Pride
(Abhimaan)

Pride was released exactly 50 years ago. Highly successful, it affords us a glimpse of what gives a film the potential to become a classic. Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of a popular singer whose wife (Jaya Badhuri) also becomes part of his show but soon overshadows him with her talent. This story of a jealous husband with a bruised ego was unprecedented for its times and now carries its contemporary echo down to us. But here, as in H. Mukherjee’s other films, taking sides is pointless: as imperfect human beings shaped by social norms, the characters are in fact enmeshed in their contradictions. Last but not least, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Badhuri got married one month before the film was released. JB