Movie Review : Do Aankhen Barah Haath

Title : Do Aankhen Barah Haath
Language : Hindi
Year : 1957
Director : Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram
Genre : Drama, Crime, Comedy
IMDB Link
Lead Role : Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram, Sandhya, Ulhas

Do Aankhen Barah Haath (Two Eyes, Twelve Hands) is widely regarded as a classic milestone in the history of Indian cinema. The story of the film is based on the 'open prison' experiment that was conducted some two decades before the making of the movie.

Adinath is a prison warden who decides to carry out this experiment on six murder convicts, in an unprecedented attempt to show them the greatness of mercy. He hopes to nourish their human sides by offering them a second chance. Would his gambit pay off?

I believe that a film could be labeled a classic if viewers can connect with it and debate it across the dimensions of time and space. In that regard, this movie justifies the tags attributed to it up to a considerable extent. While the story and making is commendable, elements of drama and theatrical performances by the actors dampens the viewing experience by a notch. Nonetheless, credit must be accorded to the makers for coming up with such a socially relevant theme even at those times.

A lot of debate still goes on what is the right kind of punishment for offenders. As such, Do Aankhen Barah Haath offers us something to ponder.

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