Aap Ke Deewane (1980)

Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan are today's superstars. However their fathers (Rishi Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan) have not only been good friends in real life but also given some entertaining movies by their joint performances in reel life more than three decades back. Though Rishi Kapoor was a superstar of the seventies and the eighties whereas Rakesh Roshan was considered a B grade hero only, their on-screen chemistry was amazing. Perhaps their real life friendship helped them in creating magic on the screen. Today I am reviewing a movie which is a mindless romantic comedy starring these two heroes which can be enjoyed by keeping your mind under lock and key only. It's Aapke Deewaane (1980) whose presenter is none other than Rakesh Roshan himself.

Aapke Deewaane (crazy for you) is the story of two friends - Ram (Rishi Kapoor) and Raheem (Rakesh Roshan) who are apparently orphans and live together while studying in a college. They are the filmi ideals of communal harmony because Ram scores 92% marks in Urdu whereas Raheem scores similarly in Hindi. They bring about the first twist in their friendship tale by adopting O Henry's classic story - The Gift of the Magi by selling own favourite items to buy gifts for each other. Well, we are moved by their filmi friendship.

Now the next twist in the tale comes through the villain who is the college bully - Kundan (Ranjeet) who frames them in a false molestation charge and gets them rusticated from the college. However they injure him in the ensuing fist-fight and run away from the city. Now their (filmi) destiny carries them to a Kashmir where they face the problem of making a living. Their problem gets resolved through the job of tutoring a young girl - Sameera (Tina Munim) who is the foster-daughter of two aged bachelors - Thakur Vikramjit Singh (Pran) and Inshallah Khan (Ashok Kumar). Since both these guardians are against keeping young men as her tutors, our heroes have to masquerade themselves. Ram opts for the disguise of an old man whereas Raheem disguises himself as a middle-aged woman. Ram in his real self pretends to be the son of the lady-teacher (i.e., Raheem in disguise) and Raheem on the other hand pretends to be the son of the old male tutor (i.e., Ram in disguise). Sameera finds both Ram and Raheem as worthy of becoming her husband but her dilemma is whom to choose out of these two. Her guardians, quite naturally, choose both these heroes as her beaus according to their own personal choices.

The mindless comedy alongwith this love triangle moves on till the villain is back to inflict his revenge upon the heroes. His attack on the heroine resolves the love triangle too. Finally in the wedding party, Ram and Raheem shake hands and the screen reads - FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS (instead of THE END). I believe in this dictum. Hope, my readers also do.

This nonsense movie works mainly because of the amazing on-screen chemistry between the two heroes. Rishi and Rakesh compliment each other perfectly and the screen is lit up by their admirable performances. Their another real-life friend Jeetendra is also there in a guest role with an item number being picturized on him (with the two heroes joining him in the dance). Tina Munim seems to know only smiling in the name of acting. Ashok Kumar and Pran try to repeat their Victoria No. 203 act with partial success only. Ranjeet as villain is routine. Young and beautiful Shoma Anand too is there in a cameo.

Music composed by Rakesh Roshan's brother (and Hrithik Roshan's uncle) - Rajesh Roshan is according to the mood of the movie. The title track alongwith the Rafi-Kishore duet - Tumko Khush Dekhar Main Bahut Khush Hua stands out. One more song - Ram Kare Allah Kare (containing western effect through -APININANA BENTO) which has sung by Rafi and Amit Kumar (Kishore Kumar's son) is also impressive and entertaining.

Cinematography spreading the beauty of Kashmir on the screen is extremely eye-soothing. Technically the movie is up to the mark. However editing should have been better. The movie irritates at places but if you watch it without trying to locate logic in it, you will enjoy it thoroughly.

I recommend this movie to the fans of Rishi Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan who will find this mindless comedy certainly better than the contemporary David Dhawan and Anees Bazmee comedies. Finally, I end my review with a SHER of Janaab Khwaaja Meer Dard Saheb :

Mera Jee Hai Jab Tak, Teri Justujoo Hai Jubaan Jab Talak Hai, Yahi Guftagoo Hai Kiya Sair Humne Gulzaar-e-Duniya Gul-e-Dosti Mein Ajab Rang-o-Boo Hai