SAMTHEBESTEST
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Reviews
Loafer (1973)
Gives the pleasure of watching 3-4 hollywood movies together.
Loafer (1973) :
Brief Review -
Gives the pleasure of watching 3-4 hollywood movies together. Loafer starts off as a heist-drama, as a kid runs away after a murder and turns into a thief. Then, we have a gorgeous lady coming into his life, which is my reference to Barbara Stanwyck in "Ball of Fire" (1941) and many other femme fatale films from old Hollywood. We have an old man in his life who saves his life once, and to repay the debt, he makes him a rich man so that his daughter can get married in a rich house. That's my reference to Frank Capra's "Lady For A Day" (1933), which has been used in Indian cinema many times. There goes the hero on heist-again, I would say, the same stuff I have seen in many old Hollywood and foreign movies, including Dharmendra's own "Jugnu" in the same year. The rest, we have a lot of drama, a villain-a competitor, like many 30s crime dramas. Yeah, that's all about my references. That's how Loafer gave me multiple movies in a single narrative. Laxmikant-Pyarelal's duo gives another super hit album. Motiyon Ki Ladi Hoon Main is made evergreen by Asha Ji's voice, and Mumtaz's super sexy andaz just can't be described so easily, Koi Shehri Babu has Mumtaz in a desi avatar and Lata Ji's magical voice, while Rafi Ji's voice and Dharmendra's handsome appearance make Aaj Mausam Bada Be-Imaan a super hit romantic number for ages. A. Bhimsingh's nuances in direction are visible and very intelligent. Dharmendra is attacked in a garden, and Mumtaz is wearing a bright red glamorous dress, cut-to the hospital scene, and she comes out in a white saree. Mumtaz's mother says, "Acche logo ko bhagwan jaldi bula leta hai," and Dharmendra replies, "Aap kitni acchi hai maaji," and I burst into laughter. Loafer has so many joyful and beautiful moments like this that you take away with you even after the film. This is what the 70s trademark entertainer means, and Dharam Ji was the flagbearer throughout the decade.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Gives the pleasure of watching 3-4 hollywood movies together. Loafer starts off as a heist-drama, as a kid runs away after a murder and turns into a thief. Then, we have a gorgeous lady coming into his life, which is my reference to Barbara Stanwyck in "Ball of Fire" (1941) and many other femme fatale films from old Hollywood. We have an old man in his life who saves his life once, and to repay the debt, he makes him a rich man so that his daughter can get married in a rich house. That's my reference to Frank Capra's "Lady For A Day" (1933), which has been used in Indian cinema many times. There goes the hero on heist-again, I would say, the same stuff I have seen in many old Hollywood and foreign movies, including Dharmendra's own "Jugnu" in the same year. The rest, we have a lot of drama, a villain-a competitor, like many 30s crime dramas. Yeah, that's all about my references. That's how Loafer gave me multiple movies in a single narrative. Laxmikant-Pyarelal's duo gives another super hit album. Motiyon Ki Ladi Hoon Main is made evergreen by Asha Ji's voice, and Mumtaz's super sexy andaz just can't be described so easily, Koi Shehri Babu has Mumtaz in a desi avatar and Lata Ji's magical voice, while Rafi Ji's voice and Dharmendra's handsome appearance make Aaj Mausam Bada Be-Imaan a super hit romantic number for ages. A. Bhimsingh's nuances in direction are visible and very intelligent. Dharmendra is attacked in a garden, and Mumtaz is wearing a bright red glamorous dress, cut-to the hospital scene, and she comes out in a white saree. Mumtaz's mother says, "Acche logo ko bhagwan jaldi bula leta hai," and Dharmendra replies, "Aap kitni acchi hai maaji," and I burst into laughter. Loafer has so many joyful and beautiful moments like this that you take away with you even after the film. This is what the 70s trademark entertainer means, and Dharam Ji was the flagbearer throughout the decade.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Charas (1976)
Too fancy and overly glamorous for a 70s Bollywood Spy thriller.
Charas (1976) :
Brief Review -
Too fancy and overly glamorous for a 70s Bollywood Spy thriller. Ramanand Sagar and Dharmendra had previously worked together on a spy thriller, Ankhen (1968), which one can say is an evergreen film for its genre. Before that, we had Farz (1967), based on Gudachari, which was another fantastic spy drama. Charas was too late to be called a great spy thriller by 1976. It's a below-par thriller compared to Ankhen, which subsequently kicks it out of the competition of all-time greats. Nevertheless, it's somewhat spicy, glamorous, and too fancy for Bollywood spy dramas from the 70s. Ramanand Sagar fancied foreign locations, and since Charas was about drugs smuggling, which was a taboo subject for Hindi movies back then, he had to take it to foreign countries. Half of the film is set in Malta, while the beginning is set in Uganda amidst the historical expulsion of the Indian community from the country by Idi Amin. Hema Malini is seen in a glamorous avatar, and the writer and director have focused too much on the love story between Hema and Dharmendra. It hurts the plot because love is what we call a contrary factor to a spy thriller where engaging elements like thrill and suspense are killed by romance. The two get too many songs, making the film lengthy, but I really enjoyed "Kal Ki Haseen Mulakat Ke Liye." Like I said, it's too fancy, so you can notice clubs and sexy dancers, including Aruna Irani in a thigh-slit dress sleeping horizontally on the floor. Hema's haircut and the bike-car chase sequences in Malta are very similar to Sean Connery's James Bond movies. The film suffers from overuse of romance and predictable plot; otherwise, it makes for a lavish spy drama. Though the regret of missing a golden chance of making another evergreen spy film like Ankhen can never be healed.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Too fancy and overly glamorous for a 70s Bollywood Spy thriller. Ramanand Sagar and Dharmendra had previously worked together on a spy thriller, Ankhen (1968), which one can say is an evergreen film for its genre. Before that, we had Farz (1967), based on Gudachari, which was another fantastic spy drama. Charas was too late to be called a great spy thriller by 1976. It's a below-par thriller compared to Ankhen, which subsequently kicks it out of the competition of all-time greats. Nevertheless, it's somewhat spicy, glamorous, and too fancy for Bollywood spy dramas from the 70s. Ramanand Sagar fancied foreign locations, and since Charas was about drugs smuggling, which was a taboo subject for Hindi movies back then, he had to take it to foreign countries. Half of the film is set in Malta, while the beginning is set in Uganda amidst the historical expulsion of the Indian community from the country by Idi Amin. Hema Malini is seen in a glamorous avatar, and the writer and director have focused too much on the love story between Hema and Dharmendra. It hurts the plot because love is what we call a contrary factor to a spy thriller where engaging elements like thrill and suspense are killed by romance. The two get too many songs, making the film lengthy, but I really enjoyed "Kal Ki Haseen Mulakat Ke Liye." Like I said, it's too fancy, so you can notice clubs and sexy dancers, including Aruna Irani in a thigh-slit dress sleeping horizontally on the floor. Hema's haircut and the bike-car chase sequences in Malta are very similar to Sean Connery's James Bond movies. The film suffers from overuse of romance and predictable plot; otherwise, it makes for a lavish spy drama. Though the regret of missing a golden chance of making another evergreen spy film like Ankhen can never be healed.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Parvarish (1977)
Another instant mass connect film by Manmohan Desai in his or any director's most memorable year.
Parvarish (1977) :
Brief Review -
Another instant mass connect film by Manmohan Desai in his or any director's most memorable year. 1977 belonged to Manmohan Desai like no other Bollywood director in history. 4 out of the of the top 5 highest grossing movies (Amar Akbar Anthony, Dharam Veer, Parvarish, and Chacha Bhatija) that year were directed by him (Hum Kisise Kam Nahin was by Nasir Hussain, another mass film-making it a mass year by all means). Has any Bollywood director ever seen a phase like that? Post release, Parvarish belonged to those chawl days of the 80s when two-hero films were trying to attract in the cinemas, while this one was a huge hit on VCR and later on TV. My father used to watch it in Chawl, then I saw it during my childhood when we were in Chawl, and now today, when I am shifted to a building flat 2 decades ago, this film still feels entertaining. The rift between brothers or the son and father was not new by 1977, so Parvarish does feel repetitive. We had Deewar and so many other films trying to initiate the same emotional breakdown between blood relatives, whereas a few other films tried the adopted son formula. Parvarish is a mix of both. It does the right thing to justify its title by making the adopted son stand against his own father because he has learned to stand with justice from the good upbringing he received from his foster father. The job by script was done, and the screenplay plays with the idea nicely and also adds some crisp with those two heroine characters with all that con stuff. You need a couple of hit songs, and we have "Jaate Ho Jaane Jaana," but the second one, I am not sure. Desai makes it formulaic for the audience's sake, and he was right with his conviction. It doesn't matter if Parvarish is not termed a great film over the years-deservingly-but it is a good entertainer-deservingly. "Duniya ka koi bhi kanoon ek patni ko apne pati ki jeb katne se nahi rok sakta" was an inspiration to the crores of wives. Crying emojis.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Another instant mass connect film by Manmohan Desai in his or any director's most memorable year. 1977 belonged to Manmohan Desai like no other Bollywood director in history. 4 out of the of the top 5 highest grossing movies (Amar Akbar Anthony, Dharam Veer, Parvarish, and Chacha Bhatija) that year were directed by him (Hum Kisise Kam Nahin was by Nasir Hussain, another mass film-making it a mass year by all means). Has any Bollywood director ever seen a phase like that? Post release, Parvarish belonged to those chawl days of the 80s when two-hero films were trying to attract in the cinemas, while this one was a huge hit on VCR and later on TV. My father used to watch it in Chawl, then I saw it during my childhood when we were in Chawl, and now today, when I am shifted to a building flat 2 decades ago, this film still feels entertaining. The rift between brothers or the son and father was not new by 1977, so Parvarish does feel repetitive. We had Deewar and so many other films trying to initiate the same emotional breakdown between blood relatives, whereas a few other films tried the adopted son formula. Parvarish is a mix of both. It does the right thing to justify its title by making the adopted son stand against his own father because he has learned to stand with justice from the good upbringing he received from his foster father. The job by script was done, and the screenplay plays with the idea nicely and also adds some crisp with those two heroine characters with all that con stuff. You need a couple of hit songs, and we have "Jaate Ho Jaane Jaana," but the second one, I am not sure. Desai makes it formulaic for the audience's sake, and he was right with his conviction. It doesn't matter if Parvarish is not termed a great film over the years-deservingly-but it is a good entertainer-deservingly. "Duniya ka koi bhi kanoon ek patni ko apne pati ki jeb katne se nahi rok sakta" was an inspiration to the crores of wives. Crying emojis.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Aan Milo Sajna (1970)
How to make an instant Super Hit film with a superstar!
Aan Milo Sajna (1970) :
Brief Review -
How to make an instant Super Hit film with a superstar! Aan Milo Sajna came during the peak period of superstar Rajesh Khanna. As said by many, the trailer of this film used to play during the interval of other movies, and people used to go mad. This is today's promotional strategy, but imagine creating that kind of hysteria in 1970. Anyway, let's talk about the film. The film is a super hit success at the box office, and I just came to know why. There is everything in this film that any Hindi moviegoer would seek in an entertaining movie. There is romance, there is action, there is superhit music, there is a lot of drama, and there is a lot of goodness. The main character is portrayed as a devta, an angel, and Rajesh Khanna getting into the shoes of the character is such a delightful thing to watch. There is a twist of fate too. A poor man falls in love with a rich girl, who turns out to be an ordinary girl, and the other rich man loses everything. Vinod Khanna in a villain's role was something, man. I tell you how good he is here, a gredy, reckless, and merciless antagonist. He doesn't care about his mother and that Seeta's murder scene was so brutal. You kind of hate him, curse him for that, and that's what the impact of a character means. Rajesh Khanna is super charming as Ajit. Asha Parekh makes a very modern heroine who does not hesitate flirting with the hero and even has a song on that situation. Laxmikant-Pyarelal has given three chartbusters: Accha Toh Hum Chalte Hai, Jawani O Deewani, and Aan Milo Sajna. Mukul Dutt delivers a super entertaining musical drama that couldn't have gone wrong at any cost. This is super 70s fun that you can't miss and also teaches a lot on how to bring old formulaic methods with new trends.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
How to make an instant Super Hit film with a superstar! Aan Milo Sajna came during the peak period of superstar Rajesh Khanna. As said by many, the trailer of this film used to play during the interval of other movies, and people used to go mad. This is today's promotional strategy, but imagine creating that kind of hysteria in 1970. Anyway, let's talk about the film. The film is a super hit success at the box office, and I just came to know why. There is everything in this film that any Hindi moviegoer would seek in an entertaining movie. There is romance, there is action, there is superhit music, there is a lot of drama, and there is a lot of goodness. The main character is portrayed as a devta, an angel, and Rajesh Khanna getting into the shoes of the character is such a delightful thing to watch. There is a twist of fate too. A poor man falls in love with a rich girl, who turns out to be an ordinary girl, and the other rich man loses everything. Vinod Khanna in a villain's role was something, man. I tell you how good he is here, a gredy, reckless, and merciless antagonist. He doesn't care about his mother and that Seeta's murder scene was so brutal. You kind of hate him, curse him for that, and that's what the impact of a character means. Rajesh Khanna is super charming as Ajit. Asha Parekh makes a very modern heroine who does not hesitate flirting with the hero and even has a song on that situation. Laxmikant-Pyarelal has given three chartbusters: Accha Toh Hum Chalte Hai, Jawani O Deewani, and Aan Milo Sajna. Mukul Dutt delivers a super entertaining musical drama that couldn't have gone wrong at any cost. This is super 70s fun that you can't miss and also teaches a lot on how to bring old formulaic methods with new trends.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971)
"High Noon" meets Spaghetti Western!" A dacoit drama that knows nothing but to fulfill its duties to its genre.
Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) :
Brief Review -
"High Noon" meets Spaghetti Western!" A dacoit drama that knows nothing but to fulfill its duties to its genre. Some films are so rooted and so honest in their themes and genres that you feel like you are living in their worlds for those 2 hours. Films like Ganga Jamuna and Mughal-E-Azam were fine examples of such filmmaking, where the locations, costumes, accent, and overall production everything looked to have immersed itself in that specific world. Mera Gaon Mera Desh is one such film that immerses itself in that dacoit's world, which we have seen many times and sometimes better, but yet it feels close to reality. Except for that introduction scene in the jail, which was needed to transfer the main character from that world to this world, the entire film is set in a village, and every single frame speaks about its volumes of filmmaking. The only problem is that the storyline is very similar to the old Hollywood western or the newly formed westerns (in the 60s), which makes it a very predictable affair. My father has seen it in a theater, and he often watches this film on TV and loves it. He sometimes skips a few scenes, but he never skips the songs and the climax. I agree too. "Kya Kehta Hai Saawan," "Apni Prem Kahaniyaan," and "Maar Diya Jaye" are super hit songs and are ageless. MGMD can be noted as one of Vinod Khanna's most impactful performances ever because the screen presence he creates as a brutal dacoit and an antagonist takes this film a notch higher. Dharmendra is a criminal turned into a savior, and he gets enough of his own scenes. The entire climax portion, which includes gunshots, chase, and that last belt treatment scene, is elevated by Dharmendra's macho image. Asha Parekh and Laxmi Chhaya both add "beauty with brain" term and make this one a glamorous affair for villagers. Regardless of a weak plot, Raj Khosla creates a massy and engaging dacoit drama that is true to its identity. Overall, a good film boosted by super hit songs.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
"High Noon" meets Spaghetti Western!" A dacoit drama that knows nothing but to fulfill its duties to its genre. Some films are so rooted and so honest in their themes and genres that you feel like you are living in their worlds for those 2 hours. Films like Ganga Jamuna and Mughal-E-Azam were fine examples of such filmmaking, where the locations, costumes, accent, and overall production everything looked to have immersed itself in that specific world. Mera Gaon Mera Desh is one such film that immerses itself in that dacoit's world, which we have seen many times and sometimes better, but yet it feels close to reality. Except for that introduction scene in the jail, which was needed to transfer the main character from that world to this world, the entire film is set in a village, and every single frame speaks about its volumes of filmmaking. The only problem is that the storyline is very similar to the old Hollywood western or the newly formed westerns (in the 60s), which makes it a very predictable affair. My father has seen it in a theater, and he often watches this film on TV and loves it. He sometimes skips a few scenes, but he never skips the songs and the climax. I agree too. "Kya Kehta Hai Saawan," "Apni Prem Kahaniyaan," and "Maar Diya Jaye" are super hit songs and are ageless. MGMD can be noted as one of Vinod Khanna's most impactful performances ever because the screen presence he creates as a brutal dacoit and an antagonist takes this film a notch higher. Dharmendra is a criminal turned into a savior, and he gets enough of his own scenes. The entire climax portion, which includes gunshots, chase, and that last belt treatment scene, is elevated by Dharmendra's macho image. Asha Parekh and Laxmi Chhaya both add "beauty with brain" term and make this one a glamorous affair for villagers. Regardless of a weak plot, Raj Khosla creates a massy and engaging dacoit drama that is true to its identity. Overall, a good film boosted by super hit songs.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Dushmun (1971)
A criminal's reformation process that challenges law and order.
Dushmun (1972) :
Brief Review -
A criminal's reformation process that challenges law and order. Dulal Guha's Dushmun is very much inspired by the old Hollywood Westerns and crime noirs. It won't be justified if I name one or two Hollywood movies and compare their plots with Dushmun because the motive behind this film was different and the law and order or the system is far different in our country. The basic idea is copied, though. Just like in those westerns or crime dramas, a man accidentally kills an innocent man and makes his family miserable and helpless. The guilt of killing an innocent man starts killing him, and then he decides to support the family and do everything the dead man could have done for that family. However, Dushmun has a kick here. Instead of guilt and self-realization, the man is sent to the house of the dead man as a part sentence. Instead of jail, he is sent to the house to take care of the family for that particular period. He is despised and loathed by the family members, but as the time passes, he grows close to them. They start adoring him and his efforts until the villain strikes. Will he again go down the criminal path and forget all the good work he has done so far? Dushmun makes a strong statement on that criminal mind and the justice system that allows them to think otherwise. Rajesh Khanna has done a good job here, and Mumtaz has a beautiful role. It was a bit shocking to see tragedy queen Meena Kumari playing such an old role, but that was natural since she has been a gorgeous heroine since the 50s and this was early 70s. Vaada Tera Vaada and Dushman Jo Dost Se Pyaara Hai songs feel so fresh even today. The screenplay could have been better and less dramatic, I feel. Otherwise, it's a fine social drama against crime and justice. Overall, a good attempt by Dulal Guha and a deserving box office hit for its time.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A criminal's reformation process that challenges law and order. Dulal Guha's Dushmun is very much inspired by the old Hollywood Westerns and crime noirs. It won't be justified if I name one or two Hollywood movies and compare their plots with Dushmun because the motive behind this film was different and the law and order or the system is far different in our country. The basic idea is copied, though. Just like in those westerns or crime dramas, a man accidentally kills an innocent man and makes his family miserable and helpless. The guilt of killing an innocent man starts killing him, and then he decides to support the family and do everything the dead man could have done for that family. However, Dushmun has a kick here. Instead of guilt and self-realization, the man is sent to the house of the dead man as a part sentence. Instead of jail, he is sent to the house to take care of the family for that particular period. He is despised and loathed by the family members, but as the time passes, he grows close to them. They start adoring him and his efforts until the villain strikes. Will he again go down the criminal path and forget all the good work he has done so far? Dushmun makes a strong statement on that criminal mind and the justice system that allows them to think otherwise. Rajesh Khanna has done a good job here, and Mumtaz has a beautiful role. It was a bit shocking to see tragedy queen Meena Kumari playing such an old role, but that was natural since she has been a gorgeous heroine since the 50s and this was early 70s. Vaada Tera Vaada and Dushman Jo Dost Se Pyaara Hai songs feel so fresh even today. The screenplay could have been better and less dramatic, I feel. Otherwise, it's a fine social drama against crime and justice. Overall, a good attempt by Dulal Guha and a deserving box office hit for its time.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Chor Machaye Shor (1974)
A typical 70s social action flick with the same old brunch.
Chor Machaye Shor (1974) :
Brief Review -
A typical 70s social action flick with the same old brunch. I might remember Chor Machaye Shor for the iconic "Le Jayenge Le Jayenge Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge," but will I remember this for anything else? I guess, no. It started as a revenge film, and from the title, I reckoned that it might be about robbery or conning. All the speculation went terrible wrong when I saw the film turning into a social drama. The film is about an engineer, Vijay, who falls in love with a rich girl, Rekha. Rekha's father frames Vijay in a rape case, and he is sentenced to jail. Vijay meets three cons there, and together they make a smart escape from the prison. Burning in the fire of revenge, Vijay realizes that Rekha was innocent, and they decide to live together someplace far from their city. They arrive at a village and are mistaken for social workers. However, they actually reform themselves into social workers and bring development to the village. Vijay then gets a chance to seek his revenge in a sophisticated manner. Predictably, there is a dacoit gang who loots villagers, and the hero's gang fights them and also trains villagers to fight the goons. Shashi Kapoor as Vijay was decent in the role, but there was a lot of action for his character, which was supposed to be an engineer. Mumtaz doesn't look promising in the beginning but then gets very mature in the second half. Danny Dengzongpa has a fantastic role and does very well there. Asrani was fine, and so was Madan Puri. Kamal Kapoor's character is one of the weakest parts of the film. As a whole, Ashok Roy's social action drama is full of old templates and is very predictable, but does feel entertaining for two hours. The songs aren't that kind of big hits, but the iconic number I mentioned in the beginning stands tall amongst all. The films lacked thrills and excitement due to an old plot but had enough contemporary masala.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A typical 70s social action flick with the same old brunch. I might remember Chor Machaye Shor for the iconic "Le Jayenge Le Jayenge Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge," but will I remember this for anything else? I guess, no. It started as a revenge film, and from the title, I reckoned that it might be about robbery or conning. All the speculation went terrible wrong when I saw the film turning into a social drama. The film is about an engineer, Vijay, who falls in love with a rich girl, Rekha. Rekha's father frames Vijay in a rape case, and he is sentenced to jail. Vijay meets three cons there, and together they make a smart escape from the prison. Burning in the fire of revenge, Vijay realizes that Rekha was innocent, and they decide to live together someplace far from their city. They arrive at a village and are mistaken for social workers. However, they actually reform themselves into social workers and bring development to the village. Vijay then gets a chance to seek his revenge in a sophisticated manner. Predictably, there is a dacoit gang who loots villagers, and the hero's gang fights them and also trains villagers to fight the goons. Shashi Kapoor as Vijay was decent in the role, but there was a lot of action for his character, which was supposed to be an engineer. Mumtaz doesn't look promising in the beginning but then gets very mature in the second half. Danny Dengzongpa has a fantastic role and does very well there. Asrani was fine, and so was Madan Puri. Kamal Kapoor's character is one of the weakest parts of the film. As a whole, Ashok Roy's social action drama is full of old templates and is very predictable, but does feel entertaining for two hours. The songs aren't that kind of big hits, but the iconic number I mentioned in the beginning stands tall amongst all. The films lacked thrills and excitement due to an old plot but had enough contemporary masala.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Raja Jani (1972)
Mysterious Anastasia (1956) brought into Bollywood with a proper commercial Hindi masala flick.
Raja Jani (1972) :
Brief Review -
Mysterious Anastasia (1956) brought into Bollywood with a proper commercial Hindi masala flick. Mohan Sehgal adopts the mysterious tale of Anna, who impersonated herself as Anastasia, to Bollywood with a quintessential Hindi masala flick. Ingrid Bergman delivered a mind-blowing performance, which reminded me of Wendy Hiller in Pygmalion (1938). Hema Malini plays that role here, but since she is an Indian girl and a princess, she adds a different cuteness to the character. In the beginning, she is extra cute with that abusive language because Hindi audiences don't expect a leading lady to speak such language. When Dharmendra tells her, "Iss ghar me gaali mat do," she instantly replies, "Yeh saala gaali kon deta hai," not realizing that "saala' is sort of a gaali. Also, the way she says saala "Khuskat." Johnny Walker also gets a very nice role to play. At first, you wonder why he hates Hema's character so much, but later, when he reveals the past of his boss, you realize that he was right to hate any coming to his boss' life. That entire portion before Hema goes to the palace as a princess is so cute, so romantic, and so lovable. It was a perfect example of a pure entertaining romantic comedy. The songs are good, but nothing great or evergreen. The film sets itself in a completely different mode in the second half from what was there in Anastasia. Durga Khote's character is totally different here from the original, and the real identity of the princess remains unsolved in the original, whereas Raja Jani has a typical Indian "lost and found" formula. Dharmendra is charming, Prem Chopra and Premnath make good villains, and Durga Khote was fairly decent as Rani Maa. Overall, this is actually an entertaining adaptation of Anastasia, and it also has a lot of new things to offer in the second hour.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Mysterious Anastasia (1956) brought into Bollywood with a proper commercial Hindi masala flick. Mohan Sehgal adopts the mysterious tale of Anna, who impersonated herself as Anastasia, to Bollywood with a quintessential Hindi masala flick. Ingrid Bergman delivered a mind-blowing performance, which reminded me of Wendy Hiller in Pygmalion (1938). Hema Malini plays that role here, but since she is an Indian girl and a princess, she adds a different cuteness to the character. In the beginning, she is extra cute with that abusive language because Hindi audiences don't expect a leading lady to speak such language. When Dharmendra tells her, "Iss ghar me gaali mat do," she instantly replies, "Yeh saala gaali kon deta hai," not realizing that "saala' is sort of a gaali. Also, the way she says saala "Khuskat." Johnny Walker also gets a very nice role to play. At first, you wonder why he hates Hema's character so much, but later, when he reveals the past of his boss, you realize that he was right to hate any coming to his boss' life. That entire portion before Hema goes to the palace as a princess is so cute, so romantic, and so lovable. It was a perfect example of a pure entertaining romantic comedy. The songs are good, but nothing great or evergreen. The film sets itself in a completely different mode in the second half from what was there in Anastasia. Durga Khote's character is totally different here from the original, and the real identity of the princess remains unsolved in the original, whereas Raja Jani has a typical Indian "lost and found" formula. Dharmendra is charming, Prem Chopra and Premnath make good villains, and Durga Khote was fairly decent as Rani Maa. Overall, this is actually an entertaining adaptation of Anastasia, and it also has a lot of new things to offer in the second hour.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
The Greatest of All Time (2024)
3 Hours Into Vijay's Overacting & Cringe Action Drama
GOAT (2024) :
Movie Review -
Venkat Prabhu's latest film, The Greatest of All Time, aka GOAT, stars Thalapathy Vijay in a double role. Vijay may be your reason to watch the film, but after watching the film, you'll realize that he was the one for whom you shouldn't have watched the film. Vijay has been a mass hero for a long time, and it's difficult for directors and writers to imagine him in some different or offbeat roles. That's what makes GOAT a very dated and boring film. The film was still very decent in the first half, but the second half was terribly bad. Vijay's overacting, cringe-worthy dialogues and over-the-top action scenes spoil this decent-looking film, which could have easily become a one-time watch.
MS Gandhi (Vijay) is an ATS officer on a mission with his team in the opening scene. In the next 5 minutes, they believe that the villain is dead, while everyone sitting in the audience knew that the villain can't be dead so early and will return in the second half. See, that's how outdated GOAT is right from the beginning. Gandhi is then sent to Moscow, where his family is attacked and his son is killed by his enemies. Gandhi retires from field duty, and then years later he finds his son back, Jeeva (Vijay). After Jeeva's return to the family, things start getting worse for Gandhi and his team members. His close friends are getting killed, and Gandhi wonders how it all began right after his son's return. Who is behind all this?
GOAT has those twists-if you can call them twists in today's time. May God help you see them as twists; otherwise, you'll be bored to death. The dual role-a rat in your own house, brainwash, revenge, sacrifice, country, and cricket-it all gets too messy, but that's not the main issue with the movie. The major issue is the horrible execution of these events. The action scenes are too cringeworthy, and the dialogues are cheap. The VFX is poor, and the music doesn't have a single chartbuster. Why were all those songs there after all? Especially when you know your film runs for 3 hours and you have a very predictable plot in your hands. God knows how things were finalized, but extensively, it doesn't seem like concrete work at all.
Thalapathy Vijay's screen presence will take his fans on a joyride. He has enough massy moments and dialogues that will take theaters by storm with hootings and whistles. But tell me, haven't we seen that before? The second role, the younger one, was so bad and full of dirt. The way he delivered his dialogues sounded like a b-grade film from a low-grade cinema industry (or is it just the Hindi dubbing). Prabhu Deva hits the action role and gets it right at most of the occasions, but you have that spoiling element coming towards the end, which literally kills his character. Sneha and Meenakshi Chaudhary are show pieces; Laila hardly has anything to do. Jayaram and Mohan both disappoint, while Prashanth and Ajmal Ameer are strictly okay. There is a huge supporting cast, and it doesn't really add up to anything noticeable.
One can easily notice that GOAT is a poorly edited film with the kind of cutting you see on the big screen. The writing meant mass elevation of Thalapathy and Thala (MS Dhoni), which looked interesting in the beginning but got weaker and weaker with every single minute of the commentary. Riding and even flying bikes on the top of the stadium, and no one is even watching? Are you serious, bro? Writers were on hangovers or what? GOAT has many scenes that look illogical like this, and for what? The mass cinema. It's okay. You can do that because you have been doing that for years. Maybe on some odd day in the future, people will understand, but then there is also a thing called a crazy fan following. Vijay's presence will save GOAT from that, because there is nothing else in the film that can save it from tanking in the long run.
RATING - 4/10*
Venkat Prabhu's latest film, The Greatest of All Time, aka GOAT, stars Thalapathy Vijay in a double role. Vijay may be your reason to watch the film, but after watching the film, you'll realize that he was the one for whom you shouldn't have watched the film. Vijay has been a mass hero for a long time, and it's difficult for directors and writers to imagine him in some different or offbeat roles. That's what makes GOAT a very dated and boring film. The film was still very decent in the first half, but the second half was terribly bad. Vijay's overacting, cringe-worthy dialogues and over-the-top action scenes spoil this decent-looking film, which could have easily become a one-time watch.
MS Gandhi (Vijay) is an ATS officer on a mission with his team in the opening scene. In the next 5 minutes, they believe that the villain is dead, while everyone sitting in the audience knew that the villain can't be dead so early and will return in the second half. See, that's how outdated GOAT is right from the beginning. Gandhi is then sent to Moscow, where his family is attacked and his son is killed by his enemies. Gandhi retires from field duty, and then years later he finds his son back, Jeeva (Vijay). After Jeeva's return to the family, things start getting worse for Gandhi and his team members. His close friends are getting killed, and Gandhi wonders how it all began right after his son's return. Who is behind all this?
GOAT has those twists-if you can call them twists in today's time. May God help you see them as twists; otherwise, you'll be bored to death. The dual role-a rat in your own house, brainwash, revenge, sacrifice, country, and cricket-it all gets too messy, but that's not the main issue with the movie. The major issue is the horrible execution of these events. The action scenes are too cringeworthy, and the dialogues are cheap. The VFX is poor, and the music doesn't have a single chartbuster. Why were all those songs there after all? Especially when you know your film runs for 3 hours and you have a very predictable plot in your hands. God knows how things were finalized, but extensively, it doesn't seem like concrete work at all.
Thalapathy Vijay's screen presence will take his fans on a joyride. He has enough massy moments and dialogues that will take theaters by storm with hootings and whistles. But tell me, haven't we seen that before? The second role, the younger one, was so bad and full of dirt. The way he delivered his dialogues sounded like a b-grade film from a low-grade cinema industry (or is it just the Hindi dubbing). Prabhu Deva hits the action role and gets it right at most of the occasions, but you have that spoiling element coming towards the end, which literally kills his character. Sneha and Meenakshi Chaudhary are show pieces; Laila hardly has anything to do. Jayaram and Mohan both disappoint, while Prashanth and Ajmal Ameer are strictly okay. There is a huge supporting cast, and it doesn't really add up to anything noticeable.
One can easily notice that GOAT is a poorly edited film with the kind of cutting you see on the big screen. The writing meant mass elevation of Thalapathy and Thala (MS Dhoni), which looked interesting in the beginning but got weaker and weaker with every single minute of the commentary. Riding and even flying bikes on the top of the stadium, and no one is even watching? Are you serious, bro? Writers were on hangovers or what? GOAT has many scenes that look illogical like this, and for what? The mass cinema. It's okay. You can do that because you have been doing that for years. Maybe on some odd day in the future, people will understand, but then there is also a thing called a crazy fan following. Vijay's presence will save GOAT from that, because there is nothing else in the film that can save it from tanking in the long run.
RATING - 4/10*
Jeene Ki Raah (1969)
Finally, a beautiful love triangle with a new twist.
Jeene Ki Raah (1969) :
Brief Review -
Finally, a beautiful love triangle with a new twist. Jeene Ki Raah is a remake of the Telugu film Bratuku Teruvu (1953), starring ANR and Savitri-both big names. The Hindi version has changed a few things here and there and has got the soul right. Jeetendra plays Mohan, an MSc passout who struggles to get a job. We have this evergreen cliche that in order to get a job or to get a rented house, one has to either fake his marriage or hide his marriage. Here, Mohan has to hide it. However, the situation becomes difficult when his boss' ill daughter falls in love with him and he cannot leave her alone due to her medical condition. He is there for her as a friend, but she sees a lover in him, unaware of the fact that he is married. As expected and as we all know, sooner or later the family members would know about it, and then Mohan will be at fault from both ends. It's predictable but very interesting. Mohan's wife is too simple and great to give away her husband for someone else, and then Radha realises what she cannot have. The love triangle, or say, quartet, which also includes Mohan's dear friend who is in love with Radha, has a few loose ends but never looks impossible. The songs are evergreen. Aane Se Uske Aaye Bahaar is a chartbuster, Aa Mere Hamjoli has one of the best choreography, throught process, and execution for any hide and seek song (watch out for Tanuja's dance moves and expression throughout the song), Ek Banjara Gaye is another hit number, Aap Mujhe Acche Lagne Lage is melodious, and Chanda Ko Dhundne is a Lori turn into a meaningful song. Such a great music album it is by Nan other than Laxmikant-Pyarelal! L. V. Prasad has handled the remake very well. This is how you remake a film. He used every aspect carefully, be it storyline, screenplay, actors, music, and locations. The film is over, but I am still grinning, man!
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Finally, a beautiful love triangle with a new twist. Jeene Ki Raah is a remake of the Telugu film Bratuku Teruvu (1953), starring ANR and Savitri-both big names. The Hindi version has changed a few things here and there and has got the soul right. Jeetendra plays Mohan, an MSc passout who struggles to get a job. We have this evergreen cliche that in order to get a job or to get a rented house, one has to either fake his marriage or hide his marriage. Here, Mohan has to hide it. However, the situation becomes difficult when his boss' ill daughter falls in love with him and he cannot leave her alone due to her medical condition. He is there for her as a friend, but she sees a lover in him, unaware of the fact that he is married. As expected and as we all know, sooner or later the family members would know about it, and then Mohan will be at fault from both ends. It's predictable but very interesting. Mohan's wife is too simple and great to give away her husband for someone else, and then Radha realises what she cannot have. The love triangle, or say, quartet, which also includes Mohan's dear friend who is in love with Radha, has a few loose ends but never looks impossible. The songs are evergreen. Aane Se Uske Aaye Bahaar is a chartbuster, Aa Mere Hamjoli has one of the best choreography, throught process, and execution for any hide and seek song (watch out for Tanuja's dance moves and expression throughout the song), Ek Banjara Gaye is another hit number, Aap Mujhe Acche Lagne Lage is melodious, and Chanda Ko Dhundne is a Lori turn into a meaningful song. Such a great music album it is by Nan other than Laxmikant-Pyarelal! L. V. Prasad has handled the remake very well. This is how you remake a film. He used every aspect carefully, be it storyline, screenplay, actors, music, and locations. The film is over, but I am still grinning, man!
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Kanyadaan (1968)
The most stupid feminist film ever made in Bollywood? I guess so.
Kanyadaan (1968) :
Brief Review -
The most stupid feminist film ever made in Bollywood? I guess so. Kanyadan's story had me gripped in the first half, but then the second half left in splits. I couldn't resist laughing at the backdated thinking of the writer and the way those characters anticipated it. I'll tell you the story, and I am sure even you'll find it very stupid. Amar falls in love with a village girl, Rekha, but they cannot marry since Rekha had a child marriage. There is no trace of her husband, but her mother insists on searching for him. God knows how child marriage was still relevant in the 1960s, and Rekha and her mother actually behaved as if it were a legal bond. Amar, being an educated rich guy, also has no legal thoughts that the marriage wasn't valid from any angle. Guess what? Amar tells them that he is the same guy who got married to Rekha in childhood. Funnily, he questions her about her reaction if he wasn't the same guy while taking her home, and she clearly says that she would leave him and live with her husband to obey her religion. Stupidity at its peak. Despite learning the answer, Amar still goes on to live with her and then creates a socially awakening feminist drama on stage so that Rekha can learn something. The drama has a woman abandoned by her husband and is going to commit suicide, but another man comes to save her and gives her a new life and new identity as she gets married a second time. However, Rekha is so stupid and outdated that she thinks that the woman should have committed suicide instead of second marriage. The same thing happens to her, and then she accidentally reaches her real husband's house, who is now happily married and has a son. The stupid feminism strikes again as Rekha decides to stay there and hide her reality, but no way she is thinking about her lover, husband, and her own future. That's all there is to this crap produced by Bollywood, which luckily turned out to be. Hit due to child marriage and Kanyadaan factors taking over rural parts of the country.
RATING - 4/10*
By - #samthebestest.
The most stupid feminist film ever made in Bollywood? I guess so. Kanyadan's story had me gripped in the first half, but then the second half left in splits. I couldn't resist laughing at the backdated thinking of the writer and the way those characters anticipated it. I'll tell you the story, and I am sure even you'll find it very stupid. Amar falls in love with a village girl, Rekha, but they cannot marry since Rekha had a child marriage. There is no trace of her husband, but her mother insists on searching for him. God knows how child marriage was still relevant in the 1960s, and Rekha and her mother actually behaved as if it were a legal bond. Amar, being an educated rich guy, also has no legal thoughts that the marriage wasn't valid from any angle. Guess what? Amar tells them that he is the same guy who got married to Rekha in childhood. Funnily, he questions her about her reaction if he wasn't the same guy while taking her home, and she clearly says that she would leave him and live with her husband to obey her religion. Stupidity at its peak. Despite learning the answer, Amar still goes on to live with her and then creates a socially awakening feminist drama on stage so that Rekha can learn something. The drama has a woman abandoned by her husband and is going to commit suicide, but another man comes to save her and gives her a new life and new identity as she gets married a second time. However, Rekha is so stupid and outdated that she thinks that the woman should have committed suicide instead of second marriage. The same thing happens to her, and then she accidentally reaches her real husband's house, who is now happily married and has a son. The stupid feminism strikes again as Rekha decides to stay there and hide her reality, but no way she is thinking about her lover, husband, and her own future. That's all there is to this crap produced by Bollywood, which luckily turned out to be. Hit due to child marriage and Kanyadaan factors taking over rural parts of the country.
RATING - 4/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Khandan (1965)
Too much family drama to handle, but that's what 60's entertainment was all about
Khandan (1965) :
Brief Review -
Too much family drama to handle, but that's what 60's entertainment was all about. The 60s saw many South remakes in Hindi cinema, and most of them were taken from successful movies and became successful as well. Khandan came from the Tamil movie Bhaaga Pirivinai, which was directed by A. Bhimsingh, and he sat on the director's chair for the Hindi remake as well. Needless to say that it becomes easier to recreate your own work rather than somebody else recreating it with his own vision. Bhimsingh's Khandan is a melodramatic affair, and I was kind of expecting that from it. However, the melodrama was over the top and one level higher than what I expected. The elder son Govind becomes paralysed by one hand and one leg, and his aunt despises him for that. Her brother returns from Singapore and starts dividing the house. With his conspiracy, this happy, big family and house are scattered into pieces. There is too much melodrama, too many nuances that play a major role in proving the "karma" factor right, too many villains to hate, but Pran is just amazing. Govind is paralysed, but his son is normal, whereas Sunder is normal, but his wife gives a birth to a paralysed son. Now that's too much drama, and it's too conflicting. I don't see any logic in that or the way Govind is ready to get humiliated every time as if he were a duffer, but maybe that's what the 60's entertainment was all about. People hardly care about the logic and went mad over the high-voltage drama that became dated soon. Sunil Dutt, Pran, Nutan, Lalita Pawar, Manmohan Krishna, and Om Prakash have delivered superb performances. This film doesn't feel crap because of them. The songs are very situational, but the chart-scoring numbers aren't there. Badi Der Bhayi Nandlala maybe your devotional chartbuster. Overall, a highly dramatic family soap that's faded away from memories too soon, deservingly.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Too much family drama to handle, but that's what 60's entertainment was all about. The 60s saw many South remakes in Hindi cinema, and most of them were taken from successful movies and became successful as well. Khandan came from the Tamil movie Bhaaga Pirivinai, which was directed by A. Bhimsingh, and he sat on the director's chair for the Hindi remake as well. Needless to say that it becomes easier to recreate your own work rather than somebody else recreating it with his own vision. Bhimsingh's Khandan is a melodramatic affair, and I was kind of expecting that from it. However, the melodrama was over the top and one level higher than what I expected. The elder son Govind becomes paralysed by one hand and one leg, and his aunt despises him for that. Her brother returns from Singapore and starts dividing the house. With his conspiracy, this happy, big family and house are scattered into pieces. There is too much melodrama, too many nuances that play a major role in proving the "karma" factor right, too many villains to hate, but Pran is just amazing. Govind is paralysed, but his son is normal, whereas Sunder is normal, but his wife gives a birth to a paralysed son. Now that's too much drama, and it's too conflicting. I don't see any logic in that or the way Govind is ready to get humiliated every time as if he were a duffer, but maybe that's what the 60's entertainment was all about. People hardly care about the logic and went mad over the high-voltage drama that became dated soon. Sunil Dutt, Pran, Nutan, Lalita Pawar, Manmohan Krishna, and Om Prakash have delivered superb performances. This film doesn't feel crap because of them. The songs are very situational, but the chart-scoring numbers aren't there. Badi Der Bhayi Nandlala maybe your devotional chartbuster. Overall, a highly dramatic family soap that's faded away from memories too soon, deservingly.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Gharana (1961)
Indian family melodrama at its peak!
Gharana (1961) :
Brief Review -
Indian family melodrama at its peak! Gharana may not be an original flick, but this is the peak point for any Bollywood family melodrama. The original Tamil play, Malliyam Mangalam, has been adopted many times, and Gharana is one of them. Let's give the credit where it's due. Gharana, as a Bollywood film, created many cliches that have been used many times over the years. You might know its remake or the other films that have been influenced by this and loved them. So don't forget Gharana was first and right in the early 60s, when Hindi audiences were ready for a shift after the legendary Mughal-e-Azam. All the rom-coms, romantic dramas, biopics, and other dramas were attaching audiences, and there were many family dramas having a helpless woman/daughter-in-law. Gharana is an extension of the same idea because it makes it a big joint family. That Devar-Bhabhi's relationship being suspected cliche must have left audiences in tears back then. It still feels so painful. Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani made the bahu the real heroine of the film, as she takes things in her own hands because she is a modern girl. That was a good change because the women had become that smart by the 80s. However, it wasn't possible in the early 60s. Gharana was bound to stay in limit and find its own ways to stay relevant. Raaj Kumar's character actually makes you feel furious and angry at him; Rajendra Kumar forces you to stand with him against his own elder brother; the father of the house wakes up at the right moment; the son-in-law of the house fights the son of the house to save the image of the house and dignity of the lady; the mother-in-law gets her lesson and admits being wrong and accepts being uneducated; the other Bahus are silent and somewhat wasted; the two kids are enchanting; and the character Shubha Khote plays is what makes it a complete film. You have a hero and a villain both in the same house, and that's why you don't want to go out; expect that other lady's house. Superb!
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Indian family melodrama at its peak! Gharana may not be an original flick, but this is the peak point for any Bollywood family melodrama. The original Tamil play, Malliyam Mangalam, has been adopted many times, and Gharana is one of them. Let's give the credit where it's due. Gharana, as a Bollywood film, created many cliches that have been used many times over the years. You might know its remake or the other films that have been influenced by this and loved them. So don't forget Gharana was first and right in the early 60s, when Hindi audiences were ready for a shift after the legendary Mughal-e-Azam. All the rom-coms, romantic dramas, biopics, and other dramas were attaching audiences, and there were many family dramas having a helpless woman/daughter-in-law. Gharana is an extension of the same idea because it makes it a big joint family. That Devar-Bhabhi's relationship being suspected cliche must have left audiences in tears back then. It still feels so painful. Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani made the bahu the real heroine of the film, as she takes things in her own hands because she is a modern girl. That was a good change because the women had become that smart by the 80s. However, it wasn't possible in the early 60s. Gharana was bound to stay in limit and find its own ways to stay relevant. Raaj Kumar's character actually makes you feel furious and angry at him; Rajendra Kumar forces you to stand with him against his own elder brother; the father of the house wakes up at the right moment; the son-in-law of the house fights the son of the house to save the image of the house and dignity of the lady; the mother-in-law gets her lesson and admits being wrong and accepts being uneducated; the other Bahus are silent and somewhat wasted; the two kids are enchanting; and the character Shubha Khote plays is what makes it a complete film. You have a hero and a villain both in the same house, and that's why you don't want to go out; expect that other lady's house. Superb!
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Intaquam (1969)
A very mid affair for a revenge drama, even for the 60s
Intaqam (1969) :
Brief Review -
A very mid affair for a revenge drama, even for the 60s. RK Nayyar's Intaqam comes from a pre-code era Hollywood flick, Paid (1930), starring young and talented Joan Crawford. That pre-code flick was dated for its time because even Hollywood had made better revenge dramas before that, but the only "watch-out-for" quality it had was having a merciless woman on a revenge path. In Bollywood, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, and Rani Mukherji have done similar woman-led revenge dramas later, and arguably better too, but it's just that the gorgeous Sadhana had to do it before those actresses. Even in the 50s and even back in the 30s, we had a film like "Amar Jyoti" (1936), based on a unique idea of "rebellious female pirate." Intaqam, as its title says, is about a woman's revenge, and unexpectedly, it's damn brutal about presenting the female side. She is merciless and is burning in the fire of revenge, and that's what keeps the film going smoothly, until it loses the fire in the end. The same merciless woman has a change of heart, and everything becomes so positive all of a sudden that it looks soulless and meaningless. Rita is sent to jail by her boss, Sohanlal, and after returning from prison, she decides to take revenge. She is financially and morally supported by Heeralal, who also seeks revenge from the same man, and then Rita marries Sohanlal's son, Raju, to spoil the image of the family. Meanwhile, Raju is truly in love with her, but she denies his feelings-until she has a change of heart in the end. The performances are decent, and the storytelling was quite mid-range for its time. The music also didn't hit the high, except for "Jaane Jaan," and what a super hot soup Helen looks in that number! The screenplay and storyline are strictly average, but maybe having a woman as the lead for a revenge drama might have made it a hit.
RATING - 5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A very mid affair for a revenge drama, even for the 60s. RK Nayyar's Intaqam comes from a pre-code era Hollywood flick, Paid (1930), starring young and talented Joan Crawford. That pre-code flick was dated for its time because even Hollywood had made better revenge dramas before that, but the only "watch-out-for" quality it had was having a merciless woman on a revenge path. In Bollywood, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, and Rani Mukherji have done similar woman-led revenge dramas later, and arguably better too, but it's just that the gorgeous Sadhana had to do it before those actresses. Even in the 50s and even back in the 30s, we had a film like "Amar Jyoti" (1936), based on a unique idea of "rebellious female pirate." Intaqam, as its title says, is about a woman's revenge, and unexpectedly, it's damn brutal about presenting the female side. She is merciless and is burning in the fire of revenge, and that's what keeps the film going smoothly, until it loses the fire in the end. The same merciless woman has a change of heart, and everything becomes so positive all of a sudden that it looks soulless and meaningless. Rita is sent to jail by her boss, Sohanlal, and after returning from prison, she decides to take revenge. She is financially and morally supported by Heeralal, who also seeks revenge from the same man, and then Rita marries Sohanlal's son, Raju, to spoil the image of the family. Meanwhile, Raju is truly in love with her, but she denies his feelings-until she has a change of heart in the end. The performances are decent, and the storytelling was quite mid-range for its time. The music also didn't hit the high, except for "Jaane Jaan," and what a super hot soup Helen looks in that number! The screenplay and storyline are strictly average, but maybe having a woman as the lead for a revenge drama might have made it a hit.
RATING - 5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Janwar (1965)
Experience the most charming romantic hero of Bollywood in one of the most entertaining films of his career.
Janwar (1965) :
Brief Review -
Experience the most charming romantic hero of Bollywood in one of the most entertaining films of his career. Janwar is what I call a complete film for its genre. Comedy, romance, superhit songs, family drama, emotions, royalty, love, betrayal (mistaken), and power-packed entertainment-this film has everything and is so perfect. Shammi Kapoor was the most charming romantic hero of Bollywood, and this film again proves why! He enters the picture wearing tennis shorts, meets a girl in the train, gets punished, takes revenge, wins the tournament, flirts with the heroine, sings songs for her, does every cute thing that any college girl would fall for, proposes in a unique style, and finally wins her. The proposal scene is so unique. Hero and heroine both send their voice notes on a tape recorder and record every single move and expression they expect the partner to go through. What great songs that entire Kashmir portion has got! "Tumse Achha Kaun Hai," "Lal Chadi," and "Meri Mohabbat Jawan Rahegi" are evergreen, and Shammi Kapoor has made those songs look even cuter with his expressions. Rajshree was such a beautiful actress but sadly didn't have a long career in Bollywood. Not just Bollywood, but left India only, and we lost one of the most beautiful and talented actresses. Janwar's title has nothing to do with the film, and I wonder why they chose this title. Shammi or Prithviraj Kapoor-none of the characters actually suggested anything like Animal. Anyway, Janwar's screenplay is damn entertaining. It's what I call a classic piece of work (for its genre). Every scene is written smartly, the events are lined up perfectly, and all scenes have enough dose of drama, romance, and comedy. This mixture makes it a very nice and joyful film, a film you can watch on any odd day and feel happy. Every time I watch it, it gives me the immense pleasure of watching a complete entertainer.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Experience the most charming romantic hero of Bollywood in one of the most entertaining films of his career. Janwar is what I call a complete film for its genre. Comedy, romance, superhit songs, family drama, emotions, royalty, love, betrayal (mistaken), and power-packed entertainment-this film has everything and is so perfect. Shammi Kapoor was the most charming romantic hero of Bollywood, and this film again proves why! He enters the picture wearing tennis shorts, meets a girl in the train, gets punished, takes revenge, wins the tournament, flirts with the heroine, sings songs for her, does every cute thing that any college girl would fall for, proposes in a unique style, and finally wins her. The proposal scene is so unique. Hero and heroine both send their voice notes on a tape recorder and record every single move and expression they expect the partner to go through. What great songs that entire Kashmir portion has got! "Tumse Achha Kaun Hai," "Lal Chadi," and "Meri Mohabbat Jawan Rahegi" are evergreen, and Shammi Kapoor has made those songs look even cuter with his expressions. Rajshree was such a beautiful actress but sadly didn't have a long career in Bollywood. Not just Bollywood, but left India only, and we lost one of the most beautiful and talented actresses. Janwar's title has nothing to do with the film, and I wonder why they chose this title. Shammi or Prithviraj Kapoor-none of the characters actually suggested anything like Animal. Anyway, Janwar's screenplay is damn entertaining. It's what I call a classic piece of work (for its genre). Every scene is written smartly, the events are lined up perfectly, and all scenes have enough dose of drama, romance, and comedy. This mixture makes it a very nice and joyful film, a film you can watch on any odd day and feel happy. Every time I watch it, it gives me the immense pleasure of watching a complete entertainer.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Kati Patang (1970)
Shakti Samanta adopts Mitchell Leisen's influential Hollywood melodrama "No Man Of Her Own" (1950) and makes it even better at places.
Kati Patang (1971) :
Brief Review -
Shakti Samanta adopts Mitchell Leisen's influential Hollywood melodrama "No Man Of Her Own" (1950) and makes it even better at places. For the unversed, Mitchell Leisen is known for making many melodramas in Hollywood that became influential over the years, and No Man Of Her Own happens to be one of his popular works. The tragic story of a woman who is betrayed in love, and then when she finds a true and loyal love, the old love is back to spoil her life again. No Man Of Her Own is a very thrilling affair, whereas Samanta's adaptation is typical but much better at places. The first half an hour goes into setting the plot, including the introduction of the hero, with the super hit song "Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai." The idea is to make it Indian, and Samanta has done a fantastic job here. In the original film, the villain is shot dead, while this one has the villain as a murderer. There are a few more changes in the screenplay that make it very colourful, especially all the songs and their situations. For instance, "Yeh Shaam Mastani" feels so romantic, and that Holi song, "Aaj Na Chodenge," is so apt for the situation and two different mindsets (the hero is happy, so the mukhada of the song is happy, and the heroine is sad, so the antara is filled with a sad tune). We don't make situational and meaningful songs like this anymore. "Na Koi Umang Hai" has become a "widow song" over the years, and "Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai" is forever melodious. With enough drama in his hands and such a great music album, Samanta easily manages to turn a woman-centric Hollywood melodrama into an audience-friendly Indian drama. Rajesh Khanna's charm hits well, and Asha Parekh proves why she was the best choice to replace someone like Barbara Stanwyck. In short, this is how you remake a Hollywood film with Indian flavour.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Shakti Samanta adopts Mitchell Leisen's influential Hollywood melodrama "No Man Of Her Own" (1950) and makes it even better at places. For the unversed, Mitchell Leisen is known for making many melodramas in Hollywood that became influential over the years, and No Man Of Her Own happens to be one of his popular works. The tragic story of a woman who is betrayed in love, and then when she finds a true and loyal love, the old love is back to spoil her life again. No Man Of Her Own is a very thrilling affair, whereas Samanta's adaptation is typical but much better at places. The first half an hour goes into setting the plot, including the introduction of the hero, with the super hit song "Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai." The idea is to make it Indian, and Samanta has done a fantastic job here. In the original film, the villain is shot dead, while this one has the villain as a murderer. There are a few more changes in the screenplay that make it very colourful, especially all the songs and their situations. For instance, "Yeh Shaam Mastani" feels so romantic, and that Holi song, "Aaj Na Chodenge," is so apt for the situation and two different mindsets (the hero is happy, so the mukhada of the song is happy, and the heroine is sad, so the antara is filled with a sad tune). We don't make situational and meaningful songs like this anymore. "Na Koi Umang Hai" has become a "widow song" over the years, and "Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai" is forever melodious. With enough drama in his hands and such a great music album, Samanta easily manages to turn a woman-centric Hollywood melodrama into an audience-friendly Indian drama. Rajesh Khanna's charm hits well, and Asha Parekh proves why she was the best choice to replace someone like Barbara Stanwyck. In short, this is how you remake a Hollywood film with Indian flavour.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Do Badan (1966)
Dilip Kumar's classic tragedy Deedar (1951) rewritten for an overdramatic contemporary love story of tragic proportions
Do Badan (1966) :
Brief Review -
Dilip Kumar's classic tragedy Deedar (1951) rewritten for an overdramatic contemporary love story of tragic proportions. As many have said, the idea of this film was given to Manoj Kumar when Dilip Kumar's Deedar was having its re-run and then the script was rewritten. The screenplay adopts a completely different nature as we don't see any childhood bond, which was the main point of connect in Deedar. The blindness is the only same thing here, while the rest of the narrative is totally different. I would prefer the original any day, as I feel that film has that pain and emotional quotient that makes you feel bad and makes you cry for the characters. In Deedar, the main hero has to sacrifice his eyes, which are just restored, but here the hero gets his eyes back and loses the love. Those sudden deaths in the climax don't look very plausible, and the sensitivity of love looks very bad there. I mean, the last stage or concluding stage of love cannot end with death, and that too within minutes. Deedar has no villain, but Do Badan has. It's Pran, as expected. Even he turns good all of sudden, and even while attempting redemption, he does not reveal to anyone that he was the one who was responsible for the accident. It might have added a good touch of salvation there. If one has to look at it as a retelling of Deedar, then Do Badan is a big letdown. But as a fresh film, which it is very much, it stands as a pretty decent film, powered by some excellent performances. The music adds situational momentum for sure but lacks repeat value. Those regular hit numbers are missing. Raj Khosla was actually good at making romantic thrillers, but this romantic tragedy didn't look like his fit. Overall, a fair attempt at the restoration of a classic old tragedy in modern times, but I tell you the impact Deedar had on me was too big. It can't be matched so easily.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Dilip Kumar's classic tragedy Deedar (1951) rewritten for an overdramatic contemporary love story of tragic proportions. As many have said, the idea of this film was given to Manoj Kumar when Dilip Kumar's Deedar was having its re-run and then the script was rewritten. The screenplay adopts a completely different nature as we don't see any childhood bond, which was the main point of connect in Deedar. The blindness is the only same thing here, while the rest of the narrative is totally different. I would prefer the original any day, as I feel that film has that pain and emotional quotient that makes you feel bad and makes you cry for the characters. In Deedar, the main hero has to sacrifice his eyes, which are just restored, but here the hero gets his eyes back and loses the love. Those sudden deaths in the climax don't look very plausible, and the sensitivity of love looks very bad there. I mean, the last stage or concluding stage of love cannot end with death, and that too within minutes. Deedar has no villain, but Do Badan has. It's Pran, as expected. Even he turns good all of sudden, and even while attempting redemption, he does not reveal to anyone that he was the one who was responsible for the accident. It might have added a good touch of salvation there. If one has to look at it as a retelling of Deedar, then Do Badan is a big letdown. But as a fresh film, which it is very much, it stands as a pretty decent film, powered by some excellent performances. The music adds situational momentum for sure but lacks repeat value. Those regular hit numbers are missing. Raj Khosla was actually good at making romantic thrillers, but this romantic tragedy didn't look like his fit. Overall, a fair attempt at the restoration of a classic old tragedy in modern times, but I tell you the impact Deedar had on me was too big. It can't be matched so easily.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Jeevan Mrityu (1970)
Iconic French novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" with Indian touch minus tormenting metaphors.
Jeevan Mrityu (1970) :
Brief Review -
Iconic French novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" with Indian touch minus tormenting metaphors. Many are aware of the original French novel by Alexandre Dumas, and I have seen the Hollywood adaptation of the same, starring Robert Donat. That Rowland Lee's directorial is called honest for sticking to the original source material, while Satyen Bose's Jeevan Mrityu has made a few changes according to Indian formations. In the Hollywood flick, the count has to spare the biggest enemy because he is married to his former lover, and that puts him in a difficult situation where he has to call himself guilty. His perfect plan is spoiled because of his former girlfriend, now his enemy's wife. In the Hindi remake, the hero is in delusion and somewhat rude, just to add that grey shade to the character. Dharmendra sees Rakhee and thinks that she might have betrayed him and then gets soft with her after learning the truth. The grandson of the man who helped him adds cliches to the story, and then you have fight scenes in the climax, and everything is made perfect for the happy ending. Ashok/Bikram doesn't go through those tormenting metaphors like Count of Monte Cristo. Bikram doesn't have to sacrifice his revenge at that time. Ashok is transformed into Bikram easily because we have a golden-hearted old man to provide him the power. In the original, the count had to find the treasure himself and struggle for it. Despite easily accessible and overdramatic elements, Jeevan Mrityu is a very good watch. "Jhilmil Sitaron Ka Aangan Hoga" song stands out in both versions. The predictability of the plot hurts, but not as much as the flawed last quarter. Dharmendra saves the film in parts. Bose misses many metaphors of life and painful gestures that could have boosted the emotional quotient of the film. Overall, good, not great.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Iconic French novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" with Indian touch minus tormenting metaphors. Many are aware of the original French novel by Alexandre Dumas, and I have seen the Hollywood adaptation of the same, starring Robert Donat. That Rowland Lee's directorial is called honest for sticking to the original source material, while Satyen Bose's Jeevan Mrityu has made a few changes according to Indian formations. In the Hollywood flick, the count has to spare the biggest enemy because he is married to his former lover, and that puts him in a difficult situation where he has to call himself guilty. His perfect plan is spoiled because of his former girlfriend, now his enemy's wife. In the Hindi remake, the hero is in delusion and somewhat rude, just to add that grey shade to the character. Dharmendra sees Rakhee and thinks that she might have betrayed him and then gets soft with her after learning the truth. The grandson of the man who helped him adds cliches to the story, and then you have fight scenes in the climax, and everything is made perfect for the happy ending. Ashok/Bikram doesn't go through those tormenting metaphors like Count of Monte Cristo. Bikram doesn't have to sacrifice his revenge at that time. Ashok is transformed into Bikram easily because we have a golden-hearted old man to provide him the power. In the original, the count had to find the treasure himself and struggle for it. Despite easily accessible and overdramatic elements, Jeevan Mrityu is a very good watch. "Jhilmil Sitaron Ka Aangan Hoga" song stands out in both versions. The predictability of the plot hurts, but not as much as the flawed last quarter. Dharmendra saves the film in parts. Bose misses many metaphors of life and painful gestures that could have boosted the emotional quotient of the film. Overall, good, not great.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Padosan (1968)
Expressionist musical comedy at its best!
Padosan (1968) :
Brief Review -
Expressionist musical comedy at its best! Multiple remakes of the original Bengali flick, Pasher Bari (1952), but the Hindi version has to get the most hype. There are many reasons behind it, but the music album by RD Burman sets it apart from any other retelling of this story. The songs are full of expressionism. Ek Chatur Naar has to be the funniest jugalbandi/fusion to have ever graced the silver screen. Every character in the song expresses different feelings, such as love, complexity, jealousy, and competitiveness. How well Ashok Kumar has sung it, but his expressions and dance moves are even better. Meri prem ki naiyya gudd gudd gote khaye moment is pure madness! Kehna Hai is so melodious and so apt with its lyrics and tunes that are used to "express" the feeling of a lover. Main Chali is a perfect fit for an introduction song for a beautiful lady. Mere Samnewali Khidki Mein is an evergreen flirt number. Sunil Dutt has played over his expressions to make comedy work. I mean, it's a funny scene, but it may not remain the same after the first or second viewing. Dutt's expressions and chaotic madness around him make it rich. You can laugh out loudly even after many repeat viewings. For instance, I have watched this film many times on TV, but even today when I see the ending of Kehna Hai, or the conclusion part of Chatur Naar, or that medicine scene, or that death scene, I can't control my loud laugh. Padosan has that innocence, that genuine touch of crazy situations and mad characters, which make it an absolute entertainer for ages. I may have a problem with a few things in the writing, especially Bindu's decision of wedding in the end, but the other side covers for that shortcoming. It happens with many scenes, leaving us with options but to love this musical and comical juggernaut every single time we see it. Hollywood carried that "musical comedy" term for years; finally, Indian cinema cracked something that's memorable.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Expressionist musical comedy at its best! Multiple remakes of the original Bengali flick, Pasher Bari (1952), but the Hindi version has to get the most hype. There are many reasons behind it, but the music album by RD Burman sets it apart from any other retelling of this story. The songs are full of expressionism. Ek Chatur Naar has to be the funniest jugalbandi/fusion to have ever graced the silver screen. Every character in the song expresses different feelings, such as love, complexity, jealousy, and competitiveness. How well Ashok Kumar has sung it, but his expressions and dance moves are even better. Meri prem ki naiyya gudd gudd gote khaye moment is pure madness! Kehna Hai is so melodious and so apt with its lyrics and tunes that are used to "express" the feeling of a lover. Main Chali is a perfect fit for an introduction song for a beautiful lady. Mere Samnewali Khidki Mein is an evergreen flirt number. Sunil Dutt has played over his expressions to make comedy work. I mean, it's a funny scene, but it may not remain the same after the first or second viewing. Dutt's expressions and chaotic madness around him make it rich. You can laugh out loudly even after many repeat viewings. For instance, I have watched this film many times on TV, but even today when I see the ending of Kehna Hai, or the conclusion part of Chatur Naar, or that medicine scene, or that death scene, I can't control my loud laugh. Padosan has that innocence, that genuine touch of crazy situations and mad characters, which make it an absolute entertainer for ages. I may have a problem with a few things in the writing, especially Bindu's decision of wedding in the end, but the other side covers for that shortcoming. It happens with many scenes, leaving us with options but to love this musical and comical juggernaut every single time we see it. Hollywood carried that "musical comedy" term for years; finally, Indian cinema cracked something that's memorable.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968)
Lekh Tandon's adaptation of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941), which is much better than the original mess.
Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968) :
Brief Review -
Lekh Tandon adaptation of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941), which is much better than the original mess. I have seen Alexander Hall's cinematic adaptation, "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," based on Harry Segall's novel, and also "Heaven Can Wait" (1943), which was based on a similar idea. Here Comes Mr. Jordan goes too messy in the last quarter with multiple dead bodies. Lekh Tandon's adaptation is much better and somewhat different from the original-for its own betterment. This film is like an extended version of the original source material, as we have a longer runtime and lot of masala elements to carry the story forward. The film sets the base for almost an hour as the hero, Sanjay, is trying to win the heroine, Priya. Sanjay dies in a car crash after Priya has left for Kolkata to see her father and his friend cremate his body. In heaven, it is learnt that the delivery guy brought the wrong soul, and now Sanjay must get back to earth. But how can he do that when the body is burnt to ashes? Therefore, he has to choose a different body, and as a part of an additional change in this adaptation, the body here has the same face, making things easier. However, it comes with a flaw that Sanjay's friend is openly calling him Sanjay, not TK, and yet nobody suspected-even the bad guy. But this trick definitely hits the right chord with the storyline. It's easier for the guy with the same face to change things instead of getting a new face. The film is boosted by two evergreen songs: Kaun Hai Jo Sapna me Aaya (copied by Elvis Presley's song) and Mere Hosh Udd Gaye (Saira Banu looks breathtaking in this song). The performances by all the actors are very nice, and the screenplay is superb. Lekh Tandon truly knew the job. What a great phase he had back then! Simply unstoppable.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Lekh Tandon adaptation of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941), which is much better than the original mess. I have seen Alexander Hall's cinematic adaptation, "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," based on Harry Segall's novel, and also "Heaven Can Wait" (1943), which was based on a similar idea. Here Comes Mr. Jordan goes too messy in the last quarter with multiple dead bodies. Lekh Tandon's adaptation is much better and somewhat different from the original-for its own betterment. This film is like an extended version of the original source material, as we have a longer runtime and lot of masala elements to carry the story forward. The film sets the base for almost an hour as the hero, Sanjay, is trying to win the heroine, Priya. Sanjay dies in a car crash after Priya has left for Kolkata to see her father and his friend cremate his body. In heaven, it is learnt that the delivery guy brought the wrong soul, and now Sanjay must get back to earth. But how can he do that when the body is burnt to ashes? Therefore, he has to choose a different body, and as a part of an additional change in this adaptation, the body here has the same face, making things easier. However, it comes with a flaw that Sanjay's friend is openly calling him Sanjay, not TK, and yet nobody suspected-even the bad guy. But this trick definitely hits the right chord with the storyline. It's easier for the guy with the same face to change things instead of getting a new face. The film is boosted by two evergreen songs: Kaun Hai Jo Sapna me Aaya (copied by Elvis Presley's song) and Mere Hosh Udd Gaye (Saira Banu looks breathtaking in this song). The performances by all the actors are very nice, and the screenplay is superb. Lekh Tandon truly knew the job. What a great phase he had back then! Simply unstoppable.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961)
Formulaic Nasir Hussain, but delightful!
Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961) :
Brief Review -
Formulaic Nasir Hussain, but delightful! Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai was the third directorial feature by Nasir Hussain, and just like his previous two films, this one was very formulaic, and it became very cliche due to earlier films he wrote and directed. The film is a delightful rom-com and has many adorable moments, fearing Dev Anand and Asha Parekh. Two songs are evergreen: Hume Tumse Pyaar Tha and Jiya Oo Jiya. However, the film has many flaws of its own. I haven't seen such a confused heroine in any formulaic film. Nisha was in love with Sunder and wanted to live her whole life with him, but couldn't speak a word when it came to making a decision in front of her father. The very next moment, Sunder is hurt and leaves her, and then she decides to go back to him. She took almost half an hour of the runtime to make that decision. In the end, she is again confused and almost quits her ongoing wedding. Sunder's desperation was also a bit confusing since even he can't make decisions for himself. At one moment, he decides to leave Nisha because she humiliated his love in front of her father, and the next day, he is ready to face a gun for her. That's too much of a love story, I guess, but it was crowd-pleasing. Dev Anand and Asha Parekh's chemistry is enchanting in the first half. The journey they go through and the way he flirts with her-all these things reminded me of the golden-era rom-coms from Hollywood. Something like the 1956 rom-com featuring Raj Kapoor and Nargis, Chori Chori (a remake of an iconic Hollywood movie). Despite flaws in the second half, Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai can be enjoyed as a whole because the first 90 minutes are very entertaining. The mess happens in the last 40 minutes, which Hussain had to create to fulfil his narrative and the dramatic scenes he had built in his mind.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Formulaic Nasir Hussain, but delightful! Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai was the third directorial feature by Nasir Hussain, and just like his previous two films, this one was very formulaic, and it became very cliche due to earlier films he wrote and directed. The film is a delightful rom-com and has many adorable moments, fearing Dev Anand and Asha Parekh. Two songs are evergreen: Hume Tumse Pyaar Tha and Jiya Oo Jiya. However, the film has many flaws of its own. I haven't seen such a confused heroine in any formulaic film. Nisha was in love with Sunder and wanted to live her whole life with him, but couldn't speak a word when it came to making a decision in front of her father. The very next moment, Sunder is hurt and leaves her, and then she decides to go back to him. She took almost half an hour of the runtime to make that decision. In the end, she is again confused and almost quits her ongoing wedding. Sunder's desperation was also a bit confusing since even he can't make decisions for himself. At one moment, he decides to leave Nisha because she humiliated his love in front of her father, and the next day, he is ready to face a gun for her. That's too much of a love story, I guess, but it was crowd-pleasing. Dev Anand and Asha Parekh's chemistry is enchanting in the first half. The journey they go through and the way he flirts with her-all these things reminded me of the golden-era rom-coms from Hollywood. Something like the 1956 rom-com featuring Raj Kapoor and Nargis, Chori Chori (a remake of an iconic Hollywood movie). Despite flaws in the second half, Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai can be enjoyed as a whole because the first 90 minutes are very entertaining. The mess happens in the last 40 minutes, which Hussain had to create to fulfil his narrative and the dramatic scenes he had built in his mind.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Milan (1967)
One of the greatest music albums ever for one of the most beautiful love stories ever made in Bollywood.
Milan (1967) :
Brief Review -
One of the greatest music albums ever for one of the most beautiful love stories ever made in Bollywood. I have so many beautiful memories of watching this film on Doordarshan during childhood, but nothing can ever beat the songs. Not one or two, but there are six songs that I can call evergreen. "Tohe Sanwariya," "Sawan Ka Mahina," "Bol Gori Bol Tera Kaun Piya," "Main To Diwana," "Hum Tum Yug Yug Se," and "Ram Kare Aisa Ho Jaye"-just amazing. Hands down to the greatest musical duo in Bollywood, Laxmikant sir and Pyarelal sir. I don't really mind if there is any formulaic love story coming with a reincarnation touch, if the execution is something to watch out for. I don't know who called it one of the earliest films to use this term "reincarnation," since I remember a few black-and-white era films with the same term. For instance, take Bharat Bhushan and Madhubala's "Phagun" (1958). The opening scene of Milan is so similar to that of Phagun. However, like I said, it's the execution, the storytelling, that makes Milan one of the sweetest love stories to have graced the silver screen in Hindi cinema. The cuteness of those three leading characters, Gopi, Radha, and Gauri, wins you completely. Gopi speaks so like a gentleman and behaves like a gentleman that you just can't hate him. And what a performance Sunil Dutt sir has given here. The same goes for Nutan Ji. Every single line she says is like a honey sip. Jamuna has played the most memorable role of her career and probably the greatest second heroine role ever in Hindi cinema. Gauri is what adds glamour, fun, childishness, and innocence to the film's storyline. I haven't seen the original, but the way Adurthi Subba Rao has directed this remake, I can imagine how great the original must be. Milan is like that sweet dish that no person with heart can ever dislike.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
One of the greatest music albums ever for one of the most beautiful love stories ever made in Bollywood. I have so many beautiful memories of watching this film on Doordarshan during childhood, but nothing can ever beat the songs. Not one or two, but there are six songs that I can call evergreen. "Tohe Sanwariya," "Sawan Ka Mahina," "Bol Gori Bol Tera Kaun Piya," "Main To Diwana," "Hum Tum Yug Yug Se," and "Ram Kare Aisa Ho Jaye"-just amazing. Hands down to the greatest musical duo in Bollywood, Laxmikant sir and Pyarelal sir. I don't really mind if there is any formulaic love story coming with a reincarnation touch, if the execution is something to watch out for. I don't know who called it one of the earliest films to use this term "reincarnation," since I remember a few black-and-white era films with the same term. For instance, take Bharat Bhushan and Madhubala's "Phagun" (1958). The opening scene of Milan is so similar to that of Phagun. However, like I said, it's the execution, the storytelling, that makes Milan one of the sweetest love stories to have graced the silver screen in Hindi cinema. The cuteness of those three leading characters, Gopi, Radha, and Gauri, wins you completely. Gopi speaks so like a gentleman and behaves like a gentleman that you just can't hate him. And what a performance Sunil Dutt sir has given here. The same goes for Nutan Ji. Every single line she says is like a honey sip. Jamuna has played the most memorable role of her career and probably the greatest second heroine role ever in Hindi cinema. Gauri is what adds glamour, fun, childishness, and innocence to the film's storyline. I haven't seen the original, but the way Adurthi Subba Rao has directed this remake, I can imagine how great the original must be. Milan is like that sweet dish that no person with heart can ever dislike.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)
Nasir Hussain was like: Phir Wohi Story Laya Hoon.
Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963) :
Brief Review -
Nasir Hussain was like: Phir Wohi Story Laya Hoon. Some of Nasir Hussain's films (as a writer) always look similar to each other or that main conflict of the story. Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon is pretty much similar to Hussain's earlier work (as a writer), "Tumsa Nahin Dekha" (1957). Interestingly, in both films, Pran plays that man who pretends to be a lost son. In TND, Shammi Kapoor falls in love with a girl, and here, Joy Mukherjee is that man. Same story, with a few additional changes here and there, and PWDLH is ready to serve its purpose of entertaining the audience as a delightful rom-com. It is entertaining after all, but it's too dramatic on occasions. The same story of a son who is taken away after birth and comes to confront the father after years, unknowingly. Both don't know about their relationship with each other, but the mother knows and wants to hide it as long as she can. The hero falls in love with the heroine, and the father is looking for the right match, which is, of course, not our hero. The antagonist appears and pretends to be the lost son and then begins a fight to win the girl, but the hero has to fight his own father for that. The screenplay is very engaging in the first half when you see those lots of comic banters coming with youth vibes and those typical romantic moments following the adorable pattern. The second is dragged, though, and unnecessarily. Maybe Husaain ran out of ideas while doing too much rehashing. Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh's chemistry is beautiful, and the songs are decent. Pran plays a deadly villain yet again, and Rajendra Nath gets the role of a comic leader/joker. Overall, it's a watchable film, but it's too much of old Nasir Hussain reappearing on the screen instead of new images.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Nasir Hussain was like: Phir Wohi Story Laya Hoon. Some of Nasir Hussain's films (as a writer) always look similar to each other or that main conflict of the story. Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon is pretty much similar to Hussain's earlier work (as a writer), "Tumsa Nahin Dekha" (1957). Interestingly, in both films, Pran plays that man who pretends to be a lost son. In TND, Shammi Kapoor falls in love with a girl, and here, Joy Mukherjee is that man. Same story, with a few additional changes here and there, and PWDLH is ready to serve its purpose of entertaining the audience as a delightful rom-com. It is entertaining after all, but it's too dramatic on occasions. The same story of a son who is taken away after birth and comes to confront the father after years, unknowingly. Both don't know about their relationship with each other, but the mother knows and wants to hide it as long as she can. The hero falls in love with the heroine, and the father is looking for the right match, which is, of course, not our hero. The antagonist appears and pretends to be the lost son and then begins a fight to win the girl, but the hero has to fight his own father for that. The screenplay is very engaging in the first half when you see those lots of comic banters coming with youth vibes and those typical romantic moments following the adorable pattern. The second is dragged, though, and unnecessarily. Maybe Husaain ran out of ideas while doing too much rehashing. Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh's chemistry is beautiful, and the songs are decent. Pran plays a deadly villain yet again, and Rajendra Nath gets the role of a comic leader/joker. Overall, it's a watchable film, but it's too much of old Nasir Hussain reappearing on the screen instead of new images.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Neel Kamal (1968)
Gothic horror meets aesthetic beauty in a flawed drama.
Neel Kamal (1968) :
Brief Review -
Gothic horror meets aesthetic beauty in a flawed drama. Neel Kamal and Hamraaz-these two Raaj Kumar movies were hugely popular on TV. Those Doordarshan days used to premiere these two films, and from what I remember from my childhood, many people used to sit not to miss the beginning. The reason is the iconic song. Hamraaz has Neele Gagan Ke Tale, and Neel Kamal has Tujhko Pukare Mere Pyaar, and these two literally define the overall essence of the story. Neel Kamal has the gothic horror touch of an unsatisfied soul trying to win the love of his life in the modern era, while the regular Indian family soap comes to spoil it up to the flawed level. I wondered why Balraj Sahni would get this Bidaai song all of a sudden because almost every film had a similar situation but not this kind of a full-fledged song coming with some extra sentimental value. Babul Ki Duaaye is still the greatest Bidaai song ever filmed on the silver screen, but what I gather in the second half is that the song has actually got to do something with the torment Sita has to go through. That typical Saas Bahu punishments were soapy, but the song factually every single word of its existence during the Bidaai scene. The father was expecting her daughter to find happiness, but all she got was unhappiness. The sequences from the past featuring Neel Kamal and Chitrasen are testament to the aesthetic beauty of fiction connecting the dots of historical references. It was more like the male version of Anarkali, if you see. In modern times, it's Sita and Ram's love story, which is endangered by Raavan taking Sita with her (by hypnotising). At the end, love triumphs, but at both ends. That's the trick. The songs, art design, performances, haunting elements, and aesthetic beauty of the grandeur and narrative came together to lift a flawed drama.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Gothic horror meets aesthetic beauty in a flawed drama. Neel Kamal and Hamraaz-these two Raaj Kumar movies were hugely popular on TV. Those Doordarshan days used to premiere these two films, and from what I remember from my childhood, many people used to sit not to miss the beginning. The reason is the iconic song. Hamraaz has Neele Gagan Ke Tale, and Neel Kamal has Tujhko Pukare Mere Pyaar, and these two literally define the overall essence of the story. Neel Kamal has the gothic horror touch of an unsatisfied soul trying to win the love of his life in the modern era, while the regular Indian family soap comes to spoil it up to the flawed level. I wondered why Balraj Sahni would get this Bidaai song all of a sudden because almost every film had a similar situation but not this kind of a full-fledged song coming with some extra sentimental value. Babul Ki Duaaye is still the greatest Bidaai song ever filmed on the silver screen, but what I gather in the second half is that the song has actually got to do something with the torment Sita has to go through. That typical Saas Bahu punishments were soapy, but the song factually every single word of its existence during the Bidaai scene. The father was expecting her daughter to find happiness, but all she got was unhappiness. The sequences from the past featuring Neel Kamal and Chitrasen are testament to the aesthetic beauty of fiction connecting the dots of historical references. It was more like the male version of Anarkali, if you see. In modern times, it's Sita and Ram's love story, which is endangered by Raavan taking Sita with her (by hypnotising). At the end, love triumphs, but at both ends. That's the trick. The songs, art design, performances, haunting elements, and aesthetic beauty of the grandeur and narrative came together to lift a flawed drama.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Hamraaz (1967)
This is what a near-perfection looks like in a wholesome romantic thriller!
Hamraaz (1967) :
Brief Review -
This is what a near-perfection looks like in a wholesome romantic thriller! You watch "Casablanca" (1942) and "Double Indemnity" (1944), and you've watched the perfection in the romantic thriller genre. Can Bollywood ever match that? The answer is no. But yes, we can go close. We have Howrah Bridge, Teesri Manzil, Mera Saaya, Woh Kaun Thi, and a few others to argue. Hamraaz happens to be one of them, but it's so freaking wholesome. It starts off like a love triangle like Sangam or any other formulaic romantic drama where a girl gets married to her lover, but before anyone else can acknowledge their marriage, he dies. The woman gets married to another man, and years later, her first husband, who was supposedly dead, returns to make her life complicated. BR Chopra gives a very sophisticated and emotional touch to this formula as the husband wishes her the best with the second husband and the woman literally falls at his feet. The real thrill lies in the murder of the woman, and who killed her and for what? For us, that third man is the friend of her first husband, but it turns out that he was never at the villain's place. There is a fourth guy, and I won't spoil it for you. The film has a super hit album, and that's why you see a rare film getting 5 songs in the first 50 minutes of its runtime. The reason is the structure of the narrative. It doesn't need songs later on, which it needed a lot in the beginning to set two romantic stories in a short time, making both look rushed. Hamraaz keeps you hooked with every single element of the story, be it romance, suspicion, betrayal, past secrets, on-stage drama references of Othello, and the cute little girl as the real key-spinner. Big cast, grand music, long narrative, multiple genres-how BR Chopra managed it and made it a huge commercial success should be the textbooks of filmmaking for newbies born after 70s. Truly, a grand affair at a romantic thriller, and probably the grandest.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
This is what a near-perfection looks like in a wholesome romantic thriller! You watch "Casablanca" (1942) and "Double Indemnity" (1944), and you've watched the perfection in the romantic thriller genre. Can Bollywood ever match that? The answer is no. But yes, we can go close. We have Howrah Bridge, Teesri Manzil, Mera Saaya, Woh Kaun Thi, and a few others to argue. Hamraaz happens to be one of them, but it's so freaking wholesome. It starts off like a love triangle like Sangam or any other formulaic romantic drama where a girl gets married to her lover, but before anyone else can acknowledge their marriage, he dies. The woman gets married to another man, and years later, her first husband, who was supposedly dead, returns to make her life complicated. BR Chopra gives a very sophisticated and emotional touch to this formula as the husband wishes her the best with the second husband and the woman literally falls at his feet. The real thrill lies in the murder of the woman, and who killed her and for what? For us, that third man is the friend of her first husband, but it turns out that he was never at the villain's place. There is a fourth guy, and I won't spoil it for you. The film has a super hit album, and that's why you see a rare film getting 5 songs in the first 50 minutes of its runtime. The reason is the structure of the narrative. It doesn't need songs later on, which it needed a lot in the beginning to set two romantic stories in a short time, making both look rushed. Hamraaz keeps you hooked with every single element of the story, be it romance, suspicion, betrayal, past secrets, on-stage drama references of Othello, and the cute little girl as the real key-spinner. Big cast, grand music, long narrative, multiple genres-how BR Chopra managed it and made it a huge commercial success should be the textbooks of filmmaking for newbies born after 70s. Truly, a grand affair at a romantic thriller, and probably the grandest.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.