Aaina - 1977

Introduction :
 

Aaina (Hindi: आइना; translation: Mirror) is a 1977 Indian Bollywood film starring Mumtaz in the lead roles and A. K. Hangal, Nirupa Roy, Lalita Pawar, Jayasudha and Madan Puri in support roles. The music is given by Naushad.This film has a special appearance by Rajesh Khanna. The 2007 film, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag has a similar plot to that of Aaina, with Rani Mukerji reprising Mumtaz's role as a prostitute. This was Mumtaz's second last film, preceding Aandhiyan (1990).

The film is directed by director K. Balachander. He had filmed the same story before: the Tamil film Arangetram (1973) with Kamal Hassan, Pramila and Sivakumar. The film is about a Brahmin girl becoming a sex worker to support her mother and siblings. This film was Kamal Haasan's first Hindi film, though he was cast in a very unimportant role of an assistant director of shooting a film of Dharmendra and Neetu Singh.

Summary :

Ram Shashtri, an upper Caste Hindu Brahmin, lives in a small village in India, but has a very large family, consisting of his wife, Savitri, five daughters and three sons. Ram performs prayers and last rites for the Hindu community, and it is through these meagre earnings that the entire household lives on. The eldest is a daughter by name Shalini, silently falls in love with Ashok J. Rao, the son of the Village Mukhiya, Jagannath. As the Raos are of a much lower caste than the Shastris, Ashok is told by his dad that he cannot marry Shalini. One day, after an argument with his dad, he leaves to join the army, and a few weeks later a telegram is received by Jagannath that Ashok is no more. As Ram is unable to get more assignments, Savitri attempts to poison the entire family, but Shalini stops her in time. She gets a job and is able to get the family to get back up on its feet. Her brother, Gautam, wants to be a doctor, so she arranges for his studies, while her sister, Poorna, wants to be a singer, and a music teacher is arranged. Then Shalini leaves her village to travel to Poona to get her brother's admission to Medical College, with considerable success, and from thence on there is no looking back for this family. Shalini gets a raise and an offer for a big pay-raise if she re-locates to the capital, Delhi, which she does. She sends plenty of money so her dad does not have to work, and her siblings can carry on with their respective studies. Then Shalini's sister, Girja, meets a young man, Raju, and both fall in love. Gautam, now a doctor, is in love with the Tehsildar's daughter, Usha, and wants to marry her. Shalini returns home to attend the two marriages. The marriages take place with great pomp and ceremony and everyone compliments Shalini, for without her efforts, the family would have been destitute. But after the weddings, her life will be changed forever, she will lose all respect from her family, she will be treated as an outcast and forced to leave the house.

Star Cast :

• Super Star Rajesh Khanna - Ashok J. Rao
• Mumtaz - Shalini R. Shastri
• A. K. Hangal - Ram Shastri
• Nirupa Roy - Savitri R. Shastri
• Rita Bhaduri - Poorna R. Shastri
• Adil - Dr. Gautam R. Shastri
• Jayasudha - Usha G. Shastri
• Lalitha Pawar - Janki
• Manmohan Krishna - Jagannath Rao
• Jagdishraj - Managing Director
• Polson - Shastri's Client
• Brahmachari - Shastri's Client
• Madan Puri - M. B. Patil
• Jagdeep - Music Instructor
• Suresh Chatwal - Shyam Lal
• Kamal Hassan - Prem Kapoor (cameo role of a few seconds appearance, shown in a shooting of a movie of Dharmendra and Neetu Singh)
• Dharmendra - Himself (shooting of a movie)
• Neetu Singh - Herself (shooting of a movie)

Other Film Crew's :

• Director, Story  and Screenplay - K. Balachander
• Dialogue - Inder Raj Anand
• Producer - L. Duraiswamy  and N. Selvaraj
• Production Company - Kalakendra Films
• Cinematographer - B. S. Lokanath
• Editor - N. R. Kittoo
• Art Director - T. K. Desai
• Costume and Wardrobe - Bhanu Athaiya and P. Samee
• Choreographer - Suresh Bhatt
• Dance - Kamalahasan, Gopi Krishna and Manohar Naidu

Music Sound Track :

• Music Director - Naushad
• Lyricist - Jan Nisar Akhtar
• Playback Singers - Asha Bhosle, Vani Jairam, Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi

S.No.  Song Title    Playback Singer

1. Kahon To Aaj Bol Doon by Lata Mangeshkar
2. Jane Kya Ho Jaye by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi
3. Woh Jo Auron Ki by Lata Mangeshkar.
4. Dharti Hansti Re by Lata Mangeshkar.
5. Kaho To Aaj Bol Du by Asha Bhosle.