"Anand" is the story of a man dying of cancer, specifically lymphosarcoma of the intestines. Not being of Indian background, and watching the movie without subtitles, I was astonished to hear the only two words I understood in the movie as 'lymphosarcoma intestine'. Though I'm sure I missed a lot of the nuance in the story, it's more than evident that the title character, portrayed by Rajesh Khanna, had a zest for life and imparted that attitude to everyone he came in contact with. While those who get to know him lament and cry over his condition, Anand imparts an attitude that's inspiring and life affirming in the face of his impending mortality. Not only that, but he helps Dr. Bhaskar K. Bannerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) learn about what's important in life as well, helping him to see beyond the day to day drudgery of attending patients who are sick or dying of illness due to poverty. Even with such a serious subject at the center of the story, the film manages to include four singing numbers and an interrupted dance sequence that appears to be a staple of Hindi films, including one performance by the title character himself. In Hindi, the word 'anand' means happiness, and the film stands as a testament to the virtue of maintaining a positive attitude in the face of adversity with a resolve to bring joy to others.
Review of Anand
Anand
(1971)
"Deal with sorrow yourself, but share your joy with others."
26 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers