Extremely realistic and touching romantic drama with Rekha at the head. After as many as 6 consecutive heavy emotional films that I watched these days (somehow it so happened that all the films on the list for viewing each other turned out to be incredibly heavy, and plus the movie I still adore "Five Nights" , which is also quite difficult to watch), I wanted something easier and calmer. And so successfully stood in line for this film. A film for the soul, my favorite period in Indian cinema - 80s. With a stunningly chic Rekha in the title role.
"Another Connection" - one of the most daring, and unexpected films of its time. Vinod Pande, perhaps the most underrated director of commercial Hindi cinema of the 1980s. It was a sad decade for the Hindi film industry, where films hardly reflected the social state of the time, which began to gain popularity due to the lack of significant commercial films, but could not attract too much interest because the masses of people preferred entertaining films.
Among those directors who were able to combine art, storytelling, and glamour, was Pandé, whose projects can rightly be called a real middle cinema. This film touches on a range of themes that were never addressed in mainstream Hindi films of an earlier period, including fear of commitment among urban youth, the search for independence and opportunity in big cities, which are burdened with promiscuity, sometimes under the guise of art and culture, corruption and abuse of women, and loneliness. And all these themes in this beautiful romantic drama are solved so realistically, with great care and a pleasant shade of humor.
The film tells the story of Rajiva, a young rich man who likes to have affairs with women, but refuses to marry, despite his father’s numerous attempts to convince him. However, after the death of his father, the will states that Rajiv can inherit the fortune only if he becomes the father of his own biological child within 18 months. Devastated at first, Rajiv soon comes up with a plan to find a woman who would agree to give him a child for money without marrying her.
On the other side of the country, a young woman from a village named Artie leaves her home to try to become a big artist in Bombay. But after cheating on her manager, her life went awry. When Artie is trying to improve her life and is looking for a secretary's job, she is in the field of view. At first, she is repelled by his indecent offer to become the mother of his child for money. But a letter from her mother about their poor financial situation makes her reluctant to accept his offer. It is here that the story takes its long-awaited turn and gradually takes the form of a charming novel.
"Another Connection" is really a very original and interesting story. The director gives the film a kind of everyday realism through characters, dialogue, setting and overall action. The storytelling style is touching, calm and serene and very different from what is usually seen in mainstream Hindi films, and the overall feel is authentic. In the film, even the most difficult, dramatic episodes are handled with restraint and delicacy. It’s when Artie finally accepts the offer that the story turns into a romantic love story, and that’s a really nice twist.
Watching Rekha sitting brooding in a bar, with a cigarette in her hand, her glass resting on the counter, her hair falling on her face is an unforgettable sight. This part of the story is simply brilliant. Rekha has never been as attractive and sensual as in this film. It is a role that shows her character as a true actress with the deepest understanding of the female soul. Rekha is delightful here: a capricious, contradictory, confused woman, deceived by a man, but never completely surrendered, a woman driven to fall, disgusted by the customs of the big city, but bearing true responsibility for her family and always agreeing with her values, even if she had to act contrary to them due to circumstances. Incredibly convincing throughout the film, Rekha conveys so much, sometimes only by her presence, which is strong as usual, and sometimes by her expressive eyes, allowing the audience to feel what she is going through and making them treat her with the deepest respect. It was probably one of the most inspiring stages of her career.
Raj Kieran was once a strong character actor, here he is also good in his role, and also young. And despite the unparalleled play of Rekhi, the first half of the film, almost entirely its story. Of course, against the background of such a fatal beauty, he is a little pale, purely from the outside position, and they did not look very good together. But he did his part, very well. Om Shivpuri is brilliant in a brief appearance as his father.
A beautiful film of the past years, with a familiar story: a spoiled rich prince with incomprehensible quirks, poor Cinderella, and a bunch of greedy relatives-vultures of the prince, who are only waiting to snatch their piece of cake, from the state. A rare film that is very interesting and at the same time very underrated. This is the pearl of Indian cinema of the 80s of the 20th century. I advise you to see, although it is old, but not worse than many modern ones, with chic acting, magnificent (my favorite) Soviet dubbing, and stunning landscapes of India.
10 out of 10