Star (1982) User Reviews (4)

Stardom without starriness - amazing

[Peter_Young · 8/10 · 1 December 2018]

The 1980s were known to be a bad decade for mainstream Hindi cinema, with many filmmakers producing cheap potboilers with nothing substantial to offer. The substance was preserved among independent and art cinema directors, but then even some directors from commercial cinema attempted to break the mold within these limits. Joining the ranks of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee, such names as Shekhar Kapur and Mahesh Bhatt were associated with middle-of-the-road cinema, having dealt with real topics and real people. One name which is often if not completely missing in these lists is Vinod Pande, a talented and sensitive director who tried to enhance the beauty of mainstream Hindi cinema without ever giving up the credibility of his films, the gritty topics and the in-depth, fair representation of his characters.

Indeed, Star is one such film. Yes, the film is about an aspiring singer who dreams to make it big in the music scene. But no, you will see none of the corny plot elements that decorate so many movies of this sort. This isn't the Disco Dancer or one of the many types of films Mithun Chakraborty did in those years (which, I admit to like a well). Moreover, the main protagonist does not conquer the entire country becoming an overnight sensation - the proportions in this film are much more modest and down-to-earth. Above all, Star presents a most realistic portrayal of the urban India of those years, of middle-class families, and the struggle of parents therein to raise their children into good, educated citizens who are expected to get graduated and improve the family status down the generations. They are neither slum dwellers nor inhabitants of big mansions - they are real people who live in real houses, work regular jobs, and speak real dialogues just like most people do. A brilliant setting and a wonderful photography of the city streets are some of the assets contributing to this successful depiction.

The acting, as part of this wonderful premise, is excellent. Kumar Gaurav is highly competent as the main lead, doing a wonderful job which far outranks his debut performance in Love Story. Rati Agnihotri is wonderful and impossibly beautiful as the warm, sensitive singer and love interest. Raj Kiran is easily the best of the lot as the loving brother and son who works non-stop to keep the family together. A.K. Hangal and Dina Pathak are amazing as the elderly, worried parents who wish for their children to lead a normal life by settling down, getting graduation and a stable livelihood, and ultimately enjoying a healthy routine. Saeed Jaffrey, a great actor, was actually the weak link in this film, not because of his acting which is always up to the mark, but the villainous character he played. This character was probably the main stereotypical pitfall the writers could not afford to avoid and inevitably employed to meet the standards required in mainstream cinema, which is a shame. Padmini Kolhapure, in a miniscule part, is amazingly pretty, and with almost no lines, does enough with her presence alone.

Having mentioned the many assets of this wonderful little film, it goes without saying that it is the music that remains the film's triumph, which makes it memorable even today, so much that today the film is known for the great soundtrack rather than the story itself. The late Nazia Hassan and her brother Zoheb Hassan were the talented duo assigned to Biddu's exceptional compositions, with songs like "Boom Boom", "Yeh Dil Tere Liye Hai", the title song "Star", just to name a few, giving life to the film and making it an altogether fantastic movie experience. Star is a rare film which holds great nostalgic value, but is sadly very underrated in of itself, as was its capable director, who made other good films during the decade and contributed a great deal to the better part of the Hindi commercial fare.

All time cult musical movie

[varun-76528 · 9/10 · 14 November 2019]

Too good. Movie is amazing I loved it. Movie was decent and had good songs. Songs you can cherish for years. Many a times they have been remade and we have been listening. This movie takes you back in 80s where you love to live life with simplicity. Nostalgic moments for most of the people. Movie isn't extraordinary but the music by Biddu was amazing. Watch it & relive your childhood days in 80s

An entertaining gem from an abysmal decade

[superindrajit · 7/10 · 10 August 2019]

The 1980s was an era filled with amateurish filmmaking witnessed in dozens of substandard flicks. Many superhits like Watan Ke Rakhwale, Insaniyat Ke Dushman, Jeete Hain Shaan Se, and Dariya Dil were recycled despite their box office performance. However, there were filmmakers like Mahesh Bhatt, Govind Nihalani, Mira Nair, and Sai Paranjape who made hard-hitting films which struck a chord to an audience. However, many of these sadly were not big grossers and the aforementioned unsatisfactory films continued to rake in loads of moolah. Despite this, good filmmakers continued to craft interesting cinema which kept finding an audience. Vinod Pande was one such filmmaker who started out with films like Ek Baar Phir (1980), an offbeat film with a focus on relationship conflicts and an extra-marital relationship. Beyond this, Pande went on to collaborate with a producer, Biddu, on a musical project. This later came to be known as the film, Star (1982).

Biddu's film, Star (1982), was more commercial than Pande's other films. In addition, the film was treated in a realistic manner which makes it a pleasant watch. The film's plot elements like the middle-class boy's parents wanting him to establish himself in an appropriate career is realistically portrayed. The few heated arguments, showcased in the film, between Dev and his family members, like his mother, realistically showed how middle-class families didn't see singing as a viable career option keeping society's view in mind. Despite this obstacle, it was pleasant to see his family support him even if they reluctantly do so. The struggle of Dev to get noticed and kick-start his singing career is realistically shown. His friendship with an aspiring lyricist brings forth nice light moments which makes this struggle period more enlightening and less depressing to watch. This is true even if this friend meets a tragic end. After getting noticed at a club, Charlies, Dev's rise to stardom happens organically as well. His conversations and closeness with Maya are well handled and her care for him is real without any sugar-coated elements. After Dev's brother, Shiv, interacts with Maya and they start bonding well, it can be foreshadowed that they may fall in love and Dev may be heartbroken. This love triangle is also maturely handled. Instead of focusing too much on this, the film stays on track with Dev's rise and other bigger hurdles in his path. For instance, the stylish villain, Rana, stands in between Dev's rise after his popularity gives Charlies such a traction that Rana's club suffers. How does Dev deal with Rana and his tough henchmen? Unlike many 1980s fight scenes, the action here is executed pragmatically where Shiv also taking some blows and bruises from the baddies. Essentially, Star (1982) has the pragmatic and unsentimental treatment which makes the progression of its screenplay very interesting and likable. Is Dev able to overcome all obstacles and become a singing sensation? The film answers this keeping the proceedings rather novel which evokes the audience's curiosity consistently.

Vinod Pande's direction is good with a focus on no-nonsense filmmaking but a few 80s snags cannot be ignored. For instance, after singing on a stage, Dev has time to go and bash Rana, for getting his henchmen to pummel Shiv, in his own house and make it back to sing on time.

Kumar Gaurav puts up a good performance with very likable dialogue delivery. He seems very confident and has the personality and screen presence of a young musician, a rising star. He handles the emotional scenes comfortably and has solid expressions even in the musical sequences. Raj Kiran is very good as the supportive and understanding brother. Every time he has to console and look after Dev in the film, it looks pragmatic and a major reason for this is his natural performance. Rati Agnihotri looks the part very nicely and acts well. She is natural in the songs and her scenes of care towards others melts your heart. Overall, it is very beautifully portrayed. Dina Pathak may appear annoying at first but her anger and concern towards Dev is justified and depicted in a realistic manner. In addition, she naturally understands Dev over time. She has showcased all emotions and acted nicely. A.K Hangal is good as the father who doesn't have much dialogue but his expressions reveals his feelings and care for Dev and the entire family unit. He is understated and consistent with his performance. Saeed Jaffery is typecast as the typical villain but he puts up an entertaining performance. His main henchmen, Bob Christo and Yusuf Khan, are good in their bits. The rest provide decent support.

Biddu's music is a major highlight with most songs making a mark and fitting the situations nicely. The only oddly place song, in my opinion, is Muskuraye Ja. Although a very hummable song, it's placement is distracting as it doesn't transition well in the film. The best song, in my opinion, is Oee Oee. It is executed beautifully and acts as a very pleasant situational song. The title song is also very good but Boom Boom is among the best of the lot with agreeable graphics. These graphics may appear tacky and corny now but it is pleasurable given the time of the film's release. The rest of the songs are functional and lend appropriate support.

On the whole, Star (1982) is a good film which is worth a watch to witness a quality product in an otherwise, at best, mediocre decade. If you want to see a film with commercial elements in the 1980s that rised above the usual trash, watch this gem of a film.

Brilliant soundtrack....good story...hmmmm...

[JAGDEVS · 6/10 · 26 February 2003]

This film features one of the hottest soundtracks of the eighties. Giving a distictive pop feel to the whole film, and features famous numbers by artists such as Nazia Hussain, with her famous BOOM BOOM number. The story is about a young and budding wannabee star and his strugle to get noticed. Kumar Gaurav's acting is not at its best at times and feels rather flat at times and story though interesting, lacks punch! The saving point is really the fantasic soundtrack and well picturised songs. If you can find the soundtrack buy it. The film, I'm not sure...