Pehla Pehla Pyar (1994)

My Reviews, ,

Many years back I had watched this movie unaware that it was a copy of the English classic Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in iconic roles. Unfortunately the Hindi version pales in comparison to the classic. It aims to be a fairy tale story but becomes a run of the mill typical 90s Hindi movie.

The Plot

When you have a fairy tale, you have a princess. Princess Sapna (Tabu) lives with her stepmother Rani Maa (Radha Seth) in the princely state of Raigadh. Her father and real mother have passed away. Hukum Singh (Amrish Puri) is a close confidante of the queen and looks after Sapna’s needs. Meaning Sapna has to attend boring Sanskrit lessons, eat boiled food and learn classical music. Rani Maa and Hukum Singh (Amrish Puri) are overprotective of Sapna and she is not allowed to have a free life. She cannot step out of the palace as the common people outside are dangerous and cannot be trusted. Sapna is lonely and has no other comfort than remembering her dead parents.

Rani Maa and Hukum Singh are not as straightforward as they seem. They are having an affair and are after Sapna’s wealth. They need to make a show of being concerned about Sapna’s welfare and get her sign blank cheques to satisfy their greed. They have their own secrets to hide. Apparently Rani Maa had a hand in the king’s death and Hukum Singh is a wanted criminal.

Sapna is frustrated and doesn’t want to live like a caged bird. An old servant Shantabai helps her to flee from the palace in a truck. Sapna is to contact Shantabai’s brother who will take care of her. Sapna is free! The scene moves to Switzerland for a song celebrating her freedom Thandi hawa sun, kali ghata sun.

She meets a common man Raj Singh (Rishi Kapoor) who gets a lift in the same truck. As they get down the truck driver Kader Khan assumes both of them are traveling as a couple and demands money. Sapna offers him a Rs 500 note as that is the smallest denomination she carries in her purse. Raj is frustrated, pays the money and goes home. He is further frustrated when Sapna rings the bell requesting to spend the night at his home. Her language and tone appear funny to him as she doesn’t know how common people live and speak.

Funny scenes follow. She asks the milkman to give her 5 litres of milk and brings home a huge amount of grocery. Raj is losing his patience. He asks her to call Shantabai’s brother and leave his house. She informs she has lost the contact details and has nowhere to go.

Raj gives her an ultimatum and she reluctantly leaves. It starts raining heavily. A worried Raj goes searching for her. He convinces her to come back. A rain song Sawan mahina follows igniting the spark of romance between the two.

The next day, Raj’s journalist friend Anand (Anupam Kher) returns home and is aghast to find a young girl staying in his house wearing Raj’s clothes. Raj explains the situation. Later in the newspaper office while speaking to his editor boss, Anand realises the girl in his house is none other than the princess Sapna. The editor asks him to get an interview of Sapna. Anand promises an exclusive interview along with a footage of the princess doing household chores like cooking, cleaning etc.

Anand ensures Sapna enjoys herself as he gives her a tour of the city. Raj also takes her to his village where his mother and sister are staying. His sister’s marriage has been arranged and his mother is asking him to arrange money. Sapna dresses like a village girl and sings a duet with Raj – Kore kaagaz pe likhwa le.

Anand has also contacted Hukum Singh demanding Rs 2 lakhs in return of Sapna’s safe return to the palace. He wants to give part of the money to Raj for his sister’s marriage.

Meanwhile Sapna sees the simple nature of the villagers and also realises some decisions taken by the palace (implying her) are not in favour of the village. She abruptly leaves Raj’s house and returns to the palace. A visibly transformed Sapna informs Rani Maa that her outlook has changed and she will live the way she prefers going forward.

But Rani Maa and Hukum Singh have other plans. Through emotional blackmail, they make her agree to marry a fake prince Shakti Singh (Gulshan Grover). Shakti is actually Hukum Singh’s son but Rani Maa and Sapna are not aware of this. They also cook up a story that Raj and Anand knew she was a princess and were taking care of her in return of money. Sapna is disgusted at the revelation but comes to know the truth when Raj manages to send her a video with his explanation.

On the day of the engagement, she refuses to entertain Shakti Singh and leaves the palace to live with Raj forever. They sing a romantic song Jaanu, jaanu jaanu.

Wish the movie had ended at this point but unfortunately the viewer is not so blessed. Sapna is forcibly taken to the palace, her marriage is hurriedly arranged, Raj and Anand enter the scene as disguised pundits etc. It goes on and on…

The Music

Anand Milind give some melodious songs. Thandi hawa sun, Jaanu, jaanu jaanu and Kore kaagaz pe likhwa le stand out.

My Thoughts

Pehla Pehla Pyar had potential but fails to deliver. Thus was Tabu’s debut film and she acts confidently. The initial interactions between Tabu and Rishi Kapoor are genuinely funny. But their chemistry as a romantic couple is a bit hard to digest due to the visible age difference. Anupam Kher is irritating. Other supporting actors are good. Kader Khan appears in multiple roles as the truck driver, shopkeeper, train passenger etc.

Overall, the movie had potential. Had it followed the innocent and believable setup of Roman Holiday, it would probably have met with success. But unfortunately it fails to retain the longevity of its inspiration.

2 responses to “Pehla Pehla Pyar (1994)”

  1. Vrushali Avatar
    Vrushali

    Roman Holiday ‘s end was so touching. The princess returns to her palace and Gregory Peck returns to his journalist , common man duties…they sacrifice their love for some higher good and the movie stayed in our hearts.

    Our Indian culture however cannot stand seperation and the hero and the heroine have to wed in the end despite age difference, lifestyle difference and so on…because they say, love has the power to change everything.

    I like Tabu. Always a strong presence in each and every movie. I took to her acting skills instantly. Would definitely to love her as a caged princess who breaks free in this movie. Radha Seth always played evil characheters despite a sweet face. I like Amrish Puri for his dialogue delivery ( till date, he was impossibly evil in KOYLA ).

    Now the hero. I like Rishi Kapoor though he plays same characters ever and ever. Fresh and handsome despite age.

    Good review. Will watch.

    Like

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  2. Anjali Phadke Avatar
    Anjali Phadke

    Nice article.

    Like

    Reply

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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.