Category Archives: My Reviews

Khiladi (1992)

My Reviews

Khiladi was the movie that started it all for Akshay Kumar. It was his first hit followed by a line of movies leveraging the lucky term “khiladi” in their titles. Its a murder mystery movie. Though the murder is committed only halfway we are entertained by a host of masala elements typical of Hindi movies, so there’s nothing to complain!

The Plot

Khiladi begins with a chase sequence. Raj Malhotra (Akshay Kumar) is following a businessman Bahadur Singh (Sharat Saxena). Bahadur Singh is involved in horse racing etc and returning from the bank after withdrawing a huge amount ( 3 lakh rupees). Raj corners and shoots him with a dummy pistol. This was a prank. Raj’s friend Bonny (Deepak Tijori) appears and admonishes Bahadur Singh for not living up to his name, getting scared and making him lose his bet with Raj. It is revealed Raj and Bonny are college going friends and keep betting on the go. Apparently Bonny keeps losing every time.

We are introduced to Raj’s family. He lives with his elder brother inspector Suresh Malhotra (Shakti Kapoor) and his wife Sudha (Beena). Suresh is aware of his brother’s betting habit and warned him time and again (to no avail!).

Its the first day of college. Typical of Hindi movies, we are assured of pranks, teasing, fights, songs and romance. We are introduced to the college gang including Sheetal Nath (Sabeeha). Sheetal’s father is Kailash Nath (Prem Chopra) who is a businessman cum politician preparing for the upcoming elections. Other quirky characters like the principal (Dinyar Contractor) and P.T. professor P.K. More (Tinu Anand) add to the fun.

Raj and his friends have planned a prank on the college staff, serving them a cold drink which induces a “winking effect.” What follows is a long winking session involving the staff members. Inadvertently impacted by this prank is Neelam Chaudhary (Ayesha Jhulka) who is a new student. Raj sees Neelam and sparks fly (from his end only). Neelam is not impressed though Sheetal explains Raj is a good guy. Rose day follows and we are treated to a girls vs boys song.

The girls are going to Nasik for a basketball tournament and the Raj and Bonny follow them disguised as girls leading to hilarious consequences involving P.K. More. All of them end up in the lock-up and Neelam’s uncle (Anant Mahadevan) kindly assists in getting them released. Couple of songs later, Raj and Neelam fall in love.

Back in Mumbai, the boys receive a verbal thrashing from Sheetal’s father Kailash Nath, who threatens to inform Raj’s inspector brother of his (drag) doings. Raj begs him not to do so and he reluctantly agrees.

The girls tease Raj and Bonny. Raj challenges them to a new bet. He will compel Kailash Nath to come begging on his knees. The plan is to “kidnap” Sheetal and demand a hefty ransom of Rs. 5 lakhs from Kailash Nath. The challenge is accepted.

On the agreed day, Sheetal and Neelam are coming to meet Raj and Bonny. Unexpectedly, a car tries to crush them as they are crossing the road. Bonny saves them and catches a glimpse of a woman driving the car. Luckily they escape with minor injuries.

As planned, Raj calls up Kailash Nath posing as a kidnapper. Sheetal pleads him to pay the amount. Kailash Nath is flustered and says he will need to visit the bank to arrange the ransom amount and can only pay it tomorrow. Raj discusses with the others and they decide to spend the night in Manori island.

They reach Manori island and hire a cottage from Anna Pillai (Johnny Lever). Anna is hard of hearing and keeps cribbing of his 4 chhote chhote bachche for whom he needs to earn money to educate them etc. Raj returns home in order to collect the money next morning. Luck by chance, he comes to know his brother has tapped Kailash Nath’s phone and is aware of the location where the ransom will be delivered. Raj manages to call Kailash Nath in the nick of time and the ransom is successfully delivered at a revised location.

Raj and Bonny return to the cottage where Neelam and Sheetal are eagerly waiting. Neelam meets them outside and Raj shows the bag of money confirming he has won the bet. But their joy is short lived.

As they go in to inform Sheetal, they find she has been stabbed and breathes her last in front of them. A fun plot has turned in to a tragedy. They manage to return to Mumbai and hide the corpse in the a car parked in a movie theatre’s parking where it gets discovered.

By now we have reached halfway and the rest half is dedicated to the murder investigation. Inspector Suresh is getting closer to the killer. And Raj, Bonny and Neelam are desperately trying to hide the truth.

Kailash Nath is distraught. He has received the much needed sympathy factor for the elections due to his daughter’s unexpected death. But things are not that smooth and he has other things to worry about. He is getting blackmailed by a dancer Julie (Kunika) who can damage his prospects in the election.

So we have a group of desperate characters and a murderer to be caught. And more murder on the cards. How will this end?

The Music

This was one of Jatin Lalit’s initial movies and they do a good job by delivering catchy tunes. Wada Raha Sanam, Kya khabar thi jaana, Dekha teri mast nigahon mein, Khud ko kya samajhti hai and the climax song Tu shama main parwana tera complement the situations. Hoke man aaj magan was added after the movie’s release.

My Thoughts

Overall Khiladi is an entertaining movie and has aged well. The director duo Abbas-Mustan ensure the suspense is maintained till the end. The first half is casual but the second half becomes serious as the murder investigation progresses.

Akshay Kumar proves his khiladi credentials in the action scenes. The supporting cast is good. Shakti Kapoor and Prem Chopra were both well known villains at that time. Their casting in apparently positive roles manages to confuse the viewer! And Johnny Lever is specially impressive in his small comic role.

Trivia: Sabeeha’s mother was the well known 50s & 60s actress Ameeta. In one of the scenes, we see Bonny being admitted in “Ameeta” Hospital.

Gammat Jammat (1987)

My Reviews,

The Marathi movie Gammat Jammat (Fun and Frolic) as the name implies is a fun film. Directed by Sachin with a good combination of actors and memorable songs, it leaves its impact on the viewer.

The Plot

There are three main characters who are bound by a common thread = money. Gautam (Sachin) works as a waiter in a permit room. He has a younger brother Suhas (Dhruv Ghanekar) who is physically handicapped. The doctor has assured Gautam that Suhas can be cured completely but the operation will cost Rs 25,000. But money is a problem as Gautam is seeking a higher paying job, so he can get better accommodation and get Suhas operated at the earliest.

One day by coincidence, Gautam meets an old school friend Shrikant Dalvi (Chetan Dalvi). Shrikant is a builder based in Delhi. Shrikant’s bungalow in Mumbai is vacant and he requests Gautam to stay there and take care of the house. Either he or his Dubai based uncle (Sudhir Joshi) will visit him occasionally. Things work out and Gautam’s accommodation problem is solved. Gautam requests Shrikant to help him and his friend Phalgun find good jobs with his contacts and Shrikant promises to do so.

Phalgun Vadke (Ashok Saraf) is Gautam’s friend who hass a nagging wife Ashwini (Charusheela Sabale). He is struggling with his low paying clerical job and constantly chased by debtors. Phalgun is looking for a better job to clear all the debts and live happily with his wife.

Phalgun has to deal with some interesting characters like his boss (Ravindra Berde) and neighbours (played by Manorama Wagle and Suhas Bhalekar). And he has entertaining interactions with them. Gautam informs Phalgun of Shrikant’s assurance regarding the jobs and he is relieved to hear this.

The third character is Kalpana Korde (Varsha Usgaonkar), a rich and apparently spoilt girl, whose only pastime is spending her industrialist father’s money. Kalpana has a couple of standoffs with Gautam when he almost gets hit by her car. Both throw insults at each other.

Its been 6 months without Shrikant’s response. His letter finally arrives but brings bad news. The factories are not operational due to labour problems and the promised jobs could not be arranged. But he will keep trying.

Gautam and Phalgun are desperate. After much deliberation, both arrive at the same conclusion – kidnapping a rich girl or boy and demanding a reasonable ransom to overcome their monetary problems. Their first plan backfires when they go to kidnap a boy called “Gotya” but he turns out to be a young man and boxing champ!

The next attempt is however successful and they kidnap Kalpana and bring her to Shrikant’s bungalow. What follows next are a hilarious sequence of events. They first need to convince Kalpana’s parents (Shrikant Moghe and Ashalata Wabgaonkar) to pay the ransom.

But the biggest hurdle is Kalpana herself. She realises they are not seasoned kidnappers and can have her own way. She offers to cooperate with them if they share a chunk of the ransom money with her. And they need to take care of her royally. Gautam and Phalgun are literally at her mercy and have no option. They are required to attend to her constantly and can leave the house only with her permission.

Shrikant’s uncle visits them for a day. Kalpana impresses him by posing as Gautam’s wife (Gautami). Both are forced to sing a romantic song to maintain the deception of being a newly married couple. Another character is Ganu Pehelwan (Viju Khote), who is searching for the kidnappers on Kalpana’s father’s request.

Meanwhile Phalgun’s wife is desperately waiting for him to return home. She thinks its her nagging nature that has caused him to run away and apparently married someone else. We are treated to an awesome song Ashwini Ye Naa featuring weird but entertaining choreography!

Ultimately, things are sorted out satisfactorily. And yes Gautam and Kalpana fall in love as expected.

The Music

Sachin regulars Shantaram Nandgaonkar (lyricist) and Arun Paudwal (music director) team up to make a memorable contribution. Mee aale, nighale is Varsha’s introduction song, followed by a dance number Me re tujhya sangatin (both by Anuradha Paudwal). Sachin and Anuradha Paudwal sing the romantic duet Choricha mamala, mama hi thambala. And finally the blockbuster duet Ashwini Ye Naa. This was Kishore Kumar’s first Marathi movie playback song and popular till date. It was recently “remade” in Ye Re Ye Re Paisa 2 (2019).

My Thoughts

Sachin is a masterful director and knows how to combine the right ingredients in what quantity. He looks after the little details and creates genuinely comic situations. Ashok Saraf as usual is too good. Varsha is credited as “wonder girl” and acts confidently. It is fun to watch her troubling the kidnappers and enjoying herself.

This was Satish Shah’s first Marathi movie. Other supporting actors including Ravindra Berde, Madhu Apte, Bipin Varti, Suhas Bhalekar and Manorama Wagle are impressive.

Keechak Vadh (1959)

My Reviews

The Marathi movie Keechak Vadh (meaning the assassination of Keechak) is based on a tale from the Mahabharata. The movie showcases events during the Pandavas’ final year of exile and eventual killing of the central character Keechak. The producer is P K Pathak and direction by Yeshwant Pethkar.

The Plot

After spending 12 years in exile, the Pandavas need to complete the final year in disguise. It means if they are recognized, they will need to repeat the 13 years. They decide to spend the last year in the kingdom of Matsya, ruled by King Viraat. Thus begins the movie. We are introduced to different traits of the Pandavas which will enable them to assume their roles in disguise. For example, Bheema will be a cook, Arjuna a dancer and so on.

On the way to Matsya, they come near a temple in the forest. Next to the temple is a shami tree where they decide to hide their weapons. As they are getting ready to leave, they hear someone approaching and remain hidden in the temple. We are introduced to Senapati Keechak, who is returning to Matsya with his army after winning the kingdom of Trigarta. Soon a horse rider arrives and calls out Keechak. He is Chatur, a spy of Duryodhana on the lookout for the Pandavas. Upon reaching Matsya, the victorious Keechak is greeted and felicitated by the king Viraat and queen Sudeshna (who is Keechak’s sister).

Meanwhile the Pandavas are ready to undertake their fake roles. Through proper planning and posturing, Nakula & Sahadeva become Granthika and Tantipalaa respectively to tend the horses and cattle. Draupadi becomes Sairandhri Malini, Queen Sudeshna’s maid cum beautician. Arjuna too impresses Sudeshna with his dancing skills and becomes the dance teacher Brihannala to princess Uttara. Yudishthira becomes a brahmin Kanka bhat, an advisor and teaches dice to the king. After a dramatic event, Bheema is employed as a cook Ballava in the palace kitchen. Thus all of them settle down to spend one year without detection of their true identities.

Coming back to Keechak. He is the queen’s brother and the real power behind the throne. Even the king is scared to defy him. Brave, ruthless and a womanizer. He crosses paths with the Pandavas when he spots the beautiful Draupadi/Malini and lusts after her. The queen knows Malini is married and saves her initially. But Keechak’s insistence and stubbornness wins. One day Sudeshna sends Malini to get a special drink (madira) from Keechak. Left with no choice,  the helpless Malini goes to meet Keechak. But she somehow manages to run away and approaches the king in his court for justice. She appeals to the king but its of no use. The Pandavas too are unable to come to her rescue as they are forced by compulsion to remain silent to protect their identities.

A frustrated Draupadi then meets Bheema and lectures him to teach Keechak a lesson. Bheema agrees inspite of the risk of being recognized. The plan is made. Draupadi plays coy and agrees to meet Keechak in the ntrityashala that night.

Keechak is impressed and arrives for the romantic encounter! Draupadi and Bheema are waiting for him. This leads to a thrilling  climax and Keechak is killed by Bheema.

The Music

The movie has 7 songs written by G D Madgulkar and composed by Master Krushnarao. All songs are melodious but the 2 which have attained evergreen status are Asa nesun shalu hirva (by Sudhir Phadke and Lata Mangeshkar) and Dhund madhumati raat re (Lata Mangeshkar).

My Thoughts

The story is straightforward. Inspite being a mythological, there are no special effects or rather this story does not have the scope for special effects! The sets look rich. The main characters played by known faces Sumati Gupte, Shobhna Samarth and Baburao Pendharkar are adequate. But the acting may seem dramatic at times.

There are some unwanted songs and a couple of unnecessary sequences. One is a south Indian dance performance and other is a long wrestling competition scene involving Bheema. The ending is a bit abrupt and we don’t know what happens to the Pandavas after Keechak’s assassination and whether they complete the exile successfully.