Akeli 1999

Akeli is a 1999 Indian Bollywood film released on 1999. The film is directed by Kanti Shah. Avinash a highly qualified but unemployed youth in his mid twenties arrives in Bombay looking for a suitable job as an engineer. For his meagre resources and poor background he is only able to lodge himself in an impoverished guest house while searching for a job desperately. He is lonely, depressed and very demoralised when the story begins as he has not been able to get anywhere despite knocking at several doors in response to multitude of vacancies published in the daily newspaper . Once when he is desperately trying to reach the Personnel Manager of a company in response to their advertisement, he again an again is getting a cross connection over the telephone. Two girls are chatting unaware and unbothered about Avinashs urgency. He overhears them mentioning about another friend of theirs called Meera who obviously had some unfortunate happening at her end. As one of the girls wanted to ring Meera to sympathise, the other girl gives her the telephone number on an impulse. Finally when he gets the clear line he is informed by the receptionist of the company concerned that the office had already closed for the day. While his other room mates who apparently have some job or the other go out frolicking in the town. Avinash spends his evening and the night by himself in a neglected park and the depressive room at the guest house, lonely and insecure. Next day when he again phones the number regarding the vacancy he is told that it is already filled. In frustration as her hits his forehead with the newspapers he notices the telephone number...Meeras telephone number that he had jotted down the previous day. On an impulse and mainly out of a sense of deep loneliness he calls Meeras number. A maid servant answers and calls her on the phone. Avinash stutters nervously as to how he came about to call her. He is snubbed as Meera coolly replaces the receiver. . Meera is herself an extremely lonely woman who has seen much unhappiness in her life. At a very young age and within days of her marriage her husband had deserted her and taken off with a rich millionairess. A heartless society had pounced upon her in the small town where she lived. Despite being educated and a lovely positive minded person she had contemplated suicide. At that point a rich social reformer and a much revered old man had come to her aid patronisingly and had brought her to Bombay where he had changed colours very quickly. She was forced to live as his mistress almost in captivity as in the eyes of the world the social reformer was after all a great man. Meera had resighed herself to her fate as had also experienced that the world outside was not much less cruel and vicious . Avinash continues with his pursuit for a job without success. Much fatigued much demoralised an dmuch lonelier, one day he again endeavours to call Meera. This time she herself answers the phone. He immediately pleads with her not to disconnect the line as she is the only human contact that he has in this harsh and ruthless town. Intrigued and confused by his plea she continues to listen to him. He promises never to harass or disturb her or suggest any meeting, ever. He requests her to agree only to chat with her over the telephone from time to time, when he could pour out all his frustrations and jubilations; all his failures and achievements as he had no other friend in this town. Out of a sense of empathy Meera agrees to his proposal on the condition that they will never make demands on each other as well as they will keep in utter confidence whatever they discussed. . Avinash strarts calling her from time to time. They begin to talk at length, know each other more and share each others life without ever meeting or being together. As luck would have it Avinash succeeds in finding a job and gradually and subtly he begins to change from a diffident, insecure young man to a confident and inspiring person. The bond between the two gets stronger and they become an important part of each others life. They become quite dependent on each other although Meera seems to lean more on him than he on her as he gets more and more sure of himself with a good job and a good living. Meera even begins to romanticize about him. She begins to write beautiful poetry about him and visualise him almost as a lover a friend and a shelter in her life. She even paints his pictures from her imagination . When they have reached a level of a beautiful serene relationship she herself breaks the vow and suggests that why not they meet at least once as they know so much about each other. Avinash readily agrees and they arrange to meet on a particular Sunday at a particular place and at a particular time in the evening. Meera feels a different excitement as the day dawns. She feels a different symphony in the atmosphere and a different fragrance in the air. She takes elaborate care in choosing her dress and gear. In the afternoon she goes for hair-dressing as well as for buying a gift for Avinash. As she is tried after the shopping she enters a restaurant for a cup of coffee. She sits by herself on a table and orders the coffee. Behind her four or five young men are seated round another table merrily chatting, joking, pulling each others legs and bragging about themselves. As Meera settles herself and begins to enjoy the blissful seashore where by the restaurant is, she overhears a familiar voice from among the group of young man bragging about himself. She is immediately a bit self-conscious and alert. As another one of the young man asks him about the telephone lady, he talks pompously about a very private and personal thing that Meera had shared only with Avinash. She knows now that the voice belongs to Avinash and she almost begins to feel numb. She further hears him making fun of her to his friends with the remarks, "Seemas to be a frustrated and lonely old lady..after todays meeting I must call it a quit... Shes getting too close". . Slowly Meera staggers to get up and discreetly turns to look back in their direction and in the mirror she sees the face of the young man bragging about himself. He is Avinash as she walks out almost in a trance Avinash and all his friends steal looks at her and pass frivolous remarks e.g. "Hey boy! That is something". Check out this page for more updates on Akeli.