Masoom (1982) Movie review for people who are interested in watching classic Bollywood movies.

Masoom An epitome of innocence

Masoom(the innocent) is a musical/family movie directed by Shekhar Kapur, who is one of the noted filmmakers of Bollywood. This movie is set up in the 80s era of India when Indian society was even more conservative than it is today. So as the backdrop of the movie falls alongside with this conservatism, it brings out a very sensitive topic in a subtle manner. The title signifies and challenges the same with just one emotion i.e ‘innocence’. This movie stars two profound actors of the 80s parallel cinema, Naseerudin Shah and Shabana Azmi. Masoom is a classic tale of 80s era which is loved by people of every generation.

The plot of the movie is based upon a happily living family and the trepidation it faces due to a family member’s circumstantial mistake. The protagonist of the movie is D.K Malhotra who lives a very happy life with his wife Indu and two daughters. But the fate of this family is changed when a boy named Rahul, comes into their life. the question that remains is ,will the family accept him?

1. 1. D.K Malhotra (Naseerudin Shah): The character has been portrayed as a father of two daughters and one who loves his wife the most. He shares an ecstatic space with his family. He is a concerned, protective, caring husband and father at the same time. This character is played by Naseerudin Shah, who is a well-known theatre artist as well as Bollywood actor whose performance in the movie is par excellence.He vehemently brings out every minute detail of this character and the dramatic irony he faces while dealing with his situation which makes us connect to the paralyzed and miserable feeling a father is going through. After watching his performance I could feel how much a father loves his children without having shown too much of it. It is just an unexpressed immortal love. A relatable quote for the character is:

2.Indu Malhotra(Shabana Azmi): She is a responsible, mature and caring mother. At the same time, she is a loyal and beloved wife. She shares a very close relationship with her husband and knows his whereabouts all the time. This role is played by Shabana Azmi who is known for her magnificent performances in art and commercial movies in Bollywood. She does not have many dialogues as such but her expressions are enough to give us a complete picture of her emotions and her mental state in the movie. Both Naseerudin Shah and Shabana Azmi share an impeccable chemistry of a husband and wife who make us feel the eternal love in the institution of marriage.

3.Rahul Malhotra(Jugal Hansraj): This boy does not have any idea about the existence of his father. He does not know until a long time whether his father is dead or alive. This part is played by child artist Jugal Hansraj whose performance will definitely melt your heart and fill it with emotions of what a lost, orphaned child goes through. His eyes are so expressive and innocent that they move you to tears while watching the movie.

4.Pinky Malhotra(Urmila Matondkar): She is the first daughter of D.K and Indu. As a child artist she has also given an excellent performance.

5.Mr. Suri( Saeed Jaffery) : He is a friend and metaphorically an agony aunt of D.K Malhotra. He is in a supporting role.

6.Bhavana(Supriya Pathak): She is a school friend of D.K and mother of Rahul. After few years of delivery she dies and because of this Rahul is sent to the aid of D.K Malhotra.

The direction of Shekhar Kapur is creative and different in approach. Even though it was his first ever full-length directorial debut, he has done a commendable job. He captures every aspect of emotion of the characters with great creativity and maturity. Also, the screenplay goes hand in hand with the songs in the movie. And as I have mentioned many times above, the show is stolen by child artists and the chemistry of lead actors in the movie.

Apart from these, the movie is known for its melodies that are still loved by people in and outside India. The first very famous song of this movie is

This song and the screenplay try to capture the bonding between a father and a son. It will fill your eyes with tears without you even noticing them. R.D Burman’s voice shall also hype these effects as his marvelous singing and articulation skills internalize the lyrics of the song in you.

Another song is :

This song speaks state of a cheated wife’s mind. She sings it as a lullaby to her daughters while conflicting with her own thoughts in her mind.

Other songs of the movie are:

These are some of the everlasting melodies of the movie which are loved even today.

1. In a nutshell, the movie was more about the acting skills used by the actors and child artist to convey subtle but deep emotions with their superlative performances.
2. Sometimes the actors simply “act” and the message is conveyed without a need of even two words for it to happen.
3. There are no scenes in the movie which make it melodramatic or intense, something which is really unnecessary with respect to the plot, as this movie could have seriously gone into the zone of typical Bollywood drama movies because of these elements.
4. It is an organic depiction of a happy family and how a family faces the crisis that takes place in their lives.
5. It challenges the morals of a society where even today orthodoxy is pretty much prevalent.
6. Music creates adds to the deep emotion of the movie.

1. The movie lacks a good amount of lighting in a few scenes specially songs due to which the changing moods of the characters cannot be felt properly.

2. Technical errors also include camera angles. For example, rotating cameras are used instead of stable cameras ,which were required the most during those shots.

There are many movies which are based on same novel. But the essence of Masoom feels very different. This is because the warmth of the emotions of characters grabs you till the end, many times making you relate to the characters and their state. Nothing in the movie is out of our reach or something which we have never experienced. Gulzar’s lyrics, script, dialogues and R.D Burman’s melodious voice keep us attached to the movie to such an extent that after coming into the real life those thoughts feel existent. There are a few inconsistencies in technical aspects like lighting and camera angles but these are overshadowed by a great screenplay and acting. It is a highly recommended from my side as it will not only entertain you but also freshen and loosen your mind from many emotional burdens.