Junoon (1978 film)

Junoon
DVD cover
Directed by	Shyam Benegal
Produced by	Shashi Kapoor
Written by	Shyam Benegal (screenplay) Satyadev Dubey (dialogues) Ismat Chugtai (dialogues) Ruskin Bond (novella, A Flight of Pigeons)
Narrated by	Amrish Puri
Starring	Shashi Kapoor Shabana Azmi Jennifer Kendal Naseeruddin Shah
Music by	Vanraj Bhatia
Cinematography	Govind Nihalani
Editing by	Bhanudas Divakar
Release date(s)	1978 (1978)
Running time	141 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi English

Junoon (Hindi: जुनून, translation: The Obsession) is a critically acclaimed and award-winning 1978 Indian Hindi language film produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Shyam Benegal. The film is based on Ruskin Bond's fictional novella, A Flight of Pigeons, set around the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The film also had award-winning soundtrack, composed by Vanraj Bhatia, and cinematography by Govind Nihalani.

Its cast included Shashi Kapoor, Nafisa Ali, Tom Alter, Shabana Azmi, Jennifer Kendal, Karan Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, Pearl Padamsee and Sushma Seth.

Plot

Cast and characters

• Shashi Kapoor as Javed Khan
• Jennifer Kendal as Mariam Labadoor
• Naseeruddin Shah as Sarfaraz Khan
• Shabana Azmi as Firdaus, Javed Khan's wife
• Nafisa Ali as Ruth Labadoor
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Lala Ramjimal
• Sushma Seth as Javed Khan's chachi
• Tom Alter as Mr. Labadoor
• Amrish Puri as the Narrator

Summary

The story is set around the Mutiny of 1857. Javed Khan ( played by Shashi Kapoor )is a feckless feudal chieftain, whose world revolves around breeding carrier pigeons. His elder brother, Sarfaraz Khan ( played by Naseeruddin Shah ) is politically awakened and actively plots the fight for Indian Independence. The mutineers attack the local British administrators while they are in Sunday Worship at Church, massacring them all. Miriam Labadoor ( played by Shashi Kapoor's real-life wife, Jennifer Kendal ) manages to escape with her daughter, Ruth ( played by a young Nafisa Ali ) and seeks refuge with the wealthy Hindu family of Lala Ramjimal ( played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda ). Lala, torn between his loyalties for India and his privileged position under the British, takes them to the feudal landlords, where smitten by Ruth's beauty, the family is offered sanctuary by Javed. This leads to jealousy on part of his wife, Firdaus ( played by the inimitable Shabana Azmi ) and anger on part of his brother, who ultimately gives in to the Indian tradition of offering hospitality and sanctuary even to uninvited guests. Various situations ensue due to cultural misunderstandings in the domestic routine of the Muslim household with its new White guests. Javed falls in love with Ruth, and the two engage in a love affair under the watchfull, suspicious eyes of Firdaus.

Meanwhile the Mutiny runs into problems and the British are defeating the ill-organized Indian forces. In a stormy scene, Sarfaraz destroys Javed's pigeon coops and sets his pets aflight after he finds out that the mutineers have lost the Battle for Delhi. There is a delayed recognition by Javed of his subjugated identity as an Indian colonised by the British. Sarfaraz dies in a battle against the British. The Labadoors return to the protection of the re-deployed British contingent, smuggled by Firdaus, who only wants to save her marriage. Javed withdraws heart-broken to his pigeons. Ruth and her mother return to England.

Awards

1979 National Film Awards awards

• Best Feature Film in Hindi – Shashi Kapoor
• Best Cinematography – Govind Nihalani
• Best Audiography – Hitendra Ghosh

1980 Filmfare Awards awards

• Best Film – Shashi Kapoor
• Best Director- Shyam Benegal
• Best Dialogues – Pandit Satyadev Dubey
• Best Editing – Bhanudas Divakar
• Best Cinematography – Govind Nihalani
• Best Sound Recording – Hitendra Ghosh

1980 Filmfare Awards nominations

• Best Supporting Actor – Naseeruddin Shah
• Best Supporting Actress – Jennifer Kendal

Recognition

• Inaugural film at the 7th International Film Festival, New Delhi, 1979.
• Official Indian entry at the XI^th International Film Festival, Moscow.
• Featured at the Montreal World Film Festival 1979, the Cairo International Film Festival 1979, the Sydney Film Festival 1980 and the Melbourne International Film Festival 1980.

Soundtrack

Junoon
Soundtrack album by Vanraj Bhatia
Released	1978
Genre	Film soundtrack
Label	HMV
Producer	Kersy Lord

The soundtrack features 4 songs, composed by Vanraj Bhatia, with original lyrics from Yogesh Praveen and other lyrics by Amir Khusro, Jigar Moradabadi and Sant Kabir.

1. "Khusro rain piya ki jaagi pee ke sang" – Jamil Ahmad
2. "Ishq ne todi sar pe qayamat" – Mohammad Rafi
3. "Come live with me and be my love" – Jennifer Kendal
4. "Ghir aayi kari ghata matwali sawan ki aayi bahaar re" – Asha Bhosle, Varsha Bhosle

External links

• Junoon at the Internet Movie Database
• Junoon at AllRovi
• Junoon at Rotten Tomatoes
• Review at Rediff.com

Awards
Preceded by Manthan	National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi 1978	Succeeded by Aakrosh