Aneela (1969)
Cast: Deeba, Nadeem, Rozina, Mustafa Qureshi, Talish, Rangeela
Director: Raza Mir
Synopsis: Old fashioned melodrama where evil western ways wreak the worst havoc.
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

Aneela is a good old-fashioned fable about the terrible dangers of adopting a “Western” lifestyle and neglecting our heritage, norms, customs, traditions and most importantly, our values. The social drama genre was prevalent in the ’60s and ’70s as India and Pakistan struggled to assert their national identities. Filmmakers dressed up their dramas in nationalistic colours, asserting “Eastern” values championed for mass appeal. At the same time, the alien Western culture adopted by the elite, English-speaking Gora sahibs is viewed as tainted with materialism, lust and superficiality.

Aneela is yet another of this fable-like genre of desi film that panders to popular sentiment (and insecure egos?) by viciously attacking the concept of change and everything Western while trumpeting rigidity and the old order. The movie, a minor hit at the Box Office, begins with some comic interludes involving Nadeem, who appears to have run away from home for unexplained reasons of being chased by Nanna and Saqi. It becomes evident early on in the proceedings that Rozina is a lusting nymphomaniac, and she soon sets her sights on the handsome Nadeem.

First, she invites him to the most debauched of Western activities, a New Year party! Being an artist, he lands up looking for a job at a designing firm run by progressive, westernized, modern and rather luscious Lady Boss Nahid (played quite superbly by the delectable Rozina).

She then beckons him into her bedroom, asks him to do her zipup, and insists that he fasten the clasp of her necklace. All this while asking him about her voluptuous beauty. “Kya main khwabon ki shazadi nahin?” Later in the evening, Rozina performs a delightful dance in a sozzled state while sensuously crooning a rather lilting tune, “mujhe jo dekhta hai.”

However, Rozina’s blatant efforts at seduction misfire and the object of her lust begins to find the company of a socialite friend far more interesting, befriending her and then giving her painting lessons. Aneela (Deeba) is a likeable, ditzy airhead who, since losing her mother to illness a few years ago, is being brought up in the “western, modern and progressive” style that her father reckons all the “people of status and izzat (respect)” are adopting.

Talish (Aneela’s father) embraces Western values (Fool!) and ignores the ways of his heritage (that he considers “jehalat” backwardness) in bringing up his daughter Aneela.

He has an older daughter whose marriage has ended in tragedy and is now a frumpy, frustrated, and vindictive old bat who loathes seeing anyone having fun. She pretends to be very caring of her younger sister Aneela. However, she is supremely envious of her sister’s youthful, effervescent looks and that men are interested in her, while not even the scrawny pet dog has time for her.

Aneela’s older sister Sheila goes on and on about her visions of doom as her father adopts Westernized ways for his household. Words that the audience knows only too well will ring prophetically later in proceedings. The film progresses intriguingly and maintains interest until the very last scene—mainly because the plot takes turns down dark alleys that are traditionally No-Go areas of cinema from the subcontinent.

Aneela The film is refreshing and almost bold in suggesting that a woman who has been tainted can be rehabilitated. Indeed, she is embraced and accepted as a community member and, most notably, as a wife. The only person who is unforgiving is the militant jihadi Sheila, who begins to thrash her sister to a pulp rather than show her any compassion—then she takes to murder, totally in keeping with her warped mentality. The film is engaging enough with some fine performances, notably by vampish vixen Rozina, who plays the role of a drooling, rabid nymphomaniac with relish – she also looks quite glamorous, and her dance is among the film’s highlights. Deeba was in her prime in the summer of ’69, and she not only looks great, but the role of the simple, somewhat naïve Aneela suits her to a tee. Nadeem makes his presence felt and is full of boyish charm at that stage of his career, and Nisar Bazmi’s music is also quite excellent. A very youthful-looking Mustafa Qureshi features in the cast, and even at that early stage in his career, it’s clear that wonderful things lie ahead. Though nothing extraordinary (other than the “bold” end), this film certainly exemplifies everything that was once good about Lollywood.