Indu and Shekar Gupta are an exemplary couple with a young son, who live a harmonious lower middle class life despite of spiraling inflation and costs of living. Their love and respect for e... Read allIndu and Shekar Gupta are an exemplary couple with a young son, who live a harmonious lower middle class life despite of spiraling inflation and costs of living. Their love and respect for each other is put to the test when Shekar's parents, and his unmarried sister decide to mov... Read allIndu and Shekar Gupta are an exemplary couple with a young son, who live a harmonious lower middle class life despite of spiraling inflation and costs of living. Their love and respect for each other is put to the test when Shekar's parents, and his unmarried sister decide to move in with them in their tiny apartment. Shekar's income is not enough to take care of thei... Read all
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Did you know
- TriviaLoosely based on Satyajit Ray's film The Big City (1963).
- ConnectionsRemake of The Big City (1963)
One fine morning, Shekhar pressurizes Indu to resign from her job but the same day, he finds that his employer company is closed and he is out of job. Shocked, Shekhar stops Indu from resigning and thereafter Indu's earning becomes the only source of income for the family. Unemployed Shekhar's personality and psyche gets deteriorated low and low and he starts suspecting the character of Indu which brings their home to the point of breakage because Indu is also brimmed up with frustration and anguish now. However due to a painful incident, Shekhar's father realizes his mistake of misunderstanding his daughter-in-law and finally, Shekhar also realizes the worth of his HUMKADAM, i.e., his wife who has always stood by him, moving step-by-step with him on the thornful path of life.
Humkadam shows the growing confidence of a woman who comes out of her domesticated life and sees the world through her own eyes and not through hearsay. Since it is around three decades old movie, it shows the psychological barrier in the minds of the elders regarding the working of family's women. Things have changed only partially and it exists even today in a sizable part of the old-fashioned society. And finally, it is the typical Indian male chauvinism which is the biggest problem. Males maintain double standards in their behaviour. They are happy to have the earnings of their wives but at the same time, they are willing to impose all kinds of restrictions on them and keep a suspicious eye on them which is highly unjustified. This the undue punishment for a loving woman is the biggest curse of the patriarchal Indian society. The family members wants her to earn but not ready to trust her, leave aside respecting her efforts and toil for the cause of the family only.
Humkadam underscores the importance of trust between a husband and a wife. If you cannot trust your life-partner, you do not deserve to be considered a life-partner yourself. The relation of a husband and a wife is perhaps the most significant one who have to move ahead on the path of life together, matching step-by-step. If they are truly each other's Humkadam, even the thornful path will make a pleasant journey, else the journey of (marital and family) life will turn into a torture, a burden.
The complete milieu of the movie is utterly realistic and the characters are real flesh and blood human-beings who can be seen throughout our country struggling with their everyday problems and managing tense relations in personal life alongwith them. Still if they are able to preserve love and and mutual trust, they can manage all the problems. It's a movie which most of the middle class Indians can easily relate to the way I am able to relate to.
Anil Ganguly has always been able to extract the best from Raakhee Gulzaar and Humkadam is no exception. Raakhee has marvelled in the author-backed role and I am the first one (perhaps) to record the fact that her best on-screen chemistry was with Parikshit Saahni only. The son of the legendary artist, (late) Balraaj Saahni - Parikshit is, in my view, one of the most underrated actors of Bollywood. Nobody could do the role of Shekhar, the middle class salaried person; responsible son, brother, husband and father and finally, the typical Indian male with a traditional style of thinking; better than him. The complete supporting cast has done pretty well including the child-artist. The surprise packet of the film is - Biswajeet as the kind-hearted and understanding Mr. Dutt, Indu's employer. This popular romantic hero of the sixties has delivered a highly mature performance rendering reliability to the character of Mr. Dutt (though I have seen very few such understanding and generous employers in my life).
Humkadam was not a box office success and it is a long-forgotten movie. However, after watching, I consider as the most underrated movie of the Rajshri banner, the flag-bearer of simple, lovable and down-to-earth movies. This movie is not for those who like the filthy rich characters of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or the larger than life characters of Shah Rukh Khan in different movies. Watch this outstanding movie if you want to watch the real Indian middle class in the metro cities and able to relate to their lives. Despite its being an entertaining movie, I recommend it more for its inspirational quotient. The audience liking sentimental movies based on husband-wife relationship should not miss it.
- jmathur_swayamprabha
- Nov 2, 2011
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