It was sublime love portrayed on screen by a wonderfully calm performance by Hema Malini as Meera, the 16th Century devotee of Lord Krishna. Different versions of Meera’s life have created a mystical aura of this poetess who regarded Krishna as the purpose of her existence since she was introduced to an idol of the God in her childhood. In this brilliantly created tribute, Gulzar brings alive the legend of Meera with his magical prowess, extracting a moving accomplishment from Hema Malini as the protagonist of the subject. There are other factors that go into the making of “Meera” as a quality product but Gulzar as director and Hema Malini playing the lead role carry the movie to great heights.
It cannot be termed a classic but “Meera” was a well enacted offering. It was not the first film involving Gulzar and Hema Malini. The two had worked together in “Kinara” and “Khushboo”, two movies that featured Hema Malini in defining roles, apart from the huge contribution by R.D. Burman’s captivating music. The highlight of Gulzar’s movies always had been classy music and some purposeful scripts. That he could get the best out of his actors also placed Gulzar among the top directors of the film industry. He did not believe in melancholic themes like Guru Dutt but was closest to reality, whether dealing with student unrest in “Mere Apne” or a song-less thriller like “Achanak” or a political statement like “Aandhi”.
Hema Malini was a different actor when directed by Gulzar. In “Meera” she dominates the screen thanks to the director’s skills and her own finesse when saddled with a serious storyline. The beauty of the legend is well crafted by the actor even as she conveys a lot through her expressive countenance, especially during her transition from a woman wedded to a prince to an intense disciple of Lord Krishna. Meera was a difficult subject for a filmmaker and Gulzar was the first to accept the challenge in Hindi after the 1945 classic starring the great M. S. Subbulakshmi in the title role. With music as the driving force when narrating the story of Meera the choice of Pandit Ravi Shankar was ideal. The soulful bhajans by Vani Jairam bring alive the emotions of Meera as she dedicates her life to Lord Krishna.
The spiritual connect between Meera and her Lord is the central premise of the script as she faces challenges at every step of her married life. Meera refuses to accept Rana Bhojraj (Vinod Khanna) as husband having silently devoted herself as the dutiful wife of Lord Krishna. The story is set in times of Akbar, played by Amjad Khan in an effective cameo. Meera loses her father Biramdev (Shreeram Lagoo) and brother Jaimal (Dinesh Thakur) in the battlefield but worldly pleasures hold no attraction for her having pledged her life to the Lord. Meera’s marriage to Bhojraj is part of an arrangement by Rajput warriors in their resistance to Akbar but she fails to adapt to her new home and continues to pursue pure love at the feet of her Lord.
During the course of the narrative, Gulzar emphasises on understanding the subject through the eyes of Meera, getting Hema Malini to come up with one of her finest shows on the screen. Meera seeking enlightenment with the help of her bhakti, the spiritual union with Lord Krishna giving birth to a legend that continues to be a source of inspiration. The ecstasy of singing bhajans is expressed in a most serene manner by Hema Malini. No wonder she earned critical acclaim for her performance. The cast included stalwarts like Lagoo, Shammi Kapoor, Dina Pathak, Om Shivpuri, A.K. Hangal, Vidya Sinha as Meera’s sister, but it was a Hema Malini film all the way. The script supported her and she also made it memorable with her elegant contribution.
The closing stages of the movie being among the best moments of the film as Meera accepts the poison as punishment and is absorbed by her Lord in a temple, leaving footprints of her unmatched demonstration of love and devotion, the purity of which is so beautifully captured by the crafty Gulzar, a filmmaker of proportions unparalleled.
Genre: Devotional
Director: Gulzar
Cast: Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Shreeram Lagoo, Shammi Kapoor, Om Shivpuri, Dina Pathak, Vidya Sinha, Amjad Khan, Bharat Bhushan, Dinesh Thakur
Story: Bhushan Banmali
Screenplay and dialogue: Gulzar
Music: Pandit Ravi Shankar and Vijay Raghav Rao
Box office status: Hit
Trivia: Vani Jairam won the 1980 Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Mere To Giridhar Gopal”
