Reviews
Aankhen (1993)
Fabulous 90s comedy
Aankhen features Hasmukh Rai (Kader Khan), who sons Munnu (Chunkey Pandey) and Bunnu (Govinda) are spoilt, irresponsible youngsters whose only aim in life is to have fun at all costs. In the meanwhile Natwar Shah (Gulshan Grover) is a share broker who is behind bars for masterminding a massive stock market scam. Natwar's brother (the late Mahavir Shah) hires a gangster called Tejeshwar Singh (Shakti Kapoor) to help remove Natwar from jail and smuggle him abroad.
Munnu and Bunnu inadvertently find themselves entangled in the crosshairs of a diabolical conspiracy to replace the existing state chief minister (Raj Babbar) with his lookalike, who happens to be a member of Tejeshwar's gang. Their misadventure ends with Bunnu gone missing and all evidence pointing towards Munnu, even as the plan to replace the chief minister comes off.
Can the brother get to the bottom of it? Will they manage to thwart Tejeshwar and co? Will Natwar manage to escape the long arm of the law, or will justice catch up with him?
Unlike what the synopsis above might suggest, Aankhen is a comedy movie that never takes itself seriously. The performances are brilliant across the board, not least those of Govinda and veteran actor Sasadhiv Amrapurkar. There's also the small matter of 3 different characters having a doppelgänger- highly unusual even in a David Dhawan movie.
The highest grosser of 1993, Aankhen is a brainless caper which keeps you entertained from the first scene to the last. Leave your brains behind and watch this movie- its a hilarious little caper.
Khiladi (1992)
The best Hindi murder mystery of the 90s
Raj (Akshay Kumar) is never shy of taking up a daring challenge, usually from his best friend and college mate Bonny (Deepak Tijori). He has never lost a bet to anyone (hence the title of the movie, which means 'player').
Raj wagers with his friends Bonny, Neelam (Ayesha Jhulka) and Sheetal (Sabiha) that he can scare the wits out of Sheetal's father (Prem Chopra). The bet involves a fake kidnapping followed by a ransom call to Sheetal's father. The plan goes perfectly to the script until Sheetal gets murdered while the others are away from the cottage they have rented.
Needless to say the suspicion will inevitably fall on the three, once the police get wind of what happened. Can the friends unmask the real murderer before they are themselves turned in for murder?
A loose remake of the 1975 movie Khel Khel Mein (only the basic idea was borrowed), Khiladi is a gripping, edge of the seat thriller that keeps you guessing right until the very end. Unlike the vast majority of Hindi movies made in the 90s, this movie could hold its own in this day and age.
The music by Jatin-Lalit is another plus point. Nearly all the songs in the movie were immensely popular in the 90s. The passage of twenty odd years notwithstanding, they have aged pretty well.
On the downside is the fact that the movie takes well over an hour before getting down to business. You can divide the movie into two halves: the first half a rom-com and the second half a murder mystery- not unusual for Hindi movies of that era. It must also be said that the production values look pretty ordinary when viewed today, which was once again characteristic of Hindi cinema in that era.
Khiladi was the breakthrough movie for a hitherto little known young actor called Akshay Kumar. Ayesha Jhulka and Deepak Tijori- neither of whom enjoyed any significant success after Khiladi- are to this day remembered for being in this movie.
From the point of view of someone watching the movie today, its a good thriller. Keep your expectations low and you'll enjoy the journey.
Mohra (1994)
Decent 90s Thriller
Vishal (Sunil Shetty), a murder convict, is released on compassionate grounds before his sentence is up. Once out of prison, he's enlisted by media tycoon Jindal (Nasseruddin Shah) to eliminate drug traffickers who are destroying the very fabric of the society.
The big bosses of the drug mafia are assassinated one after the other in rapid succession. Amar (Akshay Kumar), an honest and committed policeman in charge of the case is convinced that Vishal is responsible for bumping them off. Will Amar succeed in nailing Vishal? Will Vishal's mission succeed? Is everything as simple as it appears on the surface?
Mohra was a movie with a pretty good plot, given that it was made in the 90s, when the quality of Hindi movies was terrible. Viewed today, the treatment would appear too unrealistic and the characters caricature like. There is a wholly superfluous romantic angle which is frankly inconsequential in a thriller. But given the quality of Hindi movies made in the 1990s and the formulaic treatment typical in that era, Mohra was an excellent movie.
The songs in the movie were incredibly popular in the 90s and it must be said that they have aged well. The 'tu cheez badi hai' song was one of the biggest chart busters of that era. Akshay Kumar's costume in that song was a rage in the mid 90s.
As for the acting, the leads (Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Raveena Tandon) were just about adequate. Its the supporting cast that really stands out in this movie. Nasseruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal and Sadashiv Amrapurkar were magnificent despite their limited role and the limited scope that the script afforded them- I have given 2 stars only for their performance (especially Paresh Rawal).
At this distance in time, Mohra is best viewed as a product of its time. If you haven't watched too many Hindi movies from the 90s, keep your expectation low- you won't be disappointed.
Janmabhoomi (1936)
Perhaps the first ever patriotic Hindi movie
Dr. Ajoy Kumar Ghosh (Ashok Kumar) follows in the footsteps of a deceased friend and renounces all worldly pleasures in service of the village (a metaphor for the motherland). Joined by his lover Protima (Devika Rani), Ajay sets out to improve the lives of the people, educating them against age-old superstitions and encouraging them to stand up to the unfairness of the rural caste system. The attempts at social reform bring them in direct conflict with vested interests keen to preserve the old order.
Ashok Kumar, acting in only his third movie (both his earlier movies being from the same year), is visibly at sea. His inexperience is in contrast with Devika Rani, who's assured as ever. She looks every bit the star of that era. The surprise package however, is P.F. Pithawala as the villainous Sanathan. Despite the stagy dialogue delivery, he's supremely convincing as the scheming, vicious assistant to the reactionary zamindar.
What is remarkable is the manner in which the patriotism undertones have been concealed. The British Raj was still going strong in 1936 and so openly patriotic overtones would have been a recipe for disaster. The dialogue and lyrics writer Jamuna Swarup Casshyap did an amazing job of slipping in perfectly innocuous sounding words carrying patriotic undertones beneath the surface, which no doubt helped the movie get past the British era censors. Frankly, I gave two extra marks just for Casshyap's brilliant play with words.
The acting is typically stagy and the dialogue delivery stilted and unnatural- as is the case with early talkies pretty much anywhere in the world. The dialogue delivery frequently grates, distracting from the other merits of the movie. Janmabhoomi is best seen as a piece of cinematic history. It was perhaps the first ever patriotic movie in the history of Hindi cinema.
Jhoola (1941)
40s Masala Rom-Com
An dying zamindar bequeaths his property equally among his two sons: the elder, irresponsible and hedonistic Mahesh (Shah Nawaz) and the dutiful adopted son Ramesh (Ashok Kumar).
Disgusted with his adopted brother, Ramesh leaves the house in a huff. He goes to live in a village called Jharnaghat where he falls in love with a young lady called Geeta (Leela Chitnis). Unknown to him, Mahesh too has a crush on the young lady. Ramesh is also unaware of the fact that his adoptive father was the zamindar of that village and that Mahesh had a love affair with Kamala, a close friend of Geeta who lives in Jharnaghat.
Predictably, there are misunderstandings and confusion until the inevitable 'happy family' ending.
In an age when socially conscious or mythological films dominated, a rom-com must have come as a breath of fresh air. If you're willing to overlook the stilted dialogue delivery and the unusual music (largely due to the primitive recording technology and the compulsion to use non- singers), Jhoola is a pretty entertaining movie with its fair share of lively moments.
Having hitherto been in the shadow of his leading ladies, Ashok Kumar became a star in his own right after the success of Jhoola. Still a boyish looking youngster, dadamoni looks far more comfortable and natural than he did in his earlier movies like Achut Kanya or Janmabhoomi. Leela Chitnis is excellent, given the limited scope the script offered her. Mumtaz Ali (father of 60s comedian Mehmood) is convincing. his 'main Dilli se dulhan' song was a cult song in its era.
To conclude: Jhoola is an excellent family entertainer when you consider the fact that the movie was made in the early 40s and as such, reflects the technology, the values, aspirations and insecurities of a very different age.
Nau Do Gyarah (1957)
Brilliant idea, ordinary execution
Madan (Dev Anand) discovers that he has inherited a fortune from his deceased uncle. Madan goes to his uncle's place, only to discover that the uncle's sister (Lalita Pawar) and her son Kuldeep (Krishan Dhawan) have taken over the property, claiming the inheritance. Madan has to unearth the actual will and claim his rightful share.
The movie had an interesting premise but, as is frequently the case with Hindi movies of that era, fell short on execution. Every time it looked like the narrative was gathering steam, the flow was interrupted by a song. The movie had its moments for sure- it could have been a classic but for the songs (admittedly, the makers of the DVD might have chopped off a few scenes).
Dev Anand is brilliant as ever, as is veteran Jeevan, whose portrayal of Surjit was outstanding. Vijay Anand, directing his first movie, showed signs of the genius he was to become in late years.
Worth a one time watch at best, which is a pity since it could have been so much more.
Achhut Kanya (1936)
One of Hindi Cinema's early blockbusters
Kasturi (Devika Rani) and Pratap (Ashok Kumar) are childhood friends, despite the fact that they are from opposite ends of the social spectrum: She is an untouchable and Pratap is a brahman. Although the two are evidently in love, social conventions preclude any possibility of marriage. Both of them bow to social pressures and marry someone else. Not unexpectedly, the consequences are disastrous.
Achhut Kanya was one of the earliest blockbusters of Hindi cinema. Typically of Bombay Talkies movies of that era, the movie is a reformist piece, a social commentary on the evils of the caste system.
Viewed today, the acting would appear over the top and unnatural, but one has to remember that talkies were a pretty new phenomenon in 1936. As with early talkies anywhere in the world, the characters are too verbose and the dialogue delivery is unnatural.
On the flip side are the gorgeous visuals. Its one of the most magnificently shot movies I've ever seen- an extraordinary feat, given the primitive technology of the time. And there's Devika Rani, who's got to be one of the most beautiful faces to have graced Indian cinema.
Achhut Kanya was only the second movie for Ashok Kumar, whose inexperience shows. It was a surreal experience to see him in a cute and boyish avatar. He plays second fiddle to the far more assured Devika Rani, who was THE star of the era (she appears first even in the credits). I doubt if anyone watching this movie in 1936 would have ever imagined that this 'green', boyish looking hero would become one of the legends of Indian cinema.
The songs are so different from what we're used to today, that its impossible to comment on them- the songs are outstanding, but just not what we would imagine as filmy music in this day and age.
To sum it up: Achhut Kanya is best viewed as a piece of cinematic history- seen today, a lay viewer today will surely find it boring.
Kismet (1943)
First ever masala movie
Kismet features Shekhar (Ashok Kumar), an unapologetic, unashamed criminal but a man with a heart of gold. Shekhar unexpectedly finds himself involved with a young lady called Rani (Mumtaz Shanti) and her father (P.F. Pithawala), both of whom have more than their share of difficulties. The person responsible for their misery is Indrajeet (Mubarak), who has his own cross to bear in the form of a son who was lost almost 20 years ago (Mehmood, in his screen debut as a child artist).
Will Shekhar succeed in resolving the problems in Rani's life? Will her father manage to get back his lost dignity? Will Indrajeet find his lost son?
***Spoilers ahead*** No marks for guessing who Indrajeet's long lost son will turn out to be, though the end must have been totally unexpected for audiences in '43. Kismet was the first ever Hindi movie to feature themes like lost and found, an anti-hero and pregnancy out of wedlock. In many ways, this movie contained the blueprint for countless movies in the 70s and 80s.
Seen today, Kismet may seem just another run of the mill movie, but its worth remembering that it was a path breaking movie that was was ahead of its time.
This movie is Ashok Kumar's all the way. Already one of the leading actors of his time, Kismet made him the first superstar of Indian cinema. Dadamoni's resemblance (face and voice) to his younger brother Kishore is astonishing.
The music of Kismet is outstanding for a 40s movie, not least the 'Aaj Himalay ki choti' song, whose patriotic overtones made it a wildly popular song in the 40s.
In short, Kismet is a paisa vasool masala movie- the precursor to the Manmohan Desai brand of filmmaking.
Mahal (1970)
Classic case of what could have been
Mahal is based on an interesting premise. Rajesh Dixit (Dev Anand) is paid to impersonate the nephew of a rich man whom he has not seen since 18 years. Desperately in need of money, he accepts the assignment, only to find that nothing is what it seems.
It has the material for a tight, exciting thriller. Unfortunately, suspense scenes are few and far between. I confess that I didn't see the one plot twist coming, but there's little to build on it. Way too much time is wasted on the romantic angle between Rajesh and Roopa (Asha Parekh) and much too often, the flow is interrupted by a song.
With a run time of nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, the movie outstays its welcome. Nonetheless, it has its moments. Dev Anand is his usual charming self, as is David (as Roopa's father)- the one extra star is for those two. The movie is decent and yet, it could have been so much more.
To sum it up: great idea, poor execution.