Bhumika: The Role (1977)

Coming from a poor and destitute family, Urvashi is encouraged by her mother, Shanta (Sualbha Deshpande) to be on more than friendly terms with a much older male, Keshav Dalvi (Amol Palekar... See full summary »

Director:

Shyam Benegal

Writers:

Hansa Wadkar (inspired by the book "Sangtye Aika"), Girish Karnad (screenplay),

Stars:

Smita Patil, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Smita Patil	...	Usha
Anant Nag	...	Rajan
Naseeruddin Shah	...	Sunil Verma
Amrish Puri	...	Vinayak Kale
Amol Palekar	...	Keshav Dalvi
Kulbhushan Kharbanda	...	Film producer
Sulabha Deshpande	...	Shanta
Baby Ruksana
B.V. Karanth
Dina Pathak	...	Mrs. Kale
Mohan Agashe
Kusum Deshpande
Rekha Sabnis
Baby Bitto
Savha Bajaj

Storyline

Coming from a poor and destitute family, Urvashi is encouraged by her mother, Shanta (Sualbha Deshpande) to be on more than friendly terms with a much older male, Keshav Dalvi (Amol Palekar). Keshav takes a liking to young Urvashi, and encourages her to explore her talents in films, which she does, and does gain popularity, starting as a singer, than accomplishing herself as an actress/singer. She decides to marry Keshav, only to be discouraged by her own mother, but she is strong-willed, and does marry him. She has a baby girl after the marriage, but feels stifled and oppressed with Keshav, and has affairs with her co-star Rajan (Anant Nag), a film producer, Sunil Verma (Naseeruddin Shah), but ends up dissatisfied. Then she meets wealthy Vinayak Kale (Amrish Puri), and decides to settle down with him, little knowing that he is already married to another woman, and also has a son. By the time she finds out it is too late, she has already been accepted in his household, and any woman, ...

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Plot Keywords:

film producer | marriage | phonograph record | beating | extramarital affair | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

11 November 1977 (India)

Also Known As:

The Role

Company Credits

Production Co:

Blaze Film Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

142 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the life of well-known Marathi Stage and screen actress of the 1940s, 'Hansa Wadkar'.

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Connections

Referenced in Jhaptal (2013)

User Reviews

The Roles Of A Lifetime

With 'Bhumika: The Role', Shyam Benegal has created one of the finest character studies of Indian cinema. Based on the life of 40's Marathi actress Hansa Wadkar, is a biopic but very different from the conventional one. The film follows the life of a troubled actress who yearns to live a life of freedom where she can live the way she chooses. However, she only finds little satisfaction in her roles and while she has played a variety of characters in her films, she's stuck with the same role in life trapped in a man's world.

'Bhumika: The Role' is an exceptionally well-made film. Benegal is clearly influenced by Satyajit Ray. The black and white flashback sequences echo scenes from Ray's 'Nayak' and 'Patther Panchali'. His attention to detail is excellent as he adds subtle layers to the films (for example, notice how time is depicted through the news on the radio). The absence of a background score make the scenes raw and gritty. The remarkable cinematography deserves special mention and the lighting is superb.

But what would 'Bhumika: The Role' be without Smita Patil's tour-de-force performance? Patil was only in her very early 20s when she shot for the film and yet she's incredibly convincing as a bubbly teenager, a grown-up actress and a mother of a mother-to-be. Urvashi is a complex and demanding character with many shades and that cannot be easy for an ordinary actor to play but Patil does it with sheer ease and intensity. She dazzles the screen with a restrained and natural performance.

Patil is effectively supported by a strong cast that includes Sulabha Deshpande (notice the parallels between her role and Urvashi which hints that Usha's daughter may also repeat the sad cycle), Amol Palekar, Amrish Puri, Anant Nag, Naseeruddin Shah and Dina Pathak.

This is easily one of Benegal's best and it should serve as a prototype character study, biopic and even a textbook of acting (for upcoming actors). On different levels, it works as a social commentary, a historically accurate period piece, a study of relationships, provides an insight into the filmworld and a piece of thought-provoking cinema that makes one question the various roles humans have to play in life.