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Reviews
Avtaar (1983)
A good family social drama.
The heart and soul of Avtaar is Rajesh Khanna and his brilliant portrayal of the title role. He is ably supported amongst others by Shabana Azmi as Avtaar's wife and A. K. Hangal as a friend with similar problems. Mohan Kumar is a director who has made several successful films but not any that gained critical acclaim, that is until Avtaar. Avtaar not only was a huge commercial hit, but it is a film that was very highly reviewed. It is unfortunate that Rajesh Khanna had to miss out on the Best Actor award to another great acting performance of 1983, Naseeruddin Shah for Masoom. Avtaar in my opinion was one of the three best films of 1983 and is a must see, specially for Rajesh Khanna fans.
Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999)
An entertaining family film.
Aa Ab Laut Chale is one of the most under appreciated films of the 1990's. The film really deserved to do much better business than it did, something I would attribute to some very poor marketing and release timing. Anyhow the film itself is quite entertaining and although as most Bollywood films it is bereft with cliches and an oft presented story line, it still succeeds in keeping the viewer interested and entertained. Rishi Kapoor in his directorial debut has done quite a competent job and I give him credit for not letting the film from becoming overly melodramatic as most such films from Bollywood. Almost all in the cast do a pretty competent job, although no one really stands out as brilliant. The music is quite good grows on you the more you listen to it. Rajesh Khanna in a non publicized 'sort of comeback' role, performs well but is hampered by a limited role. All in all it is one of the really better films of 1999.
Namak Haraam (1973)
Two of the greatest performances of Indian cinema.
Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachan put in two of the best performances of
Indian cinema. Although Amitabh Bachan in a louder role got more praise
from
the masses, it is Rajesh Khanna in a role that required underplaying, who
is
the heart of the film and whose acting performance is as good if not better
than that of Amitabh. This is not to say that Amitabh puts in a truly great
acting performance (one of his best).
The film itself is excellent and is another tribute to the greatness and
versatility of Hrishikesh Mukherjee (director). Quite simply put, it is in
the 'MUST NOT MISS' category. By the way the excellent music is also a real
plus.
Namak Haraam (1973)
Two of the greatest performances of Indian cinema.
Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachan put in two of the best performances of
Indian cinema. Although Amitabh Bachan in a louder role got more praise
from
the masses, it is Rajesh Khanna in a role that required underplaying, who
is
the heart of the film and whose acting performance is as good if not better
than that of Amitabh. This is not to say that Amitabh puts in a truly great
acting performance (one of his best).
The film itself is excellent and is another tribute to the greatness and
versatility of Hrishikesh Mukherjee (director). Quite simply put, it is in
the 'MUST NOT MISS' category. By the way the excellent music is also a real
plus.
Bawarchi (1972)
An absolute classic.
Baawarchi is a showcase for the immense talent of it's director Hrishikesh Mukherjee and his ability to take a simple plot and make a thoroughly enjoyable film. One that you can see again and again and again and never seem to tire of it. It is a clean family film, like all other Hrishikesh Mukherjee films, which will make the entire family, the young and the old, and the very young and the very old, all alike, laugh and cry. Regarding the acting, absolutely top notch. Every single character is played to perfection by the entire cast, but special mention has to be made of Rajesh Khanna. Rajesh Khanna not only plays the title character but he is the heart and soul of the film. What a performance, simply one of his best. Considering the other great performances from him, that's saying a lot. It was an absolute travesty that Rajesh Khanna did not win the Filmfare Award for the year 1972, considering the award went to Manoj Kumar (really!) for an obscure and crappy film Be-Imaan.
Ittefaq (1969)
An excellent thriller (one of the 2 or 3 songless films ever made).
Ittefaq was a successful and yet, for several reasons, was a bold experiment in Indian cinema. First and foremost for the fact it had no songs, secondly for the theme of the film, thirdly for portraying a leading character in the film as a negative one, fourthly it was a film totally different from what normally Rajesh Khanna or Yash Chopra used to do. Rajesh Khanna puts in an excellent acting performance in the role of a man accused of murdering his wife and on the run from the law for it. Yash Chopra (director) handles the film brilliantly and the viewer is kept on the edge and guessing right thru to the end. A must see for all lovers of Good Indian Cinema. (Hmmm Good Indian Cinema sound like a misnomer in today's Bollywood)