Mahesh bhatt created a oscar level movie ...Such a intense portrayel of complexity of life ..Pain ,grief ,never ending struggle of life ,great great ...Direction & story by mahesh ji Huge applause for Anupam kher such a outstanding debut by him..Stellar performance..great actor he is..Great work by mahesh ji ,anupam kher & Rohini hattengiri . A genuine masterpiece..Must watch it..

Mahesh Bhatt the filmmaker made several superb films in the 80s and 90s SARAANSH(1984) is one of his rare films which was more art-house like ARTH then commercial. The film was rare as it dealt with the problems faced by an old age couple who lose their son The first half establishes it's characters slowly, we are given insights on their lives, There are several poignant moments like Anupam Kher confrontation at the Airport Customs Office, Anupam Kher's scenes with his wife and with his best friend. The film does have it's share of clichés and stereotypes but yet the handling of the film is simply awesome by Mahesh Bhatt. The film gathers momentum once the battle lines are drawn between Anupam and The Politician and right till the finale the movie is simply outstanding A few flaws like the pacing can be ignored.Direction by Mahesh Bhatt is awesome, this ranks amongst his best Music is in limited doses and all songs blend well This film had editing by David Dhawan and AD was Sooraj Bharjatya both went on to become big directors later.Anupam Kher who was just 28 and launched in this film gave his heart and soul and gave such a flawless performance as a middle aged retired headmaster that he got typecast in such roles Anupam kept playing father roles to actors younger and older to him but Saraansh is a landmark and he won the award that year against DK for Mashaal. Rohini Hattangady too does a great job though she too was in her late 20's yet it doesn't come across, she is perfect Soni Razdan is decent, Nilu Phule is theatrical but works well Alok Nath has one scene, Madan Jain is okay Several well known artistes contribute in one scene or two like Arun Bakshi, Akash Khurana and all leave a mark The actor playing Anupam's friend is superb too

Well,I saw this movie late last night,and I must say I wouldn't have seen a better movie.Mahesh Bhatt had set a standard for him in the 80s to be the I-don't-care-a-damn-about-the-commercial-success director.And he practiced what he preached unlike many others.This movie is a perfect example.Not only was Saraansh India's official entry to the Academy Awards that year,but it also marked the beginning of one of India's most able actors till date-Anupam Kher.He's as good as it can get in this flick.The movie's realistic portrayal of the Indian society deserves a standing applause and the performances were just the icing on the cake.Rohini Hattangidy shines as she always has.Mahesh Bhatt has proved time and time again that this country would always miss his trademark movies for decades to come now.

You can't help but wonder, especially as an immigrant, what happens to the family of the people who get killed in a foreign country. You see this on the news nearly everyday and this film tells you just that story you've always imagined but never like this. I saw this film recently on Zee TV, I can't believe how old it truly is when I looked at the year it was acted. Anupam Kher hasn't aged a single day. He looks exactly the same in 2006, the way he looked back in 1983. Shocking! His acting is very compelling here, as he plays the father of a young man who was murdered while studying abroad by goons who jumped him for his wallet during a festival he attended. You slowly watch the father sink deeper and deeper to the depths of bereavement and disbelief in the truth that surround him. A lot of this is to be blamed on the lack of solace that he experiences in the wake of his son's death. The impersonality in the way the news was broken to him (over the phone). Plus the fact that his son was cremated in New York and the ashes sent to him(the father) in India, which is part of a sequence of events that affect him and his wife psychologically and lead them to plan an unthinkable chain of events.