If one were to pick three aspects that work in favour of “Ek Nazar”, directed by B.R. Ishara, then, without batting an eyelid, it can be said that these are the lyrics penned by poet par excellence, Majrooh Sultanpuri, music composed by the inimitable Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the consummate performance of veteran actor Nadira.
Each of the songs, including the title track “Pyaar Ko Chahiye Kya, Ek Nazar” with vocals by Kishore Kumar is a gem. While “Patta Patta Boota Boota” and “Pehle Sau Baar Iddhar Aur Udhar Dekha Hai” sung by none other Lata Mangeshkar (former in a duet with Mohammed Rafi) have her stamp of class and perfection. Mahendra Kapoor, with “Eh Gamney Yaar Bata” gives a superlative rendition. Undoubtedly, Laxmikant-Pyarelal have marshalled their singers with exceptional skill.
However, one does feel a tinge of angst on listening to “Patta Patta,” a rip off from Mir Taqi Mir’s iconic ghazal. If only Ishara and Sultanpuri had shown the conviction and courage to incorporate the ghazal in its original form, (although, it might have made little sense to a section of the listeners), they could have taken it to a much higher plane. While Ishara – known for making films that titillate the senses in the garb of social relevance – does make an earnest effort to weave a tale of love between a brooding poet from a well-to-do family and a tawaif (courtesan) in a brothel, he fails to generate passion between the protagonists played by Amitabh Bachchan as Akash Tyagi and Jaya Bahaduri as Shabnam (the two shared screen space for the first time). He is let down by the editor, I.M. Kannu, as precious screen time is wasted on tackling the problems of Akash’s friend, Poppat Lal Begana (Asit Sen) through another friend, a lawyer, essayed by Raza Murad in his debut.
The story is fairly straightforward and works on the basic concept of the love between the only son of a top-notch lawyer and public prosecutor, Raghunath Tyagi (Tarun Bose) and a tawaif in a kotha . The paths of the two would-be lovers cross when Shabnam performs her debut mujra to a poem penned by none other than Akash, who, in another twist of fate, overhears it as he passes by. As love blossoms between the two, it is resented by both Raghunath and Aminabai (Nadira, as a tough Madame). All efforts by Raghunath to wean his son away from poetry and the badnaam galli comes to naught, as Akash moves out of his dad’s house in protest.
Aminabi is equally determined to push Shabnam into the dark alleys of prostitution, something that is resented by Shabnam, who is the object of attention of a regular patron to the brothel, Nawab (Sudhir) accompanied by his slippery accomplice (Jonny Whisky). There is a heated exchange between Shabnam and Aminabai (one of the few scenes that grip the audience through the histrionics of Jaya Bahaduri and Nadira). Shabnam comes to know that Aminabai has sold her to Nawab. In the ensuing confrontation Aminabai gets killed and the finger of suspicion falls on none other than Shabnam, who is arrested and put behind bars.
There is an ensuing court battle in which Raghunath seeks the toughest punishment for Shabnam and is pitted against Murad. After a series of twists and turns, the denouement unfolds. The film shows just what a mere period of five years can do to the stature of an actor and the proficiency of his craft. Akash Tyagi of “Ek Nazar” stands nowhere when compared to Amit Malhotra of Yash Chopra’s classic, “Kabhi-Kabhie”, released in 1976. While Amitabh Bachchan had shown flashes of brilliance and command over his craft in the 1971 film, “Anand”, he is surprisingly lacklustre and limp in “Ek Nazar”. Donning kurta-pyjama, with a shawl in some scenes, he looks awkward and lanky. Moreover, the angst of a poet is missing from his portrayal. The actor, smarting under a string of failures, was to see his fortune take an upward trajectory when “Bombay to Goa” was released in the same year, to be followed by “Zanjeer” in the very next. Raza Murad, as the lanky lawyer sleepwalks through the film, exposing his limited calibre as an actor, although his baritone is impressive. Tarun Bose and Sudhir are competent. Jaya Bahaduri impresses in scenes where she displays her histrionics and emotions. But in the dance sequences of the kotha, choreographed by Lachhu Maharaj, she looks like a fish out of water. One cannot help but miss the sterling performances of Meena Kumari in “Pakeezah” and the sizzling chemistry between Bachchan and Rekha in “Muqqadar Ka Sikandar”, in which Rekha was superb as the courtesan.
