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Dhadakebaaz (1990)

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Dhadakebaaz (meaning powerful) is a Marathi movie directed by Mahesh Kothare. This was the first Cinemascope Marathi movie. The movie mixes many elements including fantasy, comedy, action and romance churning out an entertaining product.

The Plot

The movie begins with a voice over. Many centuries back, there was a magician’s fort near the town of Shivapur. One of the magician’s disciple was Gangaram. One day Gangaram committed a mistake which made the magician very angry. As punishment, the magician shut him inside a brass bottle along with some magical sand. Gangaram would remain inside the bottle for a thousand years until his relative would come to retrieve the bottle. Gangaram needs to fulfil the wishes of his relative by using the magical sand. And he will be set free when all the sand has been spent.

The scene cuts to the present. Lakshya (Laxmikant Berde) is dreaming of a magic lamp where the genie bathes him in golden coins. He wakes up to the grim reality. He is actually in a jail with 2 friends Mahesh (Mahesh Kothare) and Bappa (Deepak Shirke). They are petty thieves and notoriously famous as they keep landing in jail. Mahesh is an ace archer, Lakshya keeps pursuing magic whereas Bappa is a bodybuilder possessing great strength.

They fight and part ways temporarily after leaving the jail but are soon united again. They celebrate with a song of friendship Hi dosti tutaychi naay. They decide never to steal again and earn money through decent means. They soon reach the present day Shivapur in search of work. There is a workers agitation going on. Through a misunderstanding, Lakshya is arrested and taken to the local police station by Havaldar Rede (Ravindra Berde) and locked up.

Lakshya is sharing his cell with Divtya (Bipin Varti) who is a member of Kavtya Mahakaal’s gang. Apparently this is a dreaded gang and the police are desperate to capture the leader Kavtya. In the night, 3 members of the gang attack the police station in order to rescue Divtya. Through some funny actions, Lakshya manages to capture all 3 members and lock them in the cell while Divtya escapes. The police sub inspector Uma Jadhav (Ashwini Bhave) is impressed and releases Lakshya. Mahesh reaches the station to bring back Lakshya and has an argument with Uma. Apparently Uma is well aware of Mahesh and his criminal past.

Meanwhile Lakshya has impressed and befriended a flower seller Ganga (Prajakta Dighe) by saving her from some goons in the market. Mahesh and Bappa also join the fight. She invites them to her house for tea. They find Havaldar Rede in her house. He is her uncle and not happy to see the criminal Lakshya and his friends in his sister Paru’s (Shanta Inamdar’s) house. But the ladies ignore his concerns. Ganga helps the trio by giving them accommodation in the stable. Ganga and Lakshya soon fall in love and sing a romantic duet Phu bai phu.

Kavtya’s 3 members are still in jail and Divtya makes an attempt to rescue them But Lakshya and his friends help the police and the gang has to run away. Meanwhile, Mahesh saves Uma during the fighting and romantic sparks fly between the two.

One day, the goons from whom Lakshya had saved Ganga follow the couple seeking revenge. Lakshya and Ganga run away from the town and take shelter near the old magician’s fort. Lakshya, by accident finds a hidden door and slides down all the way down to land near the magical bottle. He is overjoyed to find the bottle and meet Gangaram, who tells him his story and asks him his first wish. Lakshya immediately tells Gangaram to rescue him and Ganga from the goons. He does so by making both of them fly in the sky.

Lakshya is impressed by Gangaram and his magical sand. Its like a dream come true. They agree on a “whistle” signal for summoning Gangaram whenever Lakshya needs a favour. Lakshya tells Mahesh and Bappa about Gangaram but they disbelieve him. They have received a painting job to paint the Mahadev temple in Shivapur and worried how to get it done on time. Lakshya immediately summons Gangaram who completes the painting in 5 minutes. There is a Mahashivratri celebration song. At the end of the song, Kavtya attacks the town with his gang. Lakshya manages to get Gangaram’s help and counter Kavtya and the gang soon fleds from the scene.

Kavtya is shown as wearing a skull mask. He is angry at the humiliation. His gang members keep an eye on the trio and find out about the magical bottle. They inform Kavtya who makes plans to steal the bottle.

Does he achieve it? Will the police be successful in capturing Kavtya? And what happens to Gangaram? All is revealed in a Sholay type climax.

The Music

Pravin Davane (lyrics) and Anil Mohile (music) do the honours. Typical of Mahesh Kothare movies, the songs are rhythmic rather than melodious. Hi dosti tutaychi naay and Ninne preminchenu were popular. And you have the staple parody song where Gangaram (voice of Sudesh Bhosle) imitates multiple actors including Dada Kondke, Shatrughan Sinha, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan and Raaj Kumar supported by the parody versions of songs like Gangu tarunya tuza befaam, Mach gaya shor, Duniya mein logon ko, Kabutar jaa jaa, Jumma Chumma and My name is Lakhan. All fun to watch with Lakshya’s antics.

My Thoughts

Dhadakebaaz is a fast faced movie. There are multiple characters and the story keeps moving ahead. The action and chase sequences are well done. The special effects seem dated now with all the advanced technology available. Amongst the cast, its Laxmikant Berde who stands out with his easy screen presence and humour. His reactions and comic timing are too good. And he actually performs a double role as Gangaram. Gangaram’s look seems to be inspired from Dada Kondke. He is lovable in both the roles. The other actors perform nicely but Laxmikant steals the show.

Kavtya Mahakaal’s identity is never revealed. His voice is similar to Gabbar Singh’s character from Sholay but hardly impactful. He appears comical and not the evil villain one would have expected to scare the whole town. This was Prajakta Dighe’s debut movie and she appears confident. Ashwini Bhave doesn’t have much to do. Her romantic relationship with Mahesh seems forced. But overall Mahesh Kothare succeeds in making an entertaining movie and keep the viewer hooked.

Buddha Mil Gaya (1971)

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The most surprising fact about Buddha Mil Gaya (BMG) is it’s a murder mystery directed by none other than Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Having said that its not a hardcore suspense or thriller movie. The subtle directorial touches and comedy are noticeable but engulfed in a layer of mystery. It may not be among his classic movies, but BMG with its combination of good acting, story and music make it a highly watchable movie. The fun starts from the titles itself!

The Plot

There are many subplots in the movie which is another uncommon feature for a Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie.

We have 2 jobless friends Ajay (Navin Nischol) and Bhola (Deven Verma) who are photographers. They wander around Mumbai photographing random people and expecting to get paid but life is not so kind. Ajay is MA pass, a good singer and writer. It is not explained why he is still jobless!

Both of them are tenants in an old lady (Dadima) Lalita Pawar’s house. Given their condition, they haven’t paid the rent for 3 months and the future looks bleak. Dadima has an adopted granddaughter Deepa (Archana). Deepa lost her parents as a child and Dadima has brought her up as her own grand daughter.

Deepa is aware of the Ajay and Bhola’s dire situation. She stays awake late to give them entry so that Dadima doesn’t meet them and demand the overdue rent and most likely throw them out. She offers them free food and possible money making prospects (like a music teacher’s job for Ajay and information about photography competitions). Deepa is specially fond of Ajay, who reciprocates by dedicating a song to her…“Raat kali ek khwab mein aayi.”

Deepa’s friend is Parvati, an advocate of women’s empowerment. She runs a judo training centre exclusively for women termed “Nari Sena.” She catches Bhola secretly photographing her and her trainees and threatens him with dire consequences. The misunderstanding is cleared when he mentions Deepa’s name. She agrees to support him wholeheartedly in his efforts to participate in the All India photo competition. Parvati soon falls for Bhola’s simple nature and he returns in kind.

Now we come to the movie’s central character Buddha (old man) i.e. Seth Girdharilal Sharma (Om Prakash). Girdharilal is a mysterious character. There is an ad in the newspaper with Girdharilal’s photograph. The ad mentions that Girdharilal is requested to show up by a specific date. Otherwise he will be legally declared as dead and lose his share of Rs 15 lakhs in the business partnership.

Ajay and Bhola are hanging around Hanging Gardens searching for clients. Coincidentally, Girdharilal is resting in the garden and hears Ajay and Bhola talking about the ad. For some unknown reason he attracts their attention. Both recognise him and follow him. They call him their Chachaji (uncle), requesting him to come and stay with them.

A reluctant Girdharilal agrees and goes to their house. Of course their real purpose is to get some money from him to pay their rental dues. Bhola is the mastermind in this scheme and cooks up a story that Chachaji is Ajay’s rich uncle (for Dadima’s benefit).

But Chachaji is not a fool and sees through their scheme. While he hoodwinks them initially and “escapes”, Chachaji soon returns and becomes an integral part of the house. He develops a special bond with Deepa.

In reality, Chachaji has his own plans. And this is related to the business of Rs. 15 lakhs. There are other partners who will benefit if Girdharilal does not return. Among them are Jhunjhunwala (Asit Sen) and Bhagat (Brahm Bharadwaj).

There is a secretary Mona (Sonia Sahni) who has a special interest in peeping through doors and eavesdropping conversations. And a tough character Shetty (played by Shetty) who seems to have his own agenda.

All this leads to a series of murders with the needle of suspicion pointing towards Seth Girdharilal. But who is Girdharilal exactly and does he have a motive for murder – the movie answers the question.

The Music

BMG was the first Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie which had R.D. Burman as the composer. It has two romantic numbers “Raat kali ek khwab mein aayi“and “Bhali bhali si ek soorat.” Both are hugely popular even today.

The show stealer is undoubtedly “Aayo kahan se ghanshyam”, classically rendered by Manna De. It is strategically placed and Girdharilal sings it after each murder has occurred leading to doubts in the minds of Ajay, Bhola and the audience!

Another lesser known gem is “Jiya na lage more jiya” picturised on Archana and sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

And finally a weird song featuring Om Prakash, Archana and Aruna Irani – “Oye buddho lambo lambo“

My Thoughts

BMG is an entertaining movie with identical amounts of romance, mystery, comedy and drama.

It is risky to base a movie on a character actor and Om Prakash delivers perfectly. His character moves through a variety of emotions and he carries them wonderfully. His presence is energetic and charming throughout the movie. Of special mention is his “enacting” of the song Aayo kaha se Ghanshyam which is a delight to watch.

Navin Nischol doesnt have much to do. Archana starred in very few movies but here she actually acts well. Deven Verma and Aruna Irani are delightful to watch and share great chemistry. Lalita Pawar excels in a small role with comedic touches.

Unfortunately the movie is not without its flaws. There are some glaring loopholes which are hard to digest. But still BMG retains its charm as a light heated murder mystery from the Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie universe.