Anamika (1973 film)

Plot

Devendra Dutt (Sanjeev Kumar) is a famous writer and a misogynist. One night, while returning from a meeting, he sees a young woman thrown out of a moving car. His uncle insists they take her home and get her medical attention. He hesitatingly agrees and takes her to their home.

Next morning the young woman (Jaya Bhaduri) regains consciousness, but is suffering from amnesia. She can't remember anything except that she is married to Devendra. She can't remember anything from her past - not even her name except that she is Mrs. Dutt. Everyone tries to convince her otherwise but she insists she is in her own home. Seeing her fragile state, Devendra and his uncle decide to let her stay until someone comes for her. They call her Anamika (meaning a woman with no name).

They post an advertisement for her in the newspaper but receive no response. Meanwhile Devendra slowly grows close to her and secretly wishes that she would stay forever. On his uncle's suggestion, Devendra takes her to Shimla on holiday to further help her fragile recovery. There he sees Anamika's photo in a studio and on further inquiry comes to know that she is the wife of a businessman. Though heart broken by the realization that she is married, he goes to meet the businessman. Here he is shocked to learn that Anamika isn't the businessman's wife but his employee/escort who accompanied him on his holiday to Shimla the previous year. Being already dumped by a former fiancée, Devendra believes that Anamika, like all women, is immoral and after his money and throws her out of his house.

He later meets her at a ceremony where she is introduced to him as Mrs. Kashyap. Confused, Devendra requests her to tell him the truth. She narrates her past in flashback - an ardent fan of Devendra's novels, she was infatuated with him while in college. However, incessantly pursued by her classmate Naresh, and helpless by her poverty, which is worsened by her mother's ill-health, she finally agrees to marriage. On her wedding night she learns that she is married to Naresh's brother, who deserts her the same night believing himself undeserving of Anamika. Naresh now takes advantage of his brother's absence and continues to harass her. She escapes from the house and joins a modeling company. There her boss tries to take advantage of her and when she resists, he blames her for the incident. She quits her job and Rubai (Helen), who had recommended her to the modeling job, outwardly sympathizes with her and puts her up in what she claims is a working women's hostel. A few days later, Anamika gets arrested with the rest of the girls in a police raid, which is when she realizes she had been staying at a brothel. But she is later released, based on the testimony of the other inmates and her own statement against Rubai. Rubai tries to exact revenge on Anamika for this and sends her goons to kill her. While attempting to escape the goons, Anamika jumps out of a moving car on the night that Devendra find her. Anamika tells Devendra that when she regained her consciousness and discovered that she was at her favorite author's house, she decided to stay, come what may. After listening all this, Devendra reconciles with her and fights away Naresh who tries to harass her.

Cast

Crew

Music

Film expert and musicologist Rajesh Subramanian says the song Bahon mein chale aao was shot at Sur Mandir (bungalow owned by S D Burman) at Khar Road and the swing used in the song was actually purchased by R D Burman for his first wife Rita Patel.

All lyrics written by Majrooh Sultanpuri; all music composed by Rahul Dev Burman.

Remake

The film was later remade in Telugu titled Kalpana (1977) starring Murali Mohan and Jayachitra.