Aashirwad - 1968

Another Great, heart touching and even slight melodramatic Gem by Hrishida. Ashok Kumar won the Silver Lotus Award from National Film Awards as Best Actor for this movie. Ashok Kumar was nominated in two categories for the same role durinf Filmfare Awards 1970, he eventually won Best Actor title.

Ashok kumar is the main leading actor in the role of a wealthy Jamindar’s Son-in-law, Shivnath Choudhary who has a concerning and creative heart of commoner. Shivnath also known as Jogi Thakur by villagers likes to mingle with them having no cast and money barrier. He befriends specially with Baiju and learns to play ‘Dholki’ from him. Jogi Thakur loves only two things; one is his 8 year old daughter Neena and the villagers and their folk culture. His wife Leela dislikes this nature of him as she is Thakuraiin for the villagers so she tolerates till they pay her taxes.

Once Shivnath steals money to help villagers to pay their taxes, on knowing this in anger Leela burns the hutments and forbids Shivnath from seeing his daughter ever again. Hurt feelingly Shivnath leaves the house and comes to Mumbai where he meet Mahadev, a poor fellow earning his livelihood by showing images to children. Jogi Thakur meets another girl named Neena and feels happy to sing for her. When she passes away, he comes back to his village and sees Baiju in a lost mind state since his daughter Rukmini has been abducted and held by Leela’s munim Ramdas. Shivnath tracks him, and while trying to rescue Rukmini kills Ramdas in self defense. 

Jogi thakur considers this a great sin and prefers to get punished and imprisoned for 14 years. Now this is the part Hrishida has shown as person with high Morals which is difficult to believe for todays generation. As the time passes, One day handsome young doctor gets newly appointed in the jail’s hospital. Thakur’s daughter has turned into beautiful young girl and sings her father’s poems on radio. She comes to jail to meet doctor, her fiancé.  Jogi Thakur is happy when he comes to know that she is his daughter but tries to hid away from her after knowing her loath for criminals. But she stops him and tries to talk to him. Shivnath comes to know about her marriage and strong desire to take blessings from her father at wedding. A day before wedding Shivnath gets a stroke and is admitted in hospital. He refuses to stay there and rushes towards village. He joins the villagers and beggars served in his daughter’s wedding to bless her.

This last scene is so melodramatic causing the audience shed tears for the father and daughter and definitely moves the person.

Ashok Kumar was outstanding as the loving father. He was thoroughly likable, and his graciousness, humane values and love for children were aptly displayed, as was his yearning to see his daughter and bless her upon marriage. There were some very nice poetry sequences in it written by his character for his daughter while in prison. The way he has sung it seems as if he wrote it himself.

Haridranath Chattopadhyay and Abhi bhattacharya both have got important roles. Harindranath’s Baiju is wonderful performance, his singing, his mannerisms towards Thakurs, love and respect for Jogi Thakur, his mental illness, his caring heart at the end – name the scene and he has mastered every.  

Sanjeev Kumar was also very natural as the doctor of the jail and Ashok Kumar's future son in-law. Sumita Sanyal is as usual. Appearance of Baby Sarika as another Neena is good to see.

Ashok Kumar is probably India’s first Rap singer to sing ‘Railgadi’. I remember watching this song on Chitrahaar, Chhayageet and Rangoli at times and we used to love it so much trying to memorize the song. Still that child in the corner of the heart loves it. Music is by Vasant Desai. Poem like Ek tha Bachpan is also well composed and given the grace by Asha’s voice.

Its a worth watching movie for sure.