Saath Saath released in 1982 immediately stuck a chord with me. With a story line that deals with the predicament of an idealist- worn and torn by materialism, I could associate with Faruq Sheikh's character at many a levels. It so happens in life so often, we begin with strong principles, with an opinion for everything, only to be brought down by worldly pressure. Give-in is such a common excuse.
Faruq Sheikh (Avinash Verma) loathes the bourgeois in his fiery lectures during his college days. His strong ethos (though not made visually visible) drawing inspiration from communism, where gaining riches more than one's needs is mounted to recreancy and sellout- perhaps rightly. He sees deceit and corruption everywhere, working as a part-time writer. His work though praised by everyone, is seldom published- the publishing houses look out for quick money, be it through sleazy articles- that hardly matters.
His concerned orates though has an admirer in Deepti Naval (Geeta), who immediately falls for his ideas. Moved by his ideals and disregard for capitalist clowns, she marries him against her rich parents wishes. Later on however, to her dismay , Avinash gets drawn and lured by materialism, though in effect you do not blame him. One feels sorry not for Avinash but for the society that we have grown up in. And the society that is averse to many such Avinash's. His helplessness does not go unnoticed. He worries about his family, his two square- meals, his humble cramped one-room flat. Thus begins his brush with what he used to condemn. Bribing people to get things done; compromising on his writing to appease the publisher; praising the wealth of the same bourgeois worms for a favor or two. And all this his wife Geeta, regrettably watches. She is disappointed to have married a man who was unnerved by the world- her idealistic man who she fell her- betraying her and eventually himself.
At the end Avinash realizes he is gaining nothing in this mad rush for the crown- as his wife confronts him on his own ideas that he used to sermonize not long ago. It leaves a feeling of fulfillment and hope, and it goes to the directors credit for doing it all subtly.
As far as performances are concerned Faruq Sheikh as Avinash is very impactful. I cannot imagine anyone else pulling his strife all so elegantly. Deepti Naval as his muse and then wife comes across all very natural. Her expressions are wonderful. Rest of the supporting cast adds adequately to the plot barring the all too frequent Neena Gupta's stupidity- which was totally not required.
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