Bollywood’s rogue blind man made a resurgence in 2017 with Hrithik Roshan-starrer Kaabil, followed a year later by Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun. The protagonist in the Marvel series Daredevil, returning in 2025, is a blind vigilante capable of killing with bare hands.
This is by no means a recent phenomenon.
Two months after actor Sanjeev Kumar died of a heart attack in November 1985, his movie Qatl was released, where he played a blind man who murders his philandering wife. Besides Kumar, the movie starred Shatrughan Sinha, Marc Zuber, Ranjeeta Kaur, and Sarika. It was directed by RK Nayyar.
Qatl was adapted from Robert Day’s movie, In Broad Daylight (1971), and was remade in Kannada as Sanchu (2008). Written by JP Choksey with a screenplay by Vinod Ratan, it also features the fakir motif, with Ashok Kumar singing the song, Kisi Ka Dil Jo Todega.
The premise of the film: Who will believe that a blind man is capable of committing the perfect crime?
Kumar is the wronged husband
Successful actor Rakesh (Sanjeev Kumar) loses his vision in a freak accident after a chandelier falls on him. The accident would have also injured his wife Rohini (Sarika), had he not pushed her away in the nick of time.
While Rakesh is coming to terms with his loss of vision, he discovers that Rohini is cheating on him with his best friend Ranjeet (Marc Zuber). Instead of confronting Rohini and Ranjeet about their relationship, he decides to murder his wife and frame her lover for it.
The case is assigned to a bumbling Inspector Shatru (Sinha), who has a track record of solving crimes that have stumped others.
The manner in which Rakesh commits the crime is one of the most fascinating sequences in a Bollywood thriller, despite it being an adaptation.
Kumar pulls off a terrific act as the wronged husband who will stop at nothing to punish his wife and his friend. From training himself to shoot with audio-based target shooting and familiarising himself with the daily activities of Ranjeet, he leaves nothing to chance. The devoted husband turning a calculative killer act is one of the actor’s best performances, overshadowing nearly everyone else in the film.
Sinha as the seemingly slow inspector who is actually an astute investigator is also a treat to watch. The battle of wits between Rakesh and Shatru keeps the tension alive.
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Not a ‘devoted wife’
One aspect of the film that is often missed is how Rohini is also a victim of circumstance. She’s driven to become a successful actor but is caught shoplifting. Ranjeet, who witnesses the incident, steps in to help but uses it to blackmail her into having an affair with him.
When Rakesh is blinded and becomes a recluse, Rohini refuses to give up her career. Her unapologetic pursuit of success is a refreshing take in an otherwise conservative Bollywood.
Sanjeev Kumar reportedly refused to film an intimate scene with Sarika, who was more than 20 years younger than him. Qatl, through its characters, showed how the practice of the casting couch works in the industry. In the film, Ranjeet offers Rohini a career in exchange for a sexual relationship.
The movie also shows how Rohini eventually becomes dependent on Ranjeet, refusing to let the affair end. He has access to the glamorous life she wants, while all Rakesh offers is a life spent playing the ‘devoted wife’.
In a scene where Rakesh’s nurse Sita begs her to end the affair, Rohini says, “I do not want to be Gandhari.”
The day before his death, Kumar had been busy dubbing for Qatl and wrapped up only by 10:30 pm.
“Qabr ke sirane kabhi ghans nahi ugti, barkhurdar (Grass doesn’t grow near a headstone, gentleman),” was the last line he dubbed for the film.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)