Forgive the remaking of Cape Fear but this happens to be late Mukul Anand's best movie directorial. "Agneepath" is too cheesy compared to this.
The best things about this movie is the cast...Danny Dengzongpa is one terrific dude when it comes to menacing roles. This guy with his perfect Hindi diction (unaccented, clear, clean and modulated) could put to shame some of the biggest orators of moviedom, despite his Sikkimese background. It is absolutely a treat to hear him in his baritone voice. Of course, terrific body, perfect body language and that super-confidence that he shows on screen in any movie...in short GREAT ACTOR. Mukul gave him a good role...that of a real bad guy without a trace of remorse even after committing a brutal rape...looking at his eyes dilate in glee upon his misdeed makes you despise him thoroughly! The same guy goes through a crash course in patience and sophistication during his incarceration in prison for the rape charge and he comes out as a suave criminal mind capable of causing enough anxiety in his nemesis' mind without stepping an inch out of legal limits. Here is where natural Danny's super confidence helps him sketch out the character of a menacing stalker. And this is where his perfect Hindi diction helps him establish his masked menace.
Suresh Oberoi never played a lead role before or after...but I must give it to this baritone-gifted actor for brining to justice the role of an upright lawyer with a family to protect. Suresh brought out the anguish of a stalked family-man perfectly. The scenes where he loses his normal poise and cool when confronting Danny are wonderful and convey the anguish of a person who knows he is being stalked by a criminal but cannot book him under any law.
This cat and mouse game between the Lawyer (who was a deposing eye-witness to Danny's crime) and the criminal comes to a fitting climax.
A small detour is seen in the story in the form of Deepti Naval as an estranged wife of Suresh Oberoi who re-unite after a long time just before the menace of a stalking Danny starts to disrupt their life. The friction between the couple somehow adds up to the grimness of the situation.
Overall this was a well made movie without much wastage of footage to mindless comedy, songs or tear-jerking emotions. Made in the times when these elements were primary ingredients to a movie, this one goes a whole yard ahead in terms of quality and finish. A good movie for collections.
