Category Archives: My Reviews

Gharabaher (1999)

My Reviews,

The women’s reservation bill has been an ongoing topic for many years in India, meant to improve the status of women by giving them representation in Government bodies. Gharabaher (literally out of the house) handles this subject through the story of an influential political family. It shows how the deeply rooted beliefs are difficult to overcome. This is not limited to gender inequality but other factors like social standing, caste that matter while holding public positions and being successful in politics. Produced by Ratan Madaan and directed by Sanjay Surkar, Gharabaher makes it’s point.

The Plot

Annasaheb Patil (Mohan Joshi) is the head of a political family based in Hanamantwadi. With a political experience of 30 years, he has been the local MLA for many years. He has a strong hold on his constituency. A shrewd and experienced politician, he knows how to manage his supporters and opposition. He is looked at with respect. One of his close friends is businessman Hasmukh Patel (Madhav Abhyankar), who owns a factory in the village.

Through a breakfast table discussion (where he is joined by the village chief (Jayant Sawarkar) and a political worker (played by Prashant Damle), we come to know that the Government is planning to introduce reservation for women in the legislative assembly. The men discuss that this was already implemented in local rural and urban Government bodies. But that hasn’t made a difference. The place of a woman is in the house and should remain as is.

Annasaheb’s wife is played by Smita Talwalkar. She has no interest in politics and happy to manage the house and care for her family. Annasaheb has a son Balasaheb (Sachin Khedekar). His wife is Laxmi (Mrunal Kulkarni). Balasaheb runs an educational institute.

Annasaheb has a daughter Vasudha (Sonali Kulkarni). She is studying to be an architect in the city college, and appearing for her final exam. She is a practical and modern woman in spite of her rural family background. She is fond of photography. On a study tour she comes across a woman candidate busy in campaigning. Her husband has been the local councilor for many years. Due to introduction of reservation, the wife has been forced to contest the elections. But she is a mere rubber stamp as is evident from her responses to a press reporter. For every question asked, she points to her husband – why dont you ask him? much to the delight of the onlookers.

Vasudha and her friends laugh at this response. Her friends have a discussion about women in politics. The elected women don’t have a say, the real power remains with their husbands. They ask Vasudha if she is ready to plunge into politics. After all, she has a strong family background. But she makes it clear she has no interest in politics and will leave it to her father and brother to manage.

The men are not without their vices. Annasaheb is involved with Chandrakala (Reema Lagoo). Balasaheb is close to Rajni Jadhav (Kishori Ambiye). Both the women are aiming for plum posts in Government bodies. They hope that their relations with the influential politicians will help to achieve their ambitions. The politicians are in turn using them for their benefit. Such is the compulsion when politics are involved.

Balasaheb is following his father’s footsteps. He runs the educational institute but not without charging hefty donations. Corruption is perhaps a by product of politics! And he has an eye for women.

There had been an unpleasant situation when he was involved with a woman (apparently a college staff member). The woman had committed suicide and Annasaheb had a tough time getting the case closed. The matter was closed but Balasaheb has not learnt a lesson. He now has his eyes on Naina Gholap (Madhura Lele), a new professor. He promises her a post in the public relations department in return of her “services.” She runs away when he tries to take advantage of her.

Back to Vasudha. Vasudha returns home after her exams. The whole house including the servants dote on her. She is glad to be back. Her mother mentions its time for her to get married which her father and brother agree upon. But she counters them stating the world has changed and women are not limited to managing the house and stay within its confines.

One of her classmate was Sameer Shinde (Kishor Kadam). He is the member of Gramvikas Yuvak Sangh, a youth organization and also a progressive farmer. His associate and love interest is Nanda Thorat (Aparna Kumar(?)). Sameer is working for the welfare of the villagers. He is fed up of people like Chandrakala who are involved in illegal activities and resist any effort made by his team for the betterment of the villagers. He raises his concern with Annasaheb, who pacifies him in a fatherly manner. Needless to say, Annasaheb is fully supportive of Chandrakala and doesn’t care for people like Sameer, who is the son of a farm labourer and of a lower caste.

Sameer invites Vasudha for a hurda party arranged on his farm. There is a celebration song Punavechi raat sakhya. At the end of the song, Naina comes running to meet Sameer and tell him about her experience with Balasaheb. He directs her to Vasudha, who is shocked to hear about the matter.

She rushes home disturbed to talk to Balasaheb. It is quite late in the night but Balasaheb is yet to arrive home. He comes late and drunk. The next morning, she confronts him on Naina’s claim. He downplays the matter and tries to put the blame on Naina. But Vasudha doesn’t agree. She counters asking why a respectable woman would make such grave accusations?

Later, Laxmi goes with Vasudha on a long drive and shares her thoughts. Apparently, Balasaheb comes home late everyday. She knows he is a womanizer. That’s how it has been since their marriage. She feels like a trapped bird and so on. Vasudha is disturbed to hear all this. There is another song at this point – Paus ranaat.

The Naina matter is taken by Sameer to Annasaheb for intervention. Chandrakala tries to threaten Naina in her style but things don’t work out as desired. Annasaheb is forced to comply as the elections are round the corner. A meeting is arranged between Naina, Sameer and Balasaheb. Balasaheb apologizes to Naina. Annasaheb advises that Naina should resign and leave the college. He is happy to help with another posting. Sameer agrees reluctantly.

Vasudha is further acquainted with the happenings in the rural area. She meets a woman Ramabai, village head of a neighboring village. Ramabai was elected on basis of a caste based reservation but the men and high caste functionaries do not allow her to function independently. She is helpless and appeals for help.

And the assembly elections are announced. Unfortunately, Annasaheb’s family seat is reserved for a woman candidate. Potential candidates like Chandrakala and Rajni are considered but he knows that he needs someone who will be acceptable to all, especially his detractors and party seniors. The choice is limited and after much deliberation, he identifies Vasudha as the perfect candidate to fill in his shoes. Most importantly, a family member will occupy the seat in the assembly.

Vasudha opposes the plan but there is emotional blackmail from Annasaheb, her mother and brother. Finally, her father tells her that this is her opportunity to do something good which makes her agreeable.

Her life is about to change. She is pulled into the election campaigning, all managed by her father, brother and the party’s supporters. The election campaigning and polling is depicted through a song Dhav ghe karunakara. Vasudha she gets elected by a record margin.

This is just the beginning. It doesn’t take long for Vasudha to realize that she is just a pawn in the political game. Her father continues to have his way. And all is not hunky dory as she had assumed. Vendetta, corruption etc are all part of the game. In a moving scene, she is reminded of that woman candidate who directed all questions to her husband. She seems to share her plight.

Events keep happening where she is forced to take a stand for herself and her constituency. The businessman Patel’s factory is responsible for contaminating the village’s water sources. Sameer keeps raising the matter and expose the wrongdoings of Annasaheb, Balasaheb and their associates. Seeing him as a threat, Balasaheb orders Chandrakala to finish him off.

Sameer is murdered and his wife seeks justice from Vasudha. Chandrakala is arrested who spills the beans to Vasudha, laying the truth in front of her. Does she have the guts to get her brother arrested and ensure justice?

What option does Vasudha have? Will she go against her family? Or will she save the family’s prestige and play the same game?

The Music

There is no scope for the 3 songs which unnecessarily break the flow. Vijay Kuvalekar is the lyricist and Shridhar Phadke the composer. Suresh Wadkar sings Dhav ghe karunakara which is set against the backdrop of the election campaigning. It is a devotional song which doesn’t match the visuals. There is a hurda party song Punavechi raat (Asha Bhosle) and another song on the farm Paus ranaat (Asha Bhosle and Mahalaxmi Iyer).

My Thoughts

The film is a sincere attempt to highlight the subject of women’s reservation and their role in politics. We have a long way to achieve the expected objectives. Rich and influential families continue to control the political landscape in their areas. The film sticks to its core theme and doesn’t divert with sub plots including comedy and romance. It also speaks about the place of women in society. Being from an entitled household doesn’t guarantee that all is well. The film won 2 National awards for best feature film and best director. It also won multiple Maharashtra state awards.

The star cast is filled with seasoned actors making it a pleasure to watch. Sonali Kulkarni is the protagonist and performs convincingly. She plays the happy go lucky character looking for relaxation before she can think of future plans. But life has other plans, making her take a stand against her own family. Mohan Joshi, Smita Talwalkar, Mrunal Kulkarni, Kishor Kadam and Sachin Khedekar are good. Reema Lagoo portrays a different character than her usual motherly roles and she looks the part. Prashant Damle adds a touch of comedy but his role seems wasted.

Bond 303 (1985)

My Reviews

The James Bond series is one of the most famous and long running film franchises in Hollywood. Hindi cinema was quick to be inspired by the series and come up with its desi versions. Farz (1967) was one of the first movies to do so. Jeetendra played the Indian secret agent and the film’s success made him a dependable star. (Farz was actually a remake of Gudachari 116 (1966)), a Telugu film!)

Many years later, Jeetendra starred in Bond 303, where he plays the patriotic secret agent and tackles the enemy of the nation. Unfortunately, the film didn’t achieve the same success as Farz but had its entertaining moments. The film was produced by B C Devra and took many years to complete. Ravi Tandon was the director.

The Plot

The first scene starts with a murder, supposedly in Goa. A girl Julie is killed by Moses (Dev Kumar) under the orders of their boss Tiger. Tiger’s gang is involved in various anti-national activities like smuggling etc. Julie’s brother Tony also works for Tiger. He is shaken when he sees Julie being killed in front of him. He phones the police and informs them about a consignment of fake medicines and drugs that has arrived in the country. The police raid the location (Miramar Beach).

Tiger’s deputy(?) is Shakti (Prem Chopra). He is furious at the police raid. This has never happened in the organization. He is sharing this information with other gang members like Moses, Dr Ranjit (Satyen Kappu), his wife Lily (Helen), Mac (Mac Mohan), and Vikas (Vikas Anand). Suddenly the overhead lights start blinking and they hear Tiger’s voice. Tiger announces that Tony is the traitor and needs to be eliminated immediately. The task is assigned to Ranjit, who drives a truck and crushes Tony.

Shakti welcomes the delegation of Cosmos led by Tom (Tom Alter). Shakti mentions that Cosmos will help them in ensuring that India remains an under developed nation, and is sponsoring their effort in achieving this. Dr Ranjit gives a demo of the proposed plan. On 13th February in Anjanapur, the Government of India is planning a huge exhibition showcasing its military strength. Dignitaries and scientists etc will be arriving there. Tiger’s gang has developed a bomb, stored at a launching site 500 km from Anjanapur. Once launched, it will destroy the city and seriously dent the country’s security and morale. Cosmos is happy with the demo and ready to work with Tiger’s organization.

Shakti informs the other members to get into action. They will introduce the fake medicines in the market, and destroy the infrastructure by bombing bridges, sabotaging the railway network and so on. This will ensure the police and defense forces’ attention is diverted and their focus will stay away from Anjanapur. The actions are executed causing destruction across the country.

The police commissioner (played by Iftekhar) is keeping a close watch. He has summoned Ajay (Jeetendra) also known as agent Bond 303 to meet him. Bond is currently on vacation and flirting and singing with a bevy of girls.

Meanwhile, the editor of Daily Samachar K. K. Verma (Shreeram Lagoo) is tracking the deaths caused by fake medicines and covering the matter in his newspaper. He meets the IG (Chandrashekhar) and warns him that he will continue to highlight the situation in his paper and blame the authorities. It is shameful that the authorities are unable to handle the situation and find the perpetrators.

Bond is forced to curtail his vacation and meet his boss. He enters in style and first flirts with Mary, the commissioner’s secretary. He has brought a gift for her. The secretary admonishes him for not bringing her a nail polish for her toes. (This is actually a coded message for him which will be useful later.) She asks him to enter the commissioner’s office.

Apparently, he has to pass through a huge room/ vacant space before entering the office. As Bond is passing, he is attacked by a group of men. He tackles them all and enters the boss’s office. The men were sent by his boss to test his fitness. Bond assures him that he is fully fit and ready for the job. The boss explains him about the recent spate of criminal activities and thinks the source is in Mumbai. He has received some inputs from another agent Aslam (Deven Verma) in Mumbai. Bond is to go to Mumbai for investigation. Mary will join him too.

Bond thanks him. As he is about to leave, he sees a science magazine with a photo of outstanding student of the year and is impressed by the beautiful girl (Parveen Babi) in the photo. The scene shifts to a college laboratory in Mumbai.

We meet Kavita (Parveen Babi) and her friend Salma. Seems she is a science student studying in Mumbai. Kavita tells Salma she has invented an injection for reducing tension(!). She tests it on 2 professors (a male and a female). After getting injected, they generate romantic feelings for each other much to Kavita’s delight. She decides to try it on a random person and test its effectiveness. (We can very well guess who that is going to be!)

Bond arrives in Mumbai and is welcomed by Aslam. He is driving a vintage car which stops in the middle of a forested area. Kavita and Salma are conveniently hiding nearby. They manage to inject both Bond and Aslam. The men seem to forget their tension and follow the girls and sing a romantic song. Later, Bond and Aslam go to their hotel to meet Mary. But they are greeted by her corpse. As Bond is searching her body, he remembers the coded message and checks her toe nails. He find a film clip stored there. It has the photo of a graveyard. Aslam identifies the place. This is where Moses (one of the criminals) was buried 5 years ago. Bond suspects Moses’s grave may give them some clue and probably Mary had found out something.

In the graveyard, they are attacked by dogs but Bond manages to kill them. They stumble upon a secret chamber next to Moses’s grave. This leads them to a godown/warehouse where fake medicines are being stored. There are statues all around. This is a well shot scene. The statues are actually Tiger’s gang members, ready for attack. Later, Moses arrives. Seems he had faked his death. He tries to kill Bond and Aslam but gets killed himself.

Shakti is furious when hears about Moses’s death and Bond being responsible. Mac informs him that Bond is looking for Tony’s sister Julie (who was killed by Moses earlier). Shakti tells Lily to go and meet Bond posing as Julie. She does so. Later, she and other members try to kill Bond, but he gets away skillfully.

Circumstances lead him to meet Kavita again, this time in a health club. They fall in love. Through the police records, Bond comes to know about Lily’s true identity. She is Dr Ranjit’s wife and he suspects Ranjit is part of the same gang that is trying to kill him. He takes Kavita’s help to visit Ranjit’s laboratory and do some investigation. Bond follows Ranjit and gets the required proof. Ranjit tries to kill Bond but gets killed in the action.

Tiger orders Shakti that they have to get rid of Bond immediately or it will jeopardize their big plan. It is revealed that Kavita’s uncle is the editor K. K. Verma. Verma invites Bond to his house for his son’s birthday party. The son is none other than Shakti Verma (Prem Chopra) who is after Bond’s life. Once again, there is an attempt to kill Bond by placing him in a coffin and throwing it in the water. But Aslam saves him in the nick of time.

Shakti brings in 4 scientists from abroad who will carry on Dr Ranjit’s work to execute the 13th February plan. There is a party arranged for the scientists. Bond, Aslam and Salma pose as dancers and perform at the party.  At the end of the song, Bond reveals himself and shoots at Shakti, who gets injured. Bond manages to abduct the scientists.

At this time, Tiger’s identity is revealed. He is none other than K. K. Verma, Shakti’s father and Kavita’s uncle.

Tiger has his plans ready. There is a further twist by introducing Kavita’s twin sister Suzianna who stays in Italy with their mother (played by Shammi). All this leads us to 13th February and Anjanapur, where the disaster is set to happen.

Will Tiger be successful by bombing the area? OR will Bond 303 be successful in saving the country? Watch with bated breath as the action unfolds.

The Music

Music is the weakest link here. In general, a spy / secret agent movie may not have much scope for romantic or other songs. But this needs to be thought of properly as in the case of say Farz or Ankhen which had great music but did not seem put of place. Unfortunately, the songs are a dampener in this movie in spite of Gulshan Bawra and R. D. Burman’s efforts. Probably worth mentioning is the Helen song Main hoon Lily (by Asha Bhosle) where she tries to pass on a message to Bond secretly.

My Thoughts

The film has a fast pace throughout and things keep happening continuously. In that sense, it keeps the viewer engaged. The film tries hard to incorporate the original Bond movie elements. We have a so called larger than life villain with grand plans of destruction. The identity revealing of the villain is a bit disappointing. The set of the rocket launch site is nicely done including shots of the rocket loading and unloading. We see those typical control room panels with switches, blinking lights and telephones which are a staple of spy movies! Then we have those fancy gadgets like a watch which is also a communication device.

Acting wise, Jeetendra tries hard to play the sauve and debonair Bond but has limitations. Parveen Babi’s Kavita character is confusing. She hardly looks or behaves like a serious student engaged in chemistry experiments or do something outstanding. Her “invention” sounds silly. She is more convincing as the stylish and ruthless twin sister Suzianna. Unfortunately, the voice of both characters is dubbed as the actress was not available for dubbing. Deven Verma’s character is too frivolous to be believable as a secret agent. The villain gang contribute as expected. The songs and romantic track do not add much value.

Hum (1991)

My Reviews,

The early 1990s brought in a new bunch of actors including the 3 Khans who would cast their distinctive spells and rule the industry for the next few decades. But there were others who continued to stay relevant with their immense star power and acting talent.

Today, we visit the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Hum. Produced by Romesh Sharma and directed by Mukul Anand, Hum is a showcase of the aging Amitabh Bachchan’s “angry young man” image, probably for the last time as a leading hero. It is a kind of revenge drama full of action, masala and entertainment with many characters and subplots. Though an out and out commercial film, it confirms why Amitabh Bachchan is regarded as one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. He won the FilmFare award for best actor for his memorable performance. The film is also remembered for its iconic song Jumma chumma de de.

The Plot

The very first scene begins with Amitabh Bachchan’s voiceover. He describes Mumbai (or Bombay) docks area, the destination of ships where goods are loaded and unloaded. Some years back, a businessman called Bhaktavar (Danny Denzongpa) arrived here. He took advantage of the poor conditions and compulsions of the dock workers and made them his slaves. The workers would slog round the clock in return of almost nothing. The exploitation continued over the years. Bhaktavar’s power and cruelty multiplied. He ruled the docks with his band of trusted men. Hardly anyone could dream of raising their voice against Bhakhtavar. Those who did, met with fatal consequences serving as a lesson for others.

One of Bhaktavar’s right hand man was Pratap (Deepak Shirke). He had 3 sons. The eldest being Tiger (Amitabh Bachchan). Pratap remarried and had 2 sons from his second wife (played by Asha Sharma). Tiger was introduced to the world of crime by his father and he also works for Bhaktavar. But he has a rebel streak and a sense to distinguish what’s good, bad and evil.

The docks see the entry of a new police inspector Giridhar (Anupam Kher). He is accompanied by Havaldar Arjun Singh (Annu Kapoor). Giridhar is corrupt and an opportunist to the core. He has his plans laid out. He would like to side with the workers and stoke the flames of a rebellion against Bhaktavar. On the other hand, he would act as a servant of Bhaktavar, and instigate him against the workers.

Gonsalves (Romesh Sharma) is one of the workers who is trying to gather support and rebel against Bhaktavar. One day, he and a group of workers march to Bhaktavar’s house shouting Bhaktavar murdabad. Bhaktavar handles the situation shrewdly and crushes the rebellion, leaving Gonsalves frustrated.

Bhaktavar sends his men to capture Gonsalves and kill him (by throwing him in an acid tank, he owns a chemical unit too!). Enter Tiger, the angry young man who is Gonsalves’s close friend. He is all ready for action to save his friend. After the expected fight, he manages to rescue Gonsalves. Giridhar is on spot to tell Tiger that Bhaktavar is behind this. Tiger rushes to Bhaktavar’s house. He threatens him openly and warns to stay away from his friend. Pratap lectures him and throws him out. He apologizes to Bhaktavar on Tiger’s behalf. Bhaktavar warns him that this should not be repeated else his other 2 sons will have to bear the consequences.

Gonsalves has a sister Jumalina/ Jumma (Kimi Katkar) who shares a love hate relationship with Tiger. This is reason enough to present the chartbuster song Jumma chumma de de.

Giridhar informs Bhaktavar that Gonsalves has collected the signatures of 500 workers and will be filing a complaint against Bhaktavar tomorrow. Bhaktavar orders Pratap to tell Tiger to instill some sense into Gonsalves else the outcome will be worse. Tiger goes to meet Gonsalves in a drunken state. After a long scene, Gonsalves understands the message that his friend is desperately trying to convey. Amitabh is really good in this scene and a treat to watch!

The next day, Gonsalves is on his way to the police station. He is alone. Seems no one is ready to risk being seen with him. Tiger runs behind him but Bhaktavar reaches Gonsalves first and kills him. Tiger is a witness to the murder. So are Giridhar and Arjun Singh who have been watching the proceedings hidden from the view. Everyone knows what has happened but Bhaktavar’s men terrorize the area to ensure no one speaks up against him. Jumma appeals to the women to come forward. They do so. In the events that follow, Pratap gets killed (when he tries to save Tiger) and his wife (Tiger’s stepmother) also dies. Bhaktavar rushes home hoping to flee with his family and money before the police forces arrive.

Tiger has lost his friend, and his parents in quick succession. He goes to Bhaktavar’s house to kill him. He knocks him out. But Giridhar, the opportunist has already planned the next course of events. He informs Tiger that the police commissioner is on his way and requests him to to leave the city along with his step brothers. He will not achieve anything by killing Bhaktavar, after all he has to think about the future of his brothers. Tiger is fully agreeable and leaves.

After that, Giridhar sets fire to Bhaktavar’s house, loots his safe and runs away. Bhaktavar gains consciousness and sees his wife and children being charred to death. He assumes Tiger is behind all this. He jumps out of the window and saves himself. But the police arrive and arrest him. (He is sent to jail.)

Tiger boards a goods train along with his brothers. He asks Jumma to jump in but she refuses. She says his love will be divided if she comes with them. So the lovers separate. Giridhar manages to shoot the train which is conveniently carrying explosives. There is a huge explosion and he assumes Tiger is dead.

We are not even halfway into the story. Some 15 years have passed. Tiger is alive and a changed man for the sake of his brothers. He is now called Shekhar and lives in Ooty. He has established a timber business. His brothers are Kumar (Rajinikant), a police officer and Vijay (Govinda), a college student. Kumar’s wife is Aarti (Deepa Sahi) and they have a daughter Jyoti (Baby Sanjana). Shekhar is away from the world of crime. His brothers don’t know anything of his past. Strangely, they don’t remember anything of what happened to their parents etc.

More characters are introduced. Vijay’s girlfriend is Anita (Shilpa Shirodkar). They sing a sultry song shot in Mauritius airport (?). Anita’s father is General Sinha (Kadar Khan).

But Tiger/ Shekhar’s contented life is about to change as some old foes return.

Bhaktavar is released from jail. His mission is to track Tiger and seek revenge for killing his family. He is told that Tiger is dead but he refuses to believe that. It is interesting to note that Bhaktavra’s motivation is concerning the loss of his family. The importance of a family is actually the central theme of the movie.

Giridhar is now a successful businessman. But obviously not someone who is principled. His current target is the Indian army. He is planning to sell substandard tanks to the army. But his plans are thwarted by General Sinha. Then he plans to replace the General with a duplicate (an actor), who will masquerade as the General and approve the tanks’ purchase.

His path will cross with Bhaktavar, who is out of jail, as well as with Tiger, whom he had assumed dead. He knows he will be caught if Tiger and Bhaktavar meet each other and realize the truth. Giridhar’s wrong doings will be revealed.

And Tiger’s love interest Jumma, who is now a successful heroine will return in Tigers life.

All this makes for an exciting climax where a family unites to take on their adversaries.

The Music

Anand Bakshi and Laxmikant Pyarelal deliver a clear winner. Jumma Chumma has acquired cult status. It has a female solo version Le le chumma le le. The title song Ek dusre se karte hai pyar hum was popular too. It appears multiple times in the movie. The duets Sanam teri kasam and Kaagaz kalam dawaat la are good. Other situational song is General Sahab karo tayari.

My Thoughts

Hum was one of the final successes of Amitabh Bachchan’s career as the leading hero. Shortly after this movie, he took a break to launch his company ABCL. Mukul Anand makes full use of the actor’s talents be it action, comedy, romance or emotional scenes. His towering personality is impressive. But he looks old in the initial portion where he depicts the angry young man persona. Danny Denzongpa is convincing. Anupam Kher is irritating as he plays the villain with a comedy streak in his usual style.

Other actors like Rajinikant and Govinda don’t have much to do except in the final portion of the movie. Kimi Katkar makes a surprisingly good pair with Amitabh Bachchan though their age difference is evident on screen. Shilpa Shirodkar, Deepa Sahi and Kadar Khan (in a double role) provide good support.

While Hum may not be a great movie, it has all the key elements to hook the viewer. And it succeeds!