I really don’t care if this movie is based on Indira Gandhi and generated controversy for all the wrong reasons, I shall remember this movie for the stellar performances of Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen, and the beautiful music.

Sanjeev Kumar is so restrained and yet so much expressive, it made my heart ache for the character’s pain and longing. Suchitra Sen is beautiful and poised, and even with the tinge of the Bengali accent in her Hindi, gives a believable performance as a woman torn by her desire, ambition and personal demons. I especially applaud how the character is been scripted in a “real” way, where the female protagonist is not portrayed as a stereotypical ruthless or vindictive woman just because she has ambitions of politics power and success. The movie does not also pass value judgement on her character and the decision she made to leave her family to pursue her other interests – and that highly impressed me.

As with all Gulzar’s movies, I love the way it ends.

One of the best movies I have seen this year!