When I saw the first scene of Pravin Bhatt's Bhavna, which presents a gray-haired, elderly Shabana Azmi being released from prison, I predicted this would be another melodramatic tale in which the female lead is shown as a typical, tiresome self-victimising figure which people use to associate so much with Hindi films and their famous screen heroines. Well, partially it is, but it also has a noticeable added value which makes it much more than it could have been. While watching it, the viewer may feel a certain sense of deja-vu, as the film is reminiscent of such pictures as Aradhana, Mamta, etc. Nothing against it, I'm sure many lovers of this genre would totally enjoy watching the story of a less-privileged woman and actually I myself loved Mamta and enjoyed Aradhana, to an extent. Bhavna definitely maintains a certain level of authenticity which is quite appreciable and, although it also has several lows when it becomes overly unrestrained, it is generally convincing. The development is steady and the film is quite fast-paced, managing to tell a whole life story within a little more than just two hours effectively. The film of course has another side to it, that of a cheesy, melodramatic tale of sacrifice, but it's passable. Among its high-points, however, it is Shabana Azmi who elevates a typical film to an altogether different level.
Shabana Azmi once again looks impossibly beautiful while still being real, graceful and authentic. This is something that unfortunately many tend to overlook while discussing her performances, probably because she is regarded more for her acting. And yes, she once again transcends all expectations and proves her mettle as a gifted dramatic actor. Azmi is wonderful as Bhavna Saxena, commanding the audience's attention in every possible turn with her strong presence and heartfelt portrayal. Within this one role, she actually plays many of the famous roles actresses in Hindi films have regularly played over the years: a simple orphaned girl, a happily married wife, a wronged woman, a prisoner, a governess, a rape victim, a prostitute (must be my favourite part of this performance, as she does it with aplomb and appears very attractive in an unusually gorgeous and sexy look), a smart avenger, and above all, a tormented and devoted mother who would do anything to secure a future for her son. Her character goes through many phases, ups and downs, and a journey of stale sacrifices and, though it doesn't really have great depth or complexity, she never looks like a victim. Due credit for this goes to Azmi, who makes Bhavna a true heroine by never overdoing her misery and always keeping her earthy and truthful.
Azmi is supported by several actors. It is the great Rohini Hattangadi who stands out as Bhavna's friend Shobha. This role reminds me in some ways of her appearance as Azmi's maid in Arth, where she performed memorably in a minuscule part. Here she thankfully gets a lengthier part and does the best of it, making her presence felt with her warm and cordial personality. Both Marc Zuber and Saeed Jaffrey are first presented as good men and eventually turn out to be the film's villains. An amusing turn indeed, but they do well. Little kid Makrand Shukla, whose performance in Mahesh Bhatt's Kaash is one of my favourite by a child actor, is very cute here. Our Urmila Matondkar also makes an appearance here, and she is lovely. Bhavna has music by Bappi Lahiri, and it definitely contributes to the film. "Mere Dil Mein" is just amazing, "Dekho Din Ye Na Dhalne Paye" is very energetic, and "Tu Kahan Aa Gayi Zindagi" is melancholic. Pravin Bhatt is better known as a cinematographer, and expectedly his cinematography for this film is effective. For a directorial debut he does a competent job and makes a film which may be a weepy but is still involving. The ending is disappointing, predictable and clichéd, but Bhavna is overall a worthy film despite its flaws and is worth-watching particularly for Shabana Azmi's performance.
