Movie Recommendation - Ijaazat

Cast: Rekha, Naseeruddin Shah, Anuradha Patel.

Release Year: 1987.

Director: Gulzar.

From the numerous reviews that I’d heard/read about this movie, I’d concluded that there is one thing about Ijaazat – you either like it, or you hate it. And after watching it, I fell into the former category. The movie is beautiful, layered and complex.

Mahendra (Naseeruddin Shah) and Sudha (Rekha), an estranged couple run into each other in a railway station’s waiting room on a tempestuous night. Cut away from the world, they revisit their past.

Flashback:  Mahendra is in love with Maya (Anuradha Patel), a feisty girl who doesn’t believe in marriage. When his grandfather (Shammi Kapoor) fixes his wedding with Sudha, Mahendra is unable to tell him about Maya. Maya’s disappearance only adds to his problems. End result – he gets married to Sudha. However, marital bliss is soon disrupted when Maya returns to their life. Mahendra’s uncertainty about his feelings, his unwillingness to let go his past, and Sudha’s growing conflict between being supportive and possessive leads to her walking out on the relationship.

Simply put, Ijaazat is about two people, one night, and a story that unfolds gradually. But it derives its intensity from its story and screenplay, written by the master storyteller, Gulzar. Sudha and Mahendra’s equation from being awkward, to affable, and almost intimate has been beautifully written. Also, something that I always love about Gulzar’s movies is the use of flashbacks. Nobody can weave them as effectively as he does. The story is matched equally by Naseeruddin Shah and Rekha’s performances.

The music is unarguably Pancham’s best, with unforgettable hits like Choti Si Kahaani, Mera Kuch Samaan, and Katra Katra. Asha Bhosle’s voice lingers in your head for a long long time even after the playback’s stopped.

For those looking for a mature love story, Ijaazat is your answer. Here's one of my favourite lines from the movie -


Mahendra: Baarish toh aur badh gayi...lagta nahi aaj thamegi..


Sudha: Baras jayegi toh apne aap tham jayegi.