indian cinema heritage foundation

Daddy (1989)

  • Release Date1989
  • GenreDrama
  • FormatColour
  • LanguageHindi
  • Run Time145 mins
  • Length3895.88 meters
  • Number of Reels14
  • Gauge35 mm
  • Censor RatingU
  • Censor Certificate Number12945
  • Certificate Date28/12/1989
  • Shooting LocationBeach Classic (Hiranandani), Filmistan Studio, Seth Studio
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Pooja is a teenage girl, beautiful, a fashion model living with her maternal grandparents. Brought up in offence and luxury life was comfortable for her save those telephone calls. A strange male voice saying “I love you Pooja”.

Plagued by the telephone calls Pooja’s grandfather, Kanta Prasad decides to do something about it. He taps the telephone line and traces the call to a dingy, unkempt, hotel room. The caller a drunk alcoholic man. His name Anand Sarin and his punishment, a beating by some local thugs. The man however doesn’t give up. He once again tries to accost Pooja in her apartment building but the security guards intervene in time. Anand Sarin is arrested and sent to jail.

The events however set Pooja thinking. This was not the behavior of a persistent alcoholic but that of a man obsessed. Pooja asks her grandfather what this obsession was. Why did this man take all this trouble just to meet her?

Kanta Prasad answers hesistantly. The reason for his obsession answers Kanta Prasad was because he Anand Sarin, was her father….her Daddy. The words change Pooja’s life. The next day she goes to the Police Station with her friend and bails her father out.

The hidden anger and resentment at being an orphan inspite of having a father surfaces in Pooja. She tells him that if he was truly her father then he must claim her. Take her away from her grandfather’s house.

Anand Sarin meets with Kanta Prasad but the latter is almost livid with Anand’s audacity to even enter his house. He asks Anand if his daughter knew that her very father had killed her mother. The statement shatters all of Anand’s hopes, destroys his dream. He walks away without Pooja.

Before Pooja can label her father as a gutless promise breakee Tarabai reveals the true story of her father’s alcoholic state.

Anand Sarin was a leading ghazal singer. Popular and rich. But circumstances took a turn for the worse. Pooja’s mother his second wife died in a car accident and things were never the same for Anand. He began to drink and destroy everything around him. His present state of alcoholism was truly an extension of his sorrow.

Armed with the real story of her father’s alcoholism Pooja goes to Anand.

Anand is in a hospital, having tried to commit suicide. Not being able to take Kanta Prasad’s rejection and threat.

Pooja makes her father promise that he would stop drinking and become the man he once was. She wishes him to sing once again. Be her real daddy.

Anand promises but there are a lot of hurdles.

Kanta Prasad wishes him to remain an alcoholic so that he can have Pooja back with him.

Can Anand Sarin ever stop drinking? Can he be a singer once again? Can he stop feeling guilty for his wife’s death? Can he ever be Pooja’s Daddy?

 

(From the official press booklet)

Cast

Crew