Anand (1971) Anand came at the peak of Hrishida's most creatively fecund phase and he helped Rajesh Khanna deliver what is arguably the best performance of his career. Khanna played the determinedly cheerful, incessantly talkative title character, who suffers from a terminal illness but prefers to live out his last days in sun-dappled brightness, trying to make the lives of those around him happier.

It is to Hrishida's credit that he doesn't allow the film to lapse into melodrama. Like his titular character, Hrishida is wise even when he is wise?cracking.

The film's many lighter moments balance out the emotional sequences which are aplenty -- while blessing his sister Khanna says, 'Tujhe kya ashirwad doon, bahen? Yeh bhi toh nahin keh sakta meri umar tujhe lag jaaye.' (How do I bless you? I can't even pledge that my lifespan should be added to yours.)