Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978), a Hindi romantic drama produced by Tarachand Barjatya for Rajshri Productions, is a film that feels one of a kind, owing to Hiren Nag’s beautiful direction and some powerful performances, particularly by Sachin Pilgaonkar.
Performances: Sachin’s Natural Charm and Ranjeeta’s Restraint
Sachin’s portrayal of Arun Prakash Mathur is among the most natural performances in the film. His expressions, mannerisms and overall charm make him a perfect choice for the role. Ranjeeta Kaur, on the other hand, plays Lily Fernandes. Her character feels a little plain at first, but as the story progresses, her role demands a much more serious performance. Still, throughout the film, I felt that her face sometimes lacked the expressions the scenes called for. It is something you notice almost immediately.
Spoilers ahead, including discussion of the ending.
Story: From College Romance to Heartbreak
The story begins on a very positive note, as one might expect from a Rajshri production, but there is a sense that something will eventually upend everything. In the opening, Arun Prakash Mathur wins an award and is congratulated by an elderly woman. The absence of his love interest is already conspicuous, hinting that someone important is missing from his life. From there, Arun’s memories take us back to his college days, where petty arguments soon turn into romance. That transition feels a little too quick, although the film clearly has much more to reveal.
At its heart, the story is simple. Two college students fall in love and dream of spending their lives together. Then Lily is diagnosed with blood cancer, and their plans fall apart. There is not much more to the plot, and that is perhaps its biggest weakness. Yet Hiren Nag’s direction and the beautiful cinematography give this simple story considerable emotional weight. What stood out to me was the choice of camera angles and the noticeable movement of the camera. These details add to the beauty of the film and help draw us into the emotions of its characters. The film surrounds us with happiness before delivering its devastating blow.
It is a style of filmmaking that was once very popular: everything begins with laughter, love and hope, until a problem arrives from which there seems to be no return. In a way, it mirrors life. When we are young, everything can seem to be going according to plan. Then time passes, we grow older, and problems begin to emerge. The film captures something of that painful contrast.
Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se: Direction and Chemistry
What I particularly liked about Hiren Nag’s direction was his willingness to let emotions unfold. He wants us to experience the feelings of his characters, especially as Arun and Lily fall in love. Their chemistry is absolutely spot on. Once their petty fights subside, there are charming moments when they can barely look each other in the eye out of shyness. Those scenes are genuinely cute, but they are also beautifully directed. You feel what the characters are feeling.
Again and again, Sachin Pilgaonkar proves how well suited he is to Arun. His charming personality and beautiful smile bring warmth to the film, and he keeps trying to cheer Lily up even as things begin to go south. When the terrible news arrives, his struggle becomes our struggle too. You can feel his emotions.
When Cinema Becomes Personal
Lily, meanwhile, is thrown into the kind of shock that comes with hearing a life-changing diagnosis. This part of the film felt personal to me. When I first heard that I had cancer, I too went into shock, trying to make sense of what the doctor was saying and to understand the simple meaning behind all those complicated medical terms.
I particularly remember a doctor telling me that there was no coming back from where I was, and that what I had could not be operated on. On my bike ride home, I was in tears. I was wearing my helmet, and it was difficult even to see clearly, let alone wipe my eyes. Watching Lily receive her news brought back those moments. There is something about hearing such a diagnosis that can completely shake your world.
It is especially difficult to imagine what it must be like for someone so young, still in college, to hear that news. Growing up, I had seen people around me receive cancer diagnoses, and I noticed how it changed the way others looked at them. Someone might suddenly stop coming to school, and even their family would be regarded differently. As a child, I never quite understood that reaction. I used to wonder what it must feel like, until life had other plans for me.
That is why the film’s emotional impact makes sense to me, particularly in the context of the time in which it was made. The very mention of such an illness could be heartbreaking, especially for someone who believed an entire future was waiting to unfold. Lily dreams of marriage, children and a life with Arun. Suddenly, that whole world comes spiralling down. As the film progresses, you begin to understand and share her emotions.
Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se: Music and Supporting Cast
“अँखियों के झरोखों से मैंने देखा जो सांवरे”
Hemlata · Lyrics: Ravindra Jain
Title-song lyric. Rajshri / Bollywood Classics promotional image, with promotional labels removed.
The film also features the immensely popular title song, “Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se,” sung by Hemlata, with music and lyrics by Ravindra Jain, who also composed the film’s soundtrack. The song is still heard from time to time today. Seeing it play out within the film gives the song a different meaning and makes its emotional significance clearer.
The supporting cast does a fabulous job too. Madan Puri as Arun’s father, Iftekhar as Dr. Pradhan and Urmila Bhatt as Lily’s mother, Ruby Fernandes, all contribute to the film. Junior Mehmood is a pleasant addition in the earlier portions. Having watched him in other films as a young performer, it is lovely to see his talent here as well.
A Reflection of Life’s Unpredictability
Although the film becomes increasingly sad and depressing towards the end, I think that is precisely what the director wanted us to confront. He wanted us to look at the things we would rather turn away from. Life is not always merry and full of fun. Sometimes it pulls the ground out from under your feet, as it does for Lily Fernandes.
Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se: Final Thoughts
Still, the film ends on a deeply depressing note. I often wonder about the formula for successful films back then. So many movies I have seen from that era move towards a happy ending, even after considerable hardship. This one does not. After a certain point, Lily’s life feels like a graph that only keeps descending.
What struck me was that for roughly the first hour and a half, the film maintains such a positive atmosphere that it is almost impossible to imagine how much things will change. But perhaps that is what Rajshri Productions did so well with films like this: they told simple, socially grounded stories that remained close to reality, even when reality was difficult to accept.
Rating: 7.3/10
For another romance from this era, read my Khushboo review.
Watch the title song
Listen to Hemlata’s title song on Saregama Music.
You can also watch the trailer on Apple TV.
Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978)
