I love me some 1970s Jayaji! She was soooooooooooooooooo good. I mean, she’s still very very good, but she doesn’t get as good roles as she used to back then.
Shelomit and Filmikudhi came to the live discussion and I took notes, just assume all these points were made by one or both of them and not me 🙂
The start of the discussion was about Jaya’s hair, of course. Yes, so far as we can tell, that actually was her real hair. If you look at candid photos from the era, she’s got the same hair in them.
Discussion Questions!
Why can we get over the implausibility of this family accepting Jaya? Is it her charm? Or is it the social roles into which she can slot?
Another theory, it’s just AK Hangal really wanting to chill out Sanjeev and using Jaya as the opportunity. And, Jaya is just FUN! She makes the house nice.
Did you feel like the movie accepted Sanjeev’s misogyny or questioned it?
Maybe just more of comic relief! Kind cartoonish, not something anyone should take seriously, just Sanjeev being silly.
What is the deal with Asrani?
Comic relief for no reason? Serial killer vibes though, NOT FUNNY.
What is up with the Helen dance?
People would go just for the dance, it would be separate from the movie, so it can be crazy and unrelated. Also, Shelomit caught that the male dancer is “Oscar” and probably also choreographed.
Is Helen good or evil, I honestly can’t tell?
By the end, yes. But maybe justified since Jaya eventually testified against her? Her character met Jaya, got her a job as a model, then when her boss tried to rape her, took her in and brought her to stay at a brothel (calling it a “hostel”). In the most generous view, Helen was sincerely trying to help her but after the brothel raid, turned against her because of her testimony. In the least generous view, she was setting her up to become a sex worker beholden to Helen from the start.
Obviously Jaya sells her role like crazy, but how much weight does Sanjeev pull in making his character charming?
Not charming, but “affable”. He’s just harmless, sweet, nice. Jaya puts herself entirely at his mercy multiple times, but it never actually feels like she is in danger, because it’s just Sanjeev. He may bluster but he won’t hurt her, or betray her, or do anything else bad. If you think about the film with any other actor in the role, the story turns much darker and tense instead of light and fun.
Bonus discussion, how amazing was Jaya in this role! She resists the urge to break character straight through, all the times when it would have been tempting to let her eyes flicker in recognition or fear, she just stays playing it the way the character would.
Bonus bonus discussion, how could this movie have been written/made entirely by men? there were so many small moments, like Jaya leaving her bra in the bathroom sink, that are so female. Is it that men of the 1970s were just more evolved? Or is it (my theory) that someone’s wife was taking a hand and helping out without credit?
And then we spent the end of the Zoom call talking about FilmiKudhi’s kids. Baby Kajol is crawling!
dontcallitbollywood 
Sorry for the late reply, I was so busy with so much that I didn’t have time to write a detailed reply.
Why can we get over the implausibility of this family accepting Jaya? Is it her charm? Or is it the social roles into which she can slot?
Its Jaya duh, I think AK Hangal just felt like Jaya was good for Sanjeev or he has some magical spiritual powers where he can feel everyone’s energy. He is always on Jaya’s side and blaming Sanjeev for being so dramatic about his life.
Did you feel like the movie accepted Sanjeev’s misogyny or questioned it?
I think they just ignore him and acknowledge he was stupid. AK Hangal says that he is not willing to look at it from any other point of view and just wants to think that ‘women’ have cheated him because one lady left him. Also because it is Sanjeev like in Manoranjan no one actually takes him seriously about anything.
What is the deal with Asrani?
I think he was so irrelevant to the plot and a complete creep. I would’ve loved a twist of him getting beaten up or being put in a mental hospital cause he has a serious voyeurism problem. Also there is no conclusion to him which shows his significance in the story.
What is up with the Helen dance?
Its Helen duh! I think it was just a lot of films like Caravan which relied on Helen to make the film popular. Also she was in almost all the films then so I think its just to have an item song that will boost the popularity.
Is Helen good or evil, I honestly can’t tell?
I think Helen is not evil but rather self centered. She is not chastised by the film at any point for her actions. Yet, it is clearly shown that she wasn’t completely empathetic to Jaya’s situation. I think she was trying to help in some way but the testimony made her unfavourable to Jaya.
Obviously Jaya sells her role like crazy, but how much weight does Sanjeev pull in making his character charming?
I mean it is Sanjeev, the minute he smiles – all reason is lost. At no time do I feel that Sanjeev is going to hurt Jaya and they both are such good actors that they sell them being completely in each other’s trust. We also as an audience understand Jaya going mad over Sanjeev and using him as a means of escape.
How amazing was Jaya in this role?
Jaya, oh I miss you so much. I need Jaya in more roles of her just being irresistibly charming. Never once, do you feel she is too filmy or over the top. And her charm also is at the right amount unlike in Milli where she is more annoying than charming. It’s also incredible how just with her eyes and face, we know exactly the character’s thought process everything.
How could this movie have been written/made entirely by men?
I think a woman ghost wrote this film. There is no other explanation or a man who grew up among sisters. Even Jaya’s statement of her saying that ‘men always feel they have a right over a women’- a women must’ve written this film or atleast supervised the script.
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