Anand 1971

At an award ceremony in Mumbai for his first book, Anand, Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee is asked to speak about the book. He explains that the work is drawn from his diary excerpts about meeting Anand and recounts that experience to the audience, offering a window into a life defined by compassion and struggle.

Bhaskar, an oncologist, dedicates his practice to treating the poor free of charge, yet he feels the weight of a world where not every ailment can be cured. This sense of limitation leaves him frequently disheartened as he confronts suffering, illness, and poverty that surround him. He remains steadfast in his belief that true care should not be reserved for the wealthy, even as he grapples with the gaps between idealism and reality.

His friend, Dr. Prakash Kulkarni, chooses a different path. While Bhaskar gives freely to the poor, Kulkarni tends to the needs of the rich, monetizing those services in a way that funds his efforts to help others. The two doctors represent contrasting approaches to healing and generosity, each driven by a personal code.

One day, Kulkarni introduces Bhaskar to Anand, who battles lymphosarcoma of the intestine, a rare and aggressive cancer. Despite knowing his prognosis—six months or less—Anand wears a bright, buoyant demeanor. His cheerfulness and vitality have a soothing effect on Bhaskar, whose own gravity and seriousness begin to soften in Anand’s presence. Anand possesses a remarkable gift: he attracts people and makes friends easily, leaving a lasting impression on everyone he meets.

In one memorable encounter, Anand befriends Isa Bhai, a theater actor. The two men form a genuine and heartwarming bond, sharing moments of humor, warmth, and mutual support that lighten the weight of Anand’s illness. This friendship underscores Anand’s ability to connect deeply with others, even as his own body weakens.

As Anand’s condition worsens, he rejects the idea of spending his remaining days confined to a hospital bed. He roams freely, choosing to live fully and to help those around him. During this time, he discovers that Bhaskar harbors strong feelings for Renu, whom Bhaskar had previously treated for pneumonia. Anand helps Bhaskar find the courage to express his love and even persuades Renu’s mother to bless their marriage, nudging Bhaskar toward a future he once thought impossible.

Anand also reveals a past love from Delhi—a girl who is now married to someone else because of his illness. On the day she married, Anand traveled from Delhi to Mumbai to begin letting go, preserving a memory by placing a flower in his book. As his illness deepens, Anand becomes more housebound, yet he continues to influence those around him through small acts of care and shared moments.

There is a quiet, poignant ritual as Anand records Bhaskar reciting a poem and, in a moment of intimacy, delivering a line himself, both of them laughing together on tape. As his breaths grow fainter, friends gather, hoping for a final word from him. When Bhaskar is momentarily away to fetch medicines, Anand’s voice—captured on the tape—becomes a chorus of farewell. The room fills with emotion as the recording plays, and the friends weep together. In a final, symbolic image, a pair of balloons drifts upward into the sky, signaling Anand’s departure from the world and the lingering echoes of a life that refused to surrender to despair.