A tale of deceit & ultimate revenge Khoon Bhari Maang is probably one of Rekha's best films to date. She expertly portrays the role of maternal figure turned temptress turned brutal harbinger of doom. The transformation is as miraculous as her recovery from her physical scars inflicted by her husband (Kabir Bedi) actions. She is well supported by all cast members including the comic intricacies of Kader Khan who as usual delivers a sharp dialogue to the film. Sonu Walia plays the part of the other woman well as Kabir Bedi's reluctant partner in crime who's overdue crisis of conscious comes back to haunt her literally. The film directed by Rakesh Roshan (who also brought us delights such as Khel, Khudgarz) has few plot holes & is well orchestrated. The soundtrack has one memorable song "Hanste Hanste" which is very hummable there is also a Hindi remake of the "Chariots Of Fire" theme tune sung by the gyrating Sonu Walia (a scene not to be missed). All in all, an entertainer which shouldn't leave you disappointed 8/10.
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AZAM-KHORASANI31 December 2006
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Khoon Bhari Maang was a superb thriller made at the later half of the eighties.The story is about the pains of an innocent woman.Rekha plays a very tough action role.The boat scenes are fantastic.The movie is at a jet speed after she returns back as a gorgeous model.The scenes where Rekha drives horse Fastly receives a critical applause.The Locations where the climax scenes are taken are beautiful to watch.Rekha has very clearly shown differences in her acting as an ugly woman and also as a gorgeous model.The screenplay adds a great value to movie.The songs of the movie are OK.I would not speak completely about her role.Rarely female actresses have been given great leading roles in the Indian cinema.This was a top engrossing movie after it got released. I had never seen a great action movie like this.Of course this is a very fast and trilling movie.Although this is a remake of Australian TV series Indian Audencies enjoyed this movie very much.Rakesh Roshan has proved himself as a best director.The crocodile shown in the movie really frightens the Audencies.The plot of the story has enough thrills.A better screenplay and a great direction had paved the way for the successes of the movie.
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suchenwi22 January 2009Disclaimer first: I got this interesting piece only in a Russian-dubbed version,of which I understood an occasional word or two, so I can't comment on the dialogs.
One way to put it: this is a movie about animals (the most in not just decorative "roles" I've seen since Haathi mere Saathi). A horse, a dog, a few crocodiles... An ugly duckling that after highly dramatic tribulations turns into an avenging swan, complete with whip and rifle...
Another take: scenes of a marriage. A wife done oh-so wrong kills her cheating husband. This extended finale, roughly half an hour, is very thrilling and worth waiting for through the 2-hours build-up. (Not to say that it was boring, just not so tense).
Don't expect much realism (the closest you get is the uneventful taxi ride, in classic style in a Hindustan Ambassador). But if you have two and a half hours to spare, this movie tells a jolly good yarn. I liked it quite much. -
gavin_coolhgr25 November 2007Aarti (Rekha) and her husband Rakesh Roshan live a middle class life with there two children Bobby and Kavita, they live on her father's (Mr. Saxena's) estate. All there happiness were shattered one day when Rakesh Roshan passed away. Two lovers, Nandini (Sonu Walia) and Sanjay Verma (Kabir Bedi) wanted to snatch Mr. Saxena vast estate. One day, however, Sanjay happen to be a friendly man with Aarti two children and through this he decided to marry Aarti for the sake of her two children. On a boating trip, one day, Nandini & Sanjay decided to push Aarti into the jaws of death, and declaring that it was an accident. They, however, became the owners of Mr. Saxena's vast estate. But Aarti manage to survive by doing plastic surgery on her face which had been touched by a hungry crocodile's teeth. She transformed herself by changing her name to Joti and decide to become a successful Artist. One day, however, she was persuade that Mr. Sanjay ill-treats her children, pets and maids and then she decided along with the help of her boss Mr. JD (Shatrughan Sinha) to take her revenge and deploys such a way that will make her see light.
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silvan-desouza11 June 2013Rakesh Roshan may not be a very successful actor but as a director he gave several superhit films like Khudgarz(1987) and then later Kishen Kanhaiyaa(1990) and others. Khoon Bhari Maang based on Australian mini-series Return of Eden is one of the rare women oriented films of 1980s. The film starts off with a dark, bug teethed Rekha who plays a widower and is cheated by Kabir Bedi and thrown in a lake to be eaten by Crocodile and then she comes back with a plastic surgery(Bollywood special) and becomes a model and then seeks revenge. Thinking about logic, perhaps the film may not fit in, afterall how come no one recognises her? but this is bollywood and that too at the late 80s when logic was damned but otherwise the film is superb and keeps you on the tenterhooks. The only irritant I found was the tasteless comedy by Kader Khan, Shobha Khote. Kader Khan is normally known for his funny one liners and funny movies but here it sticks out as a sore thumb, The comedy is so stupid it makes you cringe but such things worked in 80s.
Direction by Rakesh Roshan is good Music is superb, Haste Haste is superb, Jaanam(copied from Chariots of Fire) is good
Rekha breathes fire into her role as always, she portrays both aspects of the character very well, a clear study shows that Rekha did look somewhat like the pre plastic surgery phase in her early days except the scar and the teeth. Kabir Bedi is superb as the villain, Shatrughan Sinha has a short role and he does it well, Sonu Walia is superb Kader Khan is good but his track does get irritating Shobha Khote is okay, Vikas Anand, Mangal Dhillon, AK Hangal and rest are good -
Peter_Young18 August 2009Well it's plain and simple, Rekha does not only deliver one of the best performances of her career, but one of the best performances ever seen on the Indian screen, or what we call mainstream Hindi cinema. Rakesh Roshan's direction deserves special mention. He successfully remakes the Australian mini-series "Return to Eden" into a feature film in a modern, urban Indian setting. The story is quite interesting, though it's much more engaging in the second half. So what's it about - Rekha plays Aarti, a wealthy, unattractive widow with two kids who reluctantly marries a man who has deviously befriended her kids but wants nothing but her money. The rather shocking scene in which she is supposedly killed by her husband is followed by Aarti's transformation from a gentle, unassuming woman to a strongly determined lady who will do anything to take revenge on those who made her life miserable and separated her from her children. And she arrived back in her city in the form of a to-die-for, extremely beautiful model named Jyoti. From then on her true journey begins.
This story, obviously not the most realistic and credible on paper, is strongly enhanced by the film's execution and narrative style, as it develops at a fast, steady pace. The script isn't perfect, but the treatment helps make it a cut above the usual revenge sagas of the time. The film has it all: drama, thriller, action, but it is just a very good film as a film and works as complete entertainment no matter what genre it belongs to. Of course there are some unnecessary scenes of comedy here and there, but they are not that significant. Khoon Bhari Maang is made on relatively high production values: the editing is good, the cinematography is effective, the sets are well chosen, the costumes are fantastic, and the film is a very atypical commercial Hindi film of the 1980s in its overall feel. Rajesh Roshan's music is memorable. "Jeene Ke Bahaane Lakhon Hain" is wonderfully sung by Asha Bhosle, "Main Haseen Ghazab Ki" presents the film's topmost dance-musical performances, but the film's ultimate, trademark tune is the "family unity" song "Hanste Hanste", which, in its three different versions, is a pleasure to listen to and probably best associated with the film.
Easily one of the finest actresses of India, and probably the country's most charismatic star, Rekha is exceptional in this author-backed role, even within the constraints of an imperfect script. Her portrayal is simply indescribable, with facial expressions, body language and dialogue delivery spot on all through. She carries every scene naturally and makes the almost fantastical transformation from Aarti to Jyoti incredibly convincing. As the more traditional and simple Aarti in the initial portions of the film she is unrecognisable, displaying the right amounts of confusion, simplicity and modesty. But it's the new Aarti (naming herself Jyoti) who gives her full scope to become a winner. She is not only stunning, but acts with impressive confidence and aplomb, delicately letting the viewer sense the pain of a deeply hurt deceived woman, the struggle of a tormented mother, and the steadfast determination of a strong-willed avenger. This is an unforgettable bravura performance.
Other than the show-owner Rekha, the entire cast is very good, with Sonu Walia standing out. She is fabulous as Nandini and acts with aplomb throughout the film. It's sad that such a talented actress did not have the opportunity to make something of her career. She reminds me of today's Sushmita Sen. Two beauty pageants, beautiful, sexy and classy women, and two extremely underrated actresses. Kabir Bedi is excellent as the bad guy Sanjay. He plays the part so well that there seems to be nothing easier than to hate him. The kids are great and very convincing. Sulabha Deshpande in the small part of Leela is outstanding as she always is, and Shatrughan Sinha provides good support in his significant guest appearance.
Khoon Bhari Maang is nowhere a great film, but it grows on you. The film has many great moments which manage to tug at the heartstrings. My favourite scene is when the kids dedicate a song to their "dead" mother on their parents day at school, while she is sitting in the audience. The first time Jyoti appears on-screen comes across as quite a surprise, and it gives the film a great boost. Another moving moment is when the boy meets Aarti and notices the similarity between "this woman" and his own mother but the absence of the birthmark on her face disproves him. Same with the scenes where the dog recognizes Aarti and runs towards her, or the family's mute ranch employee. The last scene is extremely touching. The second half is overall full of great moments which is exactly what fans of Hindi films love. And to sum it up, if you have not watched Khoon Bhari Maang yet, I highly recommend you to do so. Its flaws notwithstanding, it remains an enjoyable dramatic thriller with an all-time great performance by Rekha. -
g_aparna11 September 2015A dumb widow(Rekha) is lured into marriage by her best friend(Sonu)! The bold & brazen Sonu offers her boyfriend (Kabir) as a bait and the dumbo gulps it down!
The dumbo widow was also a mother of 2 kids and filthy rich too – i.e. financially independent. But clever and conniving Sonu counsels the dumbo to marry because children need a father. Dumbo agrees to marry Kabir – not thinking even once that with sexy-sultry Sonu around, how come Kabir was showing interest on a fat and ugly widow! Nor did she do any background check – as I said 'dumb'!
So Kabir takes her for a ride...yea literally ...and throws her to be devoured by the hungry crocodiles! After seeing blood in water and confirming that the ugly fatso has been disposed, Kabir happily returns home and starts to live-in with Sonu and turns the children into servants in their own house!
Well, real life would have finished here – the daughter would have grown up..in some kinda incest-like environment and the son would have turned into some drug addict – both the children would have had a sad and gory ending too! But Hindi film had other plans! They turned the ugly fatso into a beautiful swan...along with making her highly intelligent too and she manages to take revenge!
She re-unites with her children! Happy ending!
USPs – Song : Jeene ke bahane lakho hai ...
(meaning- There are many reasons to live, you never learnt the art of living, anyone can belong to you, you never tried hard enough!)
This is the dangerous song that Sonu sang to lure Rekha in Kabir's trap! So girls, do not fall in false traps like this! Be very careful of such smooth talkers who show too much interest in your personal life! Because when Rekha pushed her luck – after being convinced by smooth talker Sonu – she landed up straight in the crocodile's mouth! -
hollywood_fan257 January 2004Rekha truly blew me away with her performance in this film. Personally, I am so used to seeing her in glamour roles that i didn't think i would like this film. I ended up loving it. I think she did a wonderful job and deserved the Filmfare award for best actress back in 1988. Rekha in this film looks, well, ugly. But thats only in the begining of the film. She wears fake teeth, and made to look like she has no makeup on.
I would recommend this film to anyone and all Rekha fans alike. Oh, and she does get glamoured up towards the second half of the film. But you'd have to see it to understand what i mean. -
Who am I to review the cult classic khoon bhari maang, just a mere mortal, who has watched this film 500 times atleast. Those crocodiles, the revenge sequence, the plastic surgery, the dirty tricks for wealth, stables with horses, crying innocent children, a loyal house help, inheritance etc. Every making of a perfect piece of an unprecedented Indian family revenge drama. Rekha never shone so bright, nor did the roshans, nor did sonu walia, or kabir bedi and nor were benevolent Indian reptiles represented so perfectly again. Superlative.
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Rakesh Roshan still continues with his lucky letter K, even today, his Kites being the latest; Though in spite of much hype, Kites bombed at the box, Khoon Bhari Maang did well at that time, and continues to interest the viewers ,whenever shown on any channel , and otherwise to Rekha fans.
It's a well-known fact, that Rekha was popularly titled by the cine-critics as Lady Amitabh. She had the charisma, the looks, the acting skills, and an amazing appeal to pull the crowd only by herself. Roshan has cashed on this factor, by cleverly combining it with a strong plot line, and a carefully selected and superbly cast supporting actors, the best out of them being Shatrughan Sinha. He excels in his role, with a macho appeal,coupled with good acting. Kabir Bedi and former beauty queen Sonu Walia add to the glamor, and look sexy , as they should, for their respective roles.
But this is basically a Rekha Movie, and she has given a very convincing performance. Her transformation from an ugly ,unassuming duckling,to a super model,though a bit overdone and artificial, is an eye candy to watch for her fans. she does look gorgeous. Actually, the basic story line is literally stolen from a Marathi Drama, without giving the original author his due credits, and a lot of masala has been added to attract the mass audience. Some of the flaws like, why the otherwise capable heroine did not care to undergo a plastic surgery, when she had all the resources,or how come the criminal duo does not suspect her, is conveniently compromised for the twist in the story. Music score is good, locations are pleasing to the eyes, cinematography is excellent. Some how, the climax of the movie by fulfilling the scorn woman's mission of bringing the culprits to their end, is quite dragged, and some editing would have helped.
The movie keeps the viewers engaged ,though, by it's pace, and also the grip of the story, as to what will happen next. Rakesh Roshan does have a knack for churning out the block-busters, and he practically launched his banner with this one. -
nadkarnisumeet11 August 2022Khoon Bhari Maang review :
Adapted from the Australian series Return to Eden (1983), Khoon Bhari Maang was the second consecutive success for producer- director Rakesh Roshan after Khudgarz (1987). The action thriller literally gave a new lease of life to Rekha who was going through a lean phase that time. It is one of Rekha's career best performance easily figuring in her best five..
A wealthy widow (Rekha) marries a handsome dude (Kabir Bedi, impressive) who pushes her to to the crocodile. The lady returns back with a changed face (glamourous than ever) after a plastic surgery and extracts her sweet revenge.
Khoon Bhari Maang was a risky subject for the '80s when the audience was used to watching the conventional hero- heroine stuff but here, the hero was actually a villain who kills his newly wedded wife to continue affair with her bestie (Sonu Walia) while the heroine turned the avenging hero riding on a horseback in the climax!! Roshan's risk however paid off handsomely for two primary reasons :
1) The wonderful ladies : Undoubtedly, Rekha and Sonu Walia were simply fantastic in the film. Both won Filmfare awards that year and Khoon Bhari Maang belongs to these two beauties. Rekha's transformation from the plain jane to a super model was just wow! As for Sonu Walia, I just loved her as Nandini, Rekha's bestie who betrays her. She literally scorched the screen in her yellow swimsuit romancing the macho Kabir Bedi.
2) Rajesh Roshan's music : a huge positive for Khoon Bhari Maang were the songs. Whether it is the seductive "Main teri hoon jaanam" or the hip hop happy "Hanste Hanste Kat Jaaye Raaste', every number was a chartbuster.
Khoon Bhari Maang clashed with Yash Chopra's mega multistarrer Vijay but still emerged a clear winner. The film met with critical acclaim as well as audience appreciation. As they say, good content always triumphs!!
Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.