The festival of Raksha Bandhan is one of the most awaited festivals for the Indians and the diaspora. The festival, which is celebrated on a full moon day during the Hindu month of Sawan, has a special place in the hearts of all the siblings and cousins.
Cinema, too, has given an ode to the festival in different forms, most notably in the form of relationship dynamics between the characters: a special scene which becomes the essence of storytelling or a song that outlives its artistes and the film itself.
As we celebrate Raksha Bandhan on Wednesday, here are 5 films that celebrate the spirit of this ocassion:
1. ‘Rakhi’: The film which was released in 1962 stars Raju (played by Ashok Kumar) and his little sister Radha (played by Waheeda Rehman) as orphaned siblings, who look after each other. However, in the course of the narrative, the two have a rift but the theme of Raksha Bandhan brings them together as it binds the two in life and death.
2. ‘Chhoti Bahen’: The film which was released in 1959, stars one of the best actors of Hindi cinema, Balraj Sahni as the eldest brother in the family as he takes care of his sister Meena (played by Nanda) and another brother, Shekhar (played by Rehman). As the story progresses, Meena suddenly loses her eyesight, and Rajendra has to sacrifice his happiness to look after her. The iconic song ‘Bhaiya Mere Rakhi Ke’ depicts an earlier moment when Meena ties a Rakhi on Rajendra’s wrist during Raksha Bandhan.
3. ‘Pyari Behna’: The 1985 film showcases the relationship of orphaned siblings Kaali (played by Mithun Chakraborty) and Seeta (played by Tanvi Azmi). An engineer named Vinay (played by Vinod Mehra), who has feelings for Seeta, becomes Kaali’s enemy, and they get into conflict repeatedly. One of the poignant scenes in the film depicts Seeta discovering that Kaali has lost his left arm in an accident. She goes on to tie Rakhi on his right hand in tears.
4. ‘Krodh’: The Sunil Shetty-starrer film features him as an overprotective brother who looks after five younger sisters. He struggles to raise his five younger sisters and wants them to lead good lives. He intends to find suitable grooms for the sisters but faces resistance. However, he is heartbroken when his sister Asha marries against his wishes and later, her marriage fails. The song, ‘Mamta Bhare’, depicts the sisters tying Rakhis on Karan’s wrist.
5. ‘Resham Ki Dori’: This is the film which features the song, ‘Behna Ne Bhai Ke Kalai Se’, sung by Suman Kalyanpur. A shot from the song depicts actress Kumud Chuggani’s character Rajjo tying a Rakhi on brother Ajit’s (Dharmendra) wrist during Raksha Bandhan, in the typical melodramatic style of Bollywood films.