwala in Gujarat to a Gujarati family. His first home was in Surat and family based in Mumbai. A stint in the film school took him to Bollywood, where he eventually...
, and Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar
Ashok Kumar also fondly called Dadamoni was an Indian film actor. Born Kumudlal Ganguly in Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency he attained iconic status in Indian cinema...
. The music for this film is given by Laxmikant Pyarelal
Laxmikant Pyarelal
Laxmikant-Pyarelal were a popular Indian composer duo, consisting of Laxmikant Shantaram Kudalkar and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma . They composed music for about 635 Hindi movies from 1963 to 1998, working for almost all notable filmmakers including Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Feroze Khan, B.R...
.
After the success of Anupama
Anupama
"Anupama" is a Sanskrit word meaning "unparalleled", or "uncomparable" . It has a feminine gender and refers to the goddess or Shakti. It is also a given name....
(1966), Hrishikesh Mukherjee got together the same team of actors: Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, David; dialogue writer: Rajinder Singh Bedi; lyricist: Kafi Azmi and cameraman: Jaywant Pathare.
This is considered to be Dharmendra's finest acting performance of his career. In addition its director Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Hrishikesh Mukherjee ) was a famous Indian film director known for a number of films, including Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, and Namak Haraam.Popularly known as Hrishi-da, he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades,...
names this film as his favourite film. This speaks volumes of the film considering that the renowned director has made several memorable movies like Anand, Bawarchi
Bawarchi
Bawarchi is a 1972 Indian film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee starring Rajesh Khanna and Jaya Badhuri with Asrani, A.K...
, Abhimaan
Abhimaan
Abhimaan is a 1973 Bollywood film starring Amitabh Bachchan; his real-life wife, Jaya Bachchan; Asrani; and Bindu. It was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.The film is perhaps best remembered for its songs, composed and arranged by the late S. D...
, Chupke Chupke
Chupke Chupke
Chupke Chupke is a 1975 Indian film comedy starring Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Om Prakash, Usha Kiran, David, Asrani and Keshto Mukherjee. The movie, a remake of the Bengali hit 'Chhaddobeshi', was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee with music composed by S.D....
and Khoobsurat.
It won 1971
Filmfare Best Dialogue Award
The Filmfare Best Dialogue Award is given by the Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Here is a list of the award winners since 1958 and the films for which they won.-Superlatives:Most AwardsGulzar - 4...
Filmfare Best Dialogue Award
Filmfare Best Dialogue Award
The Filmfare Best Dialogue Award is given by the Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Here is a list of the award winners since 1958 and the films for which they won.-Superlatives:Most AwardsGulzar - 4...
for Rajinder Singh Bedi. The movie also won National Film Award For Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Plot summary
The story begins in the year 1946, just a year before India’s independence. Optimism, euphoria, goodwill and a genuine anticipation of positive change are filling the emergent nation’s mind and soul. Some, including Satyapriya (DharmendraDharmendra
Dharmendra Singh Deol |Punjab]]), better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime...
), are more enthusiastic, and for them India’s forthcoming independence is not a run of the mill event: it is a watershed, an epistemological rupture
Epistemological rupture
The notion of epistemological rupture was introduced by Gaston Bachelard. He proposed that the history of science is replete with "epistemological obstacles"--or unthought/unconscious structures that were immanent within the realm of the sciences, such as principles of division...
, a paradigm shift
Paradigm shift
A Paradigm shift is, according to Thomas Kuhn in his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions , a change in the basic assumptions, or paradigms, within the ruling theory of science...
. It would be a triumph of sympathetic-rationalism that will sway India’s populace – from rags to riches. His conviction is guided by his grandfather's world views, whose thought-pattern has reached its non-realistic pinnacle due to the constant and isolationist pursuit of truth – informed by prevailing rigid customs and rituals – in a Gurukul.
Armed with an engineering degree, Satyapriya ventures out to build HIS new India. On the way, he mostly encounters characters who hold diametrically opposite ideals and life styles. During his first assignment he meets Ranjana (Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore
Sharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress. She has won National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances.She has led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011...
) who is about to be sexually exploited by a debouched Prince, the employer of Satyapriya. Despite the obvious awareness that Ranjana loves him, Satyapriya hesitates in rescuing her, letting her become prey of the morally corrupt Prince. The incident shakes the moral foundation of Satyapriya who has betrayed his conscience, feelings and ethical demeanor. To redress the mounting guilt he marries Ranjana, but their lives are never same again.
Later Satyapriya takes up a number of jobs, but due to his convictions he can not settle at one place. A chain of intra/inter struggles goes on within/between Satyapriya and Ranjana. Ranjana tries to lead a normal life and longs to forget her past. Satyapriya is constantly reminded of his mistake (dishonesty of feelings) and tries to rectify it through his unflinching uncompromising stance; rather he appears to derive energy from his guilt. In his post-mistake life, he ruthlessly follows a rationalist obsession to eliminate the difference between a fallible human being and infallible God, which drives him more and more into egocentric dispositions at the expense of everybody around him, including Satyapriya himself (as a person).
In the later part of the film, it appears more and more that it is not the truth-pursuit that has taken Satyapriya as hostage but vice versa. He becomes the protagonist of absolutist entrapment of truth. All types of relativism are mercilessly excluded; no thought is given to the service of truth for long term goals. In the end, Satyapriya, as often happens in such conditions, breaks down. He sacrifices himself for the contradictory ideals of his grandfather, who believes in worldly rituals and inequalities supported by mortal scriptures to achieve cosmological goals. Unfortunately, only his death exposes the dogmatic and paradoxical conceptual foundations of his grandfather's ideals.
This plot was based on a Bengali novel of the same title, written by a renowned writer Narayan Sanyal.
This film was made in 1969. By this time, disillusionment with post-independence expectations had begun to take root. Unemployment, continual poverty and rampant corruption were severely undermining institutions all around. In a way, the film underlines a gradual disappearance of the followers of absolutism
Absolutism
The term Absolutism may refer to:* Absolute idealism, an ontologically monistic philosophy attributed to G.W.F. Hegel. It is Hegel's account of how being is ultimately comprehensible as an all-inclusive whole...
– whether in terms of truth, non-realist convictions or practices of all kinds of discriminations.
Cast
- DharmendraDharmendraDharmendra Singh Deol |Punjab]]), better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime...
as Satyapriya 'Sath' Acharya - Ashok KumarAshok KumarAshok Kumar also fondly called Dadamoni was an Indian film actor. Born Kumudlal Ganguly in Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency he attained iconic status in Indian cinema...
as Satyasharan 'Dadji' Acharya - Sharmila TagoreSharmila TagoreSharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress. She has won National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances.She has led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011...
as Ranjana - Sanjeev Kumar as Narendra 'Naren' Sharma
- David as Rustom
- SarikaSarikaSarika was born on 3 June 1962 into a Maharashtrian family in New Delhi, India, and became an acclaimed National Award winning Indian actress.-Career:...
as Kabul S. Archarya (credited as Baby Sarika) - AsraniAsraniGovardhan Asrani , popularly known simply as Asrani, is an actor in Indian films whose Bollywood career has spanned over 35 years. His wife Manju Bansal is an actress.-Early life:...
as Peter - Dina Patak as Harbhajan's mother
- Manmohan as Kunver Vikram Singh
Songs
Music - Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Lyrics - Kaifi Azmi- Abhi kya sunoge - Lata Mangeshkar
- Do din ki zindagi - Lata Mangeshkar
- Zindagi hai kya bolo - Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor
External links
- Film summary from "Hrishikesh Mukherjee's best films" rediff.com, 28 August 2006. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
- Dharmendra's career best role