Tridev (1989)

My Reviews,

Multi starrers have their own charm. If made properly they can be most entertaining and remain etched in the minds of the viewers. Films like Waqt, Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony are some of the all time hits of this genre.

By the late 1980s, the audience seemed to have got tired of these kind of movies. Probably they had become formulaic and repititive. But Tridev turned out to be an exception. Produced by Gulshan Rai and directed by Rajiv Rai, it succeeded to become the third largest box office success that year. Tridev was a story of crime, action, romance and a revenge drama. It is known for the catchy song Oye Oye…Tirchhi Topiwale which became an instant chart buster.

The Plot

Tridev is a tale of multiple characters and sub plots. The director succeeds in combining all of them convincingly. All roads seem to lead to the main villain Bhujang (played superbly by Amrish Puri). I won’t explain the whole plot but focus on the main characters to keep it simple!

There are 3 heroes and their respective heroines. Inspector Karan Saxena (Sunny Deol) is an honest and incorruptible police officer. He is the son of a judge (played by Subbiraaj). Karan is looking for information on smuggled arms and trying to get to the source of the menace.

Karan’s marriage has been arranged to Divya Mathur (Madhuri Dixit), the daughter of the Police Commissioner Mathur (Anupam Kher). Their fathers are good friends.

The second hero is Jai Singh (Naseeruddin Shah) who lives in a village called Madhavpur. He is a sort of Robin Hood character always helping the villagers without caring for the consequences including the breaking of any law. He has many cases filed against him in the local police station.

He meets Renu (Sonam) who is a film star. Renu has arrived in Madhavpur for a film shooting. She meets Jai and is impressed by his personality. She requests the director to cast Jai in a special appearance in the film. Jai agrees and they shoot for the song Oye Oye…Tirchhi Topiwale. After that, they part ways when she goes back to the city.

Due to some circumstances, Karan is transferred to Madhavpur. He comes to know about the troublemaker Jai Singh character. Their initial differences are sorted and they become the best of friends. Renu’s father is a politician referred as Mantriji (Raza Murad), who works with the villain Bhujang and his gang for progressing his political career.

Coming to the third pair of Ravi Mathur (Jackie Shroff) and Natasha Tejani (Sangeeta Bijlani). Ravi is the son of the police commissioner and Divya’s brother. He is a law breaker and works closely with the villains. His aim is to penetrate Bhujang’s organization and strike at its roots to destroy it completely. But his father doesn’t know his real intentions leading to a major conflict between them.

His love interest is Natasha, whose brother is Ramesh (Vijayendra Ghatge). Ramesh works for Bhujang and has agreed to help Karan in exposing the culprits responsible for the arms smuggling. Ramesh gets killed when his connection to the police gets revealed. Ravi and Natasha team up to expose the villains and seek revenge for Ramesh’s death.

And finally we have the villains led by Bhujang who is the “desh ka dushman.” He is an ex-dacoit by the name of Bhairav Singh. He has two sons (played by Tez Sapru and Dan Dhanoa). Bhujang wants one of them to get married to Mantriji’s daughter Renu. There is the dumb Raghav (Rajesh Upadhyay), Don (Dalip Tahil), who manages the smuggling operation and a corrupt inspector Suraj Singh (Sharat Saxena).

As the story progresses, Karan, Jai and Ravi realize they are against the same villain Bhujang alias Bhairav Singh. They unite as Tridev and and vow to finish him off forever.

The Music

The film is filled with great songs. Anand Bakshi is the lyricist. Kalyanji Anandji are credited as the music director but their son Viju Shah is specially credited as music conductor. Oye Oye (by Amit Kumar and Sapna Mukherjee – she won the Best Female Playback Singer Filmfare award) is the obvious winner but other songs are also well known. The songs are well choreographed.

There are other duets picturized on the main leads. Main Teri Mohabbat Mein is a duet by Mohammed Aziz and Sadhana Sargam. Gali Gali Mein Phirta Hai is sung by Manhar Udhas and Alka Yagnik. Alisha Chinoi sings Raat Bhar Jaam Se. The climax song Oye Oye..Gajar Ne Kiya Hai Ishaara features the three leading ladies and is sung by Sapna Mukherjee, Sadhana Sargam and Alka Yagnik.

My Thoughts

Tridev has the look of a classy and stylish film. Maybe this is the key element that distinguishes it from other muti starrers of that period. The film keeps moving as the lives of the key characters get intertwined. Surprisingly (or thankfully), there is no comedy side plot that keeps propping up to divert the audience’s attention. Also, there is no lost and found sub plot which is typical of this genre. It is more of an action thriller with lot of crime happening on screen. The romantic tracks and songs are quite well integrated into the story.

The three male leads were more famous and established compared to the female leads. Sunny Deol is convincing as the upright inspector and Naseeruddin Shah plays the simple village character on a revenge mission effectively. For some reason, Jackie Shroff carries / wears a dupatta at all times!

Madhuri Dixit was doing well with hits like Tezaab and Ram Lakhan. Comparatively, Sonam and Sangeeta Bijlani were new to the industry though the latter has a stunning presence in the movie. By this time, Amrish Puri had become the staple villain in Hindi movies and he doesn’t disappoint. The supporting characters are good. Anupam Kher’s character appears to be weak and helpless, always ensuring the villain outwits him easily!

Sadhi Manasa (1965)

My Reviews, , , ,

Bhalji Pendharkar is regarded as one of the pioneers and most respected filmmakers in Marathi cinema. He was an influencer and mentor to many artistes. Though more famous for historical films centered around the Marathi empire, he also made films on other subjects occasionally. His creation Sadhi Manasa (Simple People) is a gem of a movie. Like its name, it tells the story of simple people and the hardships faced by them. Perhaps the most special thing about the film is its music, which was composed by none other than Lata Mangeshkar (credited as “Anandghan”)!

At the 13th National Film Awards, it won the President’s silver medal for the Best Feature Film in Marathi. At the Maharashtra State Film Awards, the film won 9 awards including Best Film, Best Director, Screenplay and Dialogue (for Bhalji Pendharkar), Best Actress (Jayshree Gadkar), Best Music Director and Best Female Playback Singer for Anandghan / Lata Mangeshkar as well as Best Cinematography: Arvind Lad and Best Art Direction: Sadashiv Gaikwad.

The Plot

The film is set in Hanbarwadi village and tells the story of Shankar (Suryakant) and Parvati alias Paru (Jayshree Gadkar). Shankar is an ace blacksmith. His skill is demonstrated in the first few scenes.

Chakkadrao (Rajshekhar), a truck driver arrives in the village. His truck has developed a snag and a certain part needs to be fixed. He is directed to Shankar’s house. Shankar, helped by Paru gets on the job. It is also the perfect setting for one of the most well known songs – Airanichya deva tula thinagi thinagi waahu de.

Shankar repairs the part and Chakkadrao is impressed. He offers to take them to Kolhapur, a big city where Shankar can make better use of his skill. He asks the couple to think about it for a few days. If agreeable, they can join him on his return journey.

Shankar starts thinking of the proposal. A big city means more money and that will improve their lives. Paru is not very agreeable, she is happy as they are. It is decided they will consult Paru’s brother Mhatoba (Master Vitthal) and sister in law (Sulochana), whom they hold in high regard and seem to be their only close relatives.

Paru goes ahead to her maternal home. Shankar will join her after completing the tasks at hand. Mhatoba and his wife are glad to have her with them. Their kids Shirpa and Hansa are fond of their aunt. The two ladies share a close bond and are constantly engaged in an entertaining banter.

Shankar’s arrival is delayed and it is time for Paru to sing another song Waat pahuni jeev shinala. He finally comes and the decision is made to go to Kolhapur. As promised, Chakkadrao takes them to Kolhapur in his truck. He also arranges their accommodation in the same locality where he stays. The couple settle down in their new surroundings. Shankar is lucky and gets a job in an engineering unit.

Life is different in Kolhapur compared to their village. They have an elderly and helpful neighbour called Tuka Jadhav. But the rest are of the troublesome category. There is a drunkard who beats his wife Sanguna (Asha Patil) daily and extracts money from her. He also tries to borrows money from his neighbours and keeps irritating them.

One day, the neighbour Sanguna comes hurriedly to Paru. She request her to keep her putali necklace safely as she does not want her husband to get hold of it. This is her last piece of jewellery and she cannot think of parting with it to support her husband’s drunken ways. Paru is reluctant but Sanguna presses her. Paru agrees and keeps the necklace in a jar of pulses in the kitchen.

This incident is witnessed by Chakkadrao. He is not the good samaritan he pretends to be. He has his sights on the beautiful Paru since their first meeting. He is waiting for an opportunity to get closer to her. Paru has sensed this and voiced her concern about Chakkadrao’s intentions to Shankar.

The same day, Shankar comes home with his first salary. He has purchased a watch for himself and a saree for Paru. Paru is overjoyed and sings a song Malayachya malyamandi patacha paani jaata remembering her maternal house and describing her brother, sister in law and the kids.

Chakkadrao meets Shankar and suggests visiting the renowned Jyotiba temple. Shankar agrees. But this request is part of a well thought plan. Chakkadrao has instructed his helper to steal the necklace when Paru and Shankar are out visiting the temple. The plan is successful and the helper hands over the necklace to Chakkadrao. The couple is unaware of this.

Paru’s brother and sister in law arrive in Kolhapur for a very short visit. There is another sweet song between the ladies – Rajachya rangmhali sonyacha bai palang.

All is hunky dory and it is time for Chakkadrao to make his move. Chakkadrao asks the drunkard to ask his wife for the necklace. He makes a huge fuss and forces Sanguna to goes to Paru and demand the necklace. Paru searches frantically but cannot find it in the kitchen. She realises the necklace as well as the salary amount (cash) are missing. Shankar and Paru accept the reality. News about the “stolen” necklace reach Shankar’s boss. He asks Shankar to arrange for a guarantor if he wants to continue in his job.

Shankar mortgages their house in Hanbarwadi and arranges the money. He doesn’t know any jeweller and Chakkadrao offers to help him in this task. Chakkadrao keeps the money and hands over a fake necklace in return. Shankar is a simple man and doesn’t understand he has been taken for a ride.

The truth is soon found out by Sanguna and her husband and the blame falls on Shankar. He is arrested, convicted and sent to jail. Paru is unexpectedly left to fend for herself. Her condition is portrayed through the devotional song Nako devaraya anta aata pahu. Chakkadrao offers to help her but she knows his intentions and throws him out. She is forced to vacate their house and starts working as a farm labourer.

She meets Shankar in the prison. He tells her to go her brother’s house but she disagrees. She doesn’t let her brother and sister in law know what has happened.

So, the couple continue their struggle. Shankar works as a blacksmith in the prison and spends his time in the company of a fellow prisoner cum teacher (played by Chandrakant Gokhale) who teaches him to read and write. Shankar is also desperate to flee the prison one way or the other. He cannot bear to live without Paru.

But more testing times are in store for the couple. Chakkadrao tracks Paru and attempts to make unwanted advances. She beats him with a wooden stick in self defense until he dies.

Where will this end? Will Paru be convicted of her crime? Will the couple be able to live happily again?

The Music

The film has evergreen music. Lata Mangeshkar composed the music under the pseudonym Anandghan. The story goes that the identity of “Anandghan” was revealed when Lata Mangeshkar got up to collect the award during the State Awards ceremony. The songs are in the voices of the Mangeshkar siblings – Lata, Usha and Hridaynath.

Airanichya deva is a well written song by Jagadish Khebudkar referring to the hard work of the blacksmith. Malachya malyamandhi, Waat pahuni jeev shinala and Rajachya rangmhali are written by Bhalji Pendharkar under the pseudonym “Yogesh.” Nako Devraya is a composition by Sant Kanhopatra based on raag Malkans.

My Thoughts

Sadhi Manasa maintains its simple tone throughout. It is said that none of the actors applied makeup while shooting for the film. The characters are shown to be quite practical. They accept what is in front of them and decide how to deal with the circumstances. Surprisingly, the melodrama is kept to the minimum and there are no over the top weepy ham scenes. Kudos to Bhalji Pendharkar! In a way, the film also reflects the impact when a simple villager moves to a big city. The transition can be life changing.

Suryakant, Chandrakant Gokhale, Sulochana, Rajshekhar and Master Vitthal are all adequate in their roles. The show stealer is Jayshree Gadkar who performs brilliantly. Her equation with different characters like her husband, brother and his wife, with the villain are presented convincingly. She is not merely the helpless heroine but handles the matters in her feisty manner. Sometimes, things don’t need to be flashy and glamorous to make a point and Sadhi Manasa underlines this effectively.

“Filmy” Songs

My Lists, , ,

Its almost the end of the month and my blog will complete 2 years on 31st March. It has been a pleasant experience. Writing about movies in the form of reviews, song lists and articles is extremely satisfying. There is so much to watch and write about when your passion is movies and music!

Today’s post is centered around this passion of mine. It is a songs post and all these are “filmy” songs. We have many films depicting the film industry. Right from Kaagaz Ke Phool, Guddi to Rangeela and Luck By Chance in recent times. And we have songs which pay a tribute to the film industry through its lyrics, cast or picturization. The combination makes the song totally filmy (or filmi), and entertaining. So hope you enjoy this post and do leave your comments.

1) Song: Ek Padosan Peeche Pad Gayi
Film: Gopi (1970)
Credits: Rajendra Krishan | Kalyanji Anandji | Mahendra Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar and chorus

Let’s start with a dance number featuring the real life couple Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. Both were highly successful in their careers. They did very few films together, including Gopi which became a hit. Coming to the filmi part of this song – the cleverly written lyrics weave the names of many movies and characters featuring the lead pair, making it an interesting song. It was probably the first song of its kind and showcases the star power and long lasting impact of films.

Ek padosan peeche pad gayi,
Junglee jiska naam,
Pyaar mohabbat kyaa samjhaaye,
Isko Ram aur Shyam,
Ke teri meri nahin nibhni

Jaa main na teri Madhumati,
Na Dhanno mera naam,
Dil bhi dena dard bhi lenaa,
Ye nahin mera kaam,
Ke teri meri nahin nibhni

2) Song: Naach Meri Jaan
Film: Main Sundar Hoon (1970)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Shankar Jaikishan | Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle

There are films where the hero or heroine are associated with the film industry. Main Sundar Hoon told the story of a waiter Sundar (played by Mehmood) who becomes a film star. There are many “behind the scenes” which show how movies are made.

This song is a shooting sequence. The first shots show the song recording and we see some well known names including Kishore Kumar, Jaikishan and Anand Bakshi in front of the camera! Then Mehmood and Jayshree T participate in the song’s shooting. The lyrics are nonsensical but the tune is catchy with awesome singing.

3) Song: Loote Koi Mann Ka Nagar
Film: Abhimaan (1973)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | S. D. Burman | Manhar and Lata Mangeshkar

Many of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films have a character who is connected to music in some way. Remember Anuradha, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Satyakam, Buddha Mil Gaya and so on?

Abhimaan was the story of two singers. After marriage, Uma (Jaya Bhaduri) is convinced by her husband Subir (Amitabh Bachchan) to become a playback singer. He is already a well established singer. This is the first song they record together. The song show typical views of a recording studio with musicians, sound recordists etc. We also get a glimpse of Nitin Mukesh in a special appearance.

4) Song: Ek Din Sapne Mein Dekha Sapna
Film: Golmaal (1979)
Credits: Gulzar | R. D. Burman | Kishore Kumar

This is another Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie. The hero Amol Palekar is enjoying a picnic with his friends when he sings this song. He dreams of Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Lata Mangeshkar. It’s a fun song with Amitabh and Rekha appearing in unexpected cameos.

5) Song:  Mere Jeevan Saathi
Film: Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant Pyarelal | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Anuradha Paudwal

This is a kind of gimmick song which works because it’s made to be a part of the story. The hero Vasu (Kamal Hassan) has limited knowledge of Hindi. To impress the heroine Sapna (Rati Agnihotri), he sings this song made up of Hindi film names. The entire song is shot in a lift.

Mere jeevan saathi, Pyaar Kiye Jaa,
Jawani Diwani, Khubsoorat Ziddi Padosan,
Satyam Shivam Sundaram

6) Song: John Jaani Janardhan
Film: Naseeb (1981)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant-Pyarelal | Mohammed Rafi

In 2007 came Om Shanti Om in which the song Deewangi Deewangi had a long parade of film stars appearing as guests in the hero Om (Shah Rukh Khan)’s party. But this idea of inviting film stars was first used by Manmohan Desai in Naseeb.

Amitabh Bachchan plays a waiter with a weird name of John Jaani Janardhan. The song portrays the golden jubilee success party of the film Dharam Veer (also made by Manmohan Desai). Stars arrive in full force to join the celebration. Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Randhir Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Sharmila Tagore,  Bindu…the list goes on. A true filmy song and a film fan’s delight!

7) Song: Na Maange Sona Chaandi
Film: Mr. India (1987)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Laxmikant Pyarelal | Shabbir Kumar, Anuradha Paudwal and chorus

There was a time when films used to have parody songs. Writing a parody song is not easy. It has to suit the theme of the song, then suitable songs have to be selected and their lyrics altered. The lyrics need to be funny and a perfect fit for the situation. This song is one such fine example. Penned by Javed Akhtar, the parodied songs are all inspired from Laxmikant Pyarelal’s compositions, from films like Dosti, Raja Aur Rank, Milan, Shor, Bobby, Sargam etc. It turned out to be a truly filmy and memorable song!

8) Song: Antakshari
Film: Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)
Credits: S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Shailendra Singh, Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar and chorus

If we are talking about film songs, we cannot forget “Antakshari” – the well known game of film songs. Highly enjoyable and a perfect way to pass the time, it continues to be popular. Maine Pyar Kiya used this game with a mash-up of Hindi film songs as a way to bring the hero and heroine together. The hero Prem (Salman Khan) is adamant that the heroine Suman (Bhagyashree) apologize to him and say “I Love You” thrice. This happens during the course of the game when she finally relents and says the three words.

9) Song: Dhoom Tana…Kaise Nainon Se Nain
Film: Om Shanti Om (2007)
Credits: Javed Akhtar | Vishal-Shekhar | Abhijeet, Shreya Ghoshal and chorus

I was impressed by the usage of computer generated effects in this song and making it more impactful. The character of Shanti (Deepika Padukone) is a film actress. It is expected she works with multiple actors. The song portrays her pairing with 3 actors from the 60s and 70s. Through special effects, we see her dancing with Sunil Dutt, Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra. The original shots are taken from Amrapali, Sachaa Jhutha & Jai Vijay, with Deepika added as their costar in each song portion. The outcome is impressive. The song has a retro feel and was well received.

10) Song: Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte
Film: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
Credits: Jaideep Sahni | Salim-Sulaiman | Sonu Nigam

And the last song is a unique song which is a tribute to legendary heroes Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Rishi Kapoor, pairing them with actresses Nargis, Sadhana, Helen, Sharmila Tagore and Neetu Singh. The starting lyrics are actually a reference to the (then) ruling Khans – Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh.

Shah Rukh Khan performs this delightful number with 5 actresses of the current generation – Kajol, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji. The lyrics have references of the respective hero’s films and songs. The lyrics seem a bit stretched but the result on screen is just magical and filled with nostalgia.