Dharam Veer

Dharam Veer (1977) : Brief Review -

A royal swashbuckling blockbuster from Manomohan Desai in his peak year. The two-hero film was gaining pace in the post-Sholay era, and Desai knew it. In 1977, he delivered two of the biggest blockbusters of his career, Amar Akbar Anthony (3 hero film) and Dharam Veer (2 hero film). DV is more into the swashbuckling zone, which didn't inspire Indian filmmakers much from the beginning, but proper masala packaging would always work. Desai's DV adds multiple masala ingredients to it, and every single thing hits the right chord. You don't expect a princess to marry a swordsman living in a hut and then have them part ways the same night. You give a proper prelude to the entries of two heroes for almost half an hour. The lost and found formula peaked here yet again (of course, AAA was some next-level stuff). Two brothers, one prince and one poor, and the latter had to be the elder one. You can't have anyone else but Super Hero Dharam Ji for the role because that mass appeal, machoism, and attitude to show off muscles and thighs weren't available in anybody else. You get Pran to play a swordsman who is hit by bad luck. Ditto for Indrani. Jeetendra was becoming a rage among girls at that time (my mother was a huge fan), and you have him play the prince, a man of principles and royalty. In usual masala flicks, you might see two brothers fighting over a girl, but here, they both fall in love with opposite category girls. Dharam is bound to marry a princess, whereas Veer is bound to a nomad dancer. The practical value of this masala equation may probably rank higher than other masala film cliches as Desai attempts to defy usual norms and stand away with his own conviction. You don't have a moment to lose on the screen, and then you get 4 superhit songs, each with a different melody and taste. I mean, give me a moment, man. It's all so freaking fascinating to come together like a dream. How can a bird (Baaz) play such a big role! Try it, you other fellas (Coolie did it).

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.