''Rao Saheb'' is a

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

Hindi

period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

film directed by

Vijaya Mehta Vijaya Mehta (born 4 November 1934), is a noted Indian Marathi film and theatre director and also an actor in many films from the Parallel Cinema. She is a founder member of Mumbai-based theatre group, Rangayan with playwright Vijay Tendulkar, ...

, a noted theatre director. It is based on a Marathi novel ''Andharachya Parambya'' by

Jaywant Dalvi Jaywant Dalvi (14 August 1925 – 16 September 1994) was a prominent contemporary Marathi writer in Maharashtra, India, originally from Arawali (Dist.Sindhudurg, Tal. Vengurle) in Maharashtra. He worked as an assistant editor at Marathi newspape ...

, on which he also wrote the play ''Barrister''. The film set in small rural town in Maharashtra in early 19th century, and deals with clash of progressives and orthodox traditions, while depicting plight of women especially widows in traditional Indian society under feudalism and oppressive patriarchy. The film starred Anupam Kher,

Nilu Phule Nilu Phule (Marathi pronunciation: iɭuː pʰuleː 4 April 1930 - 13 July 2009) was an Indian actor known for his roles in Marathi movies and Marathi theatre. Nilu Phule acted in around 250 Marathi and Hindi movies during his film career. He ...

, and

Tanvi Azmi Tanvi Azmi is an Indian film and television actress. Early life and career She was born to Marathi-Hindi actress Usha Kiran and Manohar Kher. Azmi portrayed a troubled doctor in the tele-series, ''Jeevanrekha'' and as a young widow in telefil ...

. At the

33rd National Film Awards The 33rd National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1985. Ceremony took place in Jun ...

for 1985 films, the film won two awards; Best Supporting Actress for Vijaya Mehta, while Sham Bhutkar won the award for

Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...

Synopsis

A young barrister, Rao Saheb, returns from England after his education, and brings progressive ideas back with him. In other words, he is enamored of western ways and customs and conditioned to regard his own society as backward and repressive. He returns to his childhood home, a large mansion in small-town Maharashtra, where life goes on as placidly as it always has, quite unmoved by western ways or the officious efforts of modernists to bring about a social revolution. Rao Saheb's father is a conventional man who holds dear the values of his

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

caste: education, religion, tradition, austerity (frugality) and self-denial in personal life. His great tryst with modernity was to send his son, at very great expense, to England for higher education. His sister, who keeps house for him, is a childless widow of even greater orthodoxy. Mausi ("auntie"), played by Vijaya Mehta herself, is the vanguard of Brahminism at the start of the film. Radhika, a young widow who lives in a neighbouring home, is a great friend and protégée of the elderly widow. In Radhika, auntie sees the picture of her own lonely youth as a young widow, and the prospect of a lonely old age. Radhika however is inclined to rebel against the customs of austerity and self-denial which were expected of Brahmin widows at the time. Auntie, she of the unshakable orthodoxy, is torn within herself when she finds that her nephew is growing alarmingly close to the nubile young widow. As Rao Saheb begins to get closer to Radhika, empathizes with her and comes close to her, Mausi ends up as a champion of modernity and a denouncer of Brahminical values such as austerity, self-denial and the strictures of religion or tradition.

Cast

* Anupam Kher as Rao saheb *

as Mausi *

as Radhika * Arvind Gadgil * Chandrakant Gokhale * Vasant Ingle * Mangesh Kulkarni

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0240849, Rao Saheb 1985 films 1985 drama films 1980s Hindi-language films Indian drama films Hindi-language drama films Films set in Maharashtra Films about widowhood in India Films based on Indian novels Films set in the British Raj Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress National Film Award-winning performance Films whose production designer won the Best Production Design National Film Award