Saraswatichandra (film)

Saraswatichandra
Saraswatichandra (1968)
Directed by	Govind Saraiya
Starring	Nutan Manish
Music by	Kalyanji-Anandji
Cinematography	Nariman A. Irani
Release date	1968 (1968)
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Saraswatichandra (Hindi: सरस्वतीचंद्र) is a black-and-white Hindi film released in 1968. It starred Nutan and Manish among others and was directed by Govind Saraiya.

The film was adapted into a modern-day TV series of the same name, Saraswatichandra by Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and currently airs on Star Plus.

The film was based on Saraswatichandra, a Gujarati novel, by Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi, set in 19th-century feudalism in India. It also won the National Film Awards in the Best Cinematography and Best Music Director categories.

Saraswati Chandra tells the story of a young aristocrat, Saraswatichandra (Manish), who has a fixed marriage to Kumud (Nutan), an educated girl from a rich family. Saraswati decides to cancel the engagement and writes to Kumud to inform her. But soon she replies and soon the two keep on exchanging letters. Soon Saraswati decides to defy the customs and pays a visit to his fiancée. The two soon serenade and a short-lived romance takes place. Soon Saraswati returns home after promising Kumud and her family that he will return. However, on his return a family feud takes place and Saraswati writes to Kumud that he is not able to marry her. This triggers a series of misunderstandings, which end up in Kumud’s marriage to a rich but illiterate suitor named Prabhat (Ramesh Deo). She is forced to marry because of family pressure. But as soon as she joins her husband at his palace, he quickly disdains her for nautch girls, and hardly hides his double life, asking her not to comment on his “weakness”.

Meanwhile, Saraswati, having forsaken his home, has been roaming the country, certainly not very far away, because he reaches Prabhat’s mansion and is found sleeping by the pool there one morning. His presence is made known to Kumud’s father in-law, who despises his son’s cheap life, and adopts Saraswati as his secretary. Of course the two former lovers meet, but Kumud is adamant about her duties, and staunchly stands up for religious traditions. Saraswati witnesses her anguished life and tries to reach out to her, but she objects: why does he interfere in their lives? She is “bohot khush” (very happy)! Nevertheless, things change, because Prabhat’s behaviour is more and more openly flirtatious, and Saraswati’s presence lasts longer and longer! One night Kumud cannot resist entering his room, and if nothing happens, Saraswati decides to leave. On his way he is caught by dacoits and left for dead in the sun. A group of holy men spot him and take him away to their hermitage where he starts leading the life of a recluse.