No, it’s not Anand doing a gender bender with Babumoshai. No, it’s not Guddi’s brush with mortality. And no, it is not a tearjerker for shuddh desi families. Mili, released in June 1975, is way more.

For starters, Mili, played effortlessly by Jaya Bachchan, held her own in a year her co-star and husband Amitabh Bachchan starred in all-time biggies Sholay and Deewar. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s everyday universe of a Bombay high-rise, where an effervescent girl and a brooder fall in love, stands out amid the guns and the gore. The girl has a terminal illness. The youth, scarred by tragedy and scandal, drowns his sorrows in drink and stargazing. Not exactly 
your standard Hindi film lovebirds. 

Then, the brilliant cameos. The bitter, sexually liberated Runa Singh played with cool confidence by Aruna Irani. Here’s a rare Bolly woman who wears a dress she has designed and named Provocation without looking vampish and who pushes Bachchan’s character Shekhar to follow his heart when he dithers. There’s Ashok Kumar, who plays Mili’s huggable dad. There’s the poison-tongue neighbour, Shekhar’s servant who is loyal but spunky, Mili’s aunt who is nice without trying too hard, her armyman brother who establishes himself as a Vir Chakra winner, a loser in love and an amiable brother and son in a few taut, early scenes. Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s master touch is evident as editor too. 

Speaking of masters, Badi sooni sooni hai was S.D. Burman’s swan song. He fell ill soon after Kishore Kumar rehearsed the song and never recovered. Son Pancham recorded it.

Forget everything else. Watch Mili, because 43 years later you still wonder if Mili and Shekhar get their happy ending.