Eminent litterateur and a ‘poetic’ filmmaker Sagar Sarhadi, was unarguably one of the finest storytellers in the Hindi film industry. His writings were mellow, mordant and modern. His plays brimmed with the angst he felt and convictions that were born out of his beliefs. He wrote films rich in lyricism with their literary flair . His perception of love was unique and yet so inured in tradition. Romance that he wove in his stories had a relatable feel. He breathed life into the emotional roller coasters of Bollywood like Kabhie Kabhie, Silsila and Chandni etc. He had a talent for plumbing the depths of the human heart to create indelible characters. He scripted complex women characters, brought alive by protagonists Rakhi, Smita Patil, Rekha and Shabana Azmi. He yearned for respect to women and disliked their “grotesque presentation” on screen. The iconic dialogues, he wrote for Bazaar, give goose bumps even today. Sarhadi was not swayed by the trappings of showbiz and remained unspo
Spotlight on Indian Cinema