In the past 60 years, as Indian Hindi Cinema evolved, there were some movies that were gems & masterpieces in their own right, some were seriously overwhelming gems, but were unfortunately commercially unsuccessful. The simple reasons for the box office failures for those movies were the fact that most of the movies either had no big stars and good music to bank upon, or the stories, characters and settings were very simple and realistic or the themes of many of those movies were way ahead of their times, hence the regressive audience couldn’t figure out what these movies wanted to convey, which was intelligent entertainment (Entertainment for the brain).
Like I’ve said about Hindi Cinema’s greatest films Haasil & Kagaz Ke Phool, which are perfect examples of Path Breaking Brilliant Cinema hardly seen by people.
Similarly here are some movies, these movies were not so great that they could make it into the top 10 List of my all time greatest Hindi Movies, but nonetheless these movies were all masterpieces and I’m sure 9 out of 10 people haven’t seen it and 5 out of 10 people must have forgotten these movies or are not even aware that such movies were ever made.
Ever since I resigned from my job, I’ve watched lots of Cinema, including Hindi Cinema and after experiencing the Good, Bad & Ugly of Bombay Movies, I present to you 4 Underrated and Under-appreciated movies of Hindi Cinema.
1. Karam –
Starring -John Abrahm, Priyanka Chopra, Bharat Dabholkar, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Murli Sharma, Rajesh Khera & Shiney Ahuja.
Directed By – Sanjay F. Gupta. Year Released – 2005
This movie was so emotionally & psychologically thrilling, the whole movie was charged with pulse pounding suspense and made so dark & sinister that gives you the tensive mood for the film. Directed by popular cinematographer Sanjay F. Gupta (not Kaante & Musfair director Sanjay Gupta), this movie was Hindi cinema’s tribute to Robert Rodriguez style of Bloodshed.
This is a well constructed film. All the sequences, violence, thrills, drama are all given the kind of treatments they deserve. Almost all the attempts, technical, are pulled off with success.
Although women and children will be turned off with too much blood flowing here and there and everywhere in this movie, Karam is a spectacle, a rousing spectacle, a roaring entertaining spectacle that invests its all in it. And Bharat Dabholkar is perfectly wicked as the villain Captain Sahab and Shiney Ahuja too delivers a competent performance as ACP Wagh.
2. Anthony Kaun Hai? –
Starring – Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Minissha Lamba, Anusha Dhandekar, Gulshan Grover, Raghuvir Yadav, Chetan Hansraj & Ravi Baswani.
Directed By – Raj Kaushal. Year Released – 2006
Sanjay & Arshad are very popular for their partnership in Munna Bhai movies, but Anthony Kaun Hai can be counted as another Milestone in their careers where they simply got into the skin of their characters or should I say became the characters and performed their parts with utmost sincerity, there was not even a slight dose of over acting by any of them.
Unlike the Munna Bhai movies, Arshad Warsi is the protagonist over here while Sanjay Dutt is in a supporting role. And Arshad doesn’t disappoint at all, in fact he’s a delight as the Con Man Champ (Champak Chaudhary).
The major part of the movie is in Flashback mode, and Arshad Warsi narrates in perfectly. In fact if some part of the flashback is not liked by Sanjay Dutt, he slaps Arshad and tells him to come with a better scene. (Its Hilarious Indeed).
Its a slick Crime thriller (Seen rarely in Hindi Cinema) coupled with the case of Mistaken identity. The movie isn’t realistic; it is trying to give the impression that it is possible.
Sanjay Dutt gets less screen time and die hard Sanju fans may be disappointed, but whenever Sanjay is on the screen, he pulls off witty & hilarious one-liners with consummate ease, and they don’t feel like them, they feel wholly natural. In the process he has created one of the most likeable characters of modern Hindi cinema – Master Madan. After all, in how many movies have we actually liked and rooted for a Hitman (Contract Killer).
Unlike most Indian movies Bangkok (where this movie is set) is shown as an exotic destination, here Bangkok is shown as a chaotic world, where the characters struggle for their survival and they thrive. Those who fail to think quick, in those shrunken timelines, are executed within no time. And Arshad’s character survives coz the character of Champ is actually intelligent but made to appear dumb.
Like Munna Bhai & Circuit, you simply cannot imagine any other actors in the roles Sanjay & Arshad portrayed here.
3. Parwana –
Starring – Amitabh Bachchan, Navin Nischol, Om Prakash, Yogeeta Bali, Helen, Lalita Pawar, Asit Sen, Laxmi Chhaya & Shatrughan Sinha.
Directed By – Jyoti Swaroop. Year Released – 1971
There have been few thrillers that so effortlessly thrill you, keep you right on the edge of your seat, get you acquainted with such rich characters yet manage to knock you with killer twists and pull a fast one on you. Endlessly inventive, this is not one of those films that are just that. It explores the psychology of being a rejected lover hell bent on vengeance like no other Hindi film.
Can you believe it, Jyoti Swaroop who directed India’s finest comedy Padosan (a Total laugh riot) directed this movie as well, and this movie was as different from Padosan as chalk is from cheese, coz this movie is a Thriller and Jyoti Swaroop’s direction proved that he was as efficient at handling thrillers as he was with comedies. No wonder director Shriram Raghvan drew inspiration for this movie for his cult thriller Johnny Gaddaar.
This was one of Big B (Amitabh Bachchan’s) early movies (Pre Zanjeer & Pre Sholay). As he couldn’t continue to play second fiddle supporting roles all the time, here he was the lead star, but in a Negative Role, kind of roles which most big actors of that time stayed away from.
The movie is based on a real life incident that happened in the late 1960’s that forced Indian Railways to change their train’s time table.
Whatever is put on screen when you catch the movie, is riveting, aesthetically tasteful and to my surprise comes across as rather intelligent. Reason? Two of them-fantastic direction and wonderful performances, especially the scene when Om Prakash rejects Amitabh Bachchan’s proposal to marry his niece. You just see the expression on Big B’s face, his eyes depict his blood’s boiling. Another special mention is made for the courtroom sequences and the confrontations between Amitabh & Shatrughan Sinha ( who plays the Prosecutor) in the courtroom.
4. Lakhon Mein Ek –
Starring – Mehmood, Radha, Aruna Irani, Nasir Hussain, Mukri, Lalita Pawar, Madan Puri, Keshto Mukherjee, Ramesh Deo, Jalal Agha, Viju Khote & Pran.
Directed By – S.S. Balan. Year Released – 1971
This is one of the finest Comedy Dramas in Hindi Cinema. Here characters drive the plot, where each character signifying different shades of integrity, moral and otherwise, with respect to their greed for money change their attitude and behavior towards the protagonist – Bhola, played BRILLIANTLY by the legendary Mehmood. Needless to say, this again is a performance right out of the top drawer. (Yeah Mehmood was not just a comedian, he did do lead roles in many movies, and this was one his best performances in a lead role)
The movie takes us to the world of early 1970’s Bombay, when a large part of the middle class and lower income groups were living in what now seems to be getting extinct now – CHAALS. Mehmood plays an orphan who has grown up in this Chaal, and unlike other Chaal inhabitants, he doesn’t have his own home or for that matter a room. He sleeps below the staircase and has made that his makeshift home.
Bhola is bullied by most of the residents of the CHAAL and the only form of support and compassion comes from Pehelwan Shersingh (played effotlessly by the veteran ‘Pran’).
Lakhon Main Ek is the amazing journey of Bhola’s life where he falls in love with a schizophrenic Radha (brilliant performance by Kannadiga actress Gauri), is beaten up by the CHAAL bully Sujit Kumar, is seduced by the femmale fatale Aruna Irani, is bribed by the Bengali Dada of the CHAAL, Mr. Chatterjee (Keshto Mukherjee in complete form) and gets a long lost millionaire uncle from Singapore landed up (Madan Puri). Bhola’s reactions to these unpredictable & never thought of situations and circumstances make you fall in love with his character. And Mehmood as always, overshadows all. The movie also features an unforgettable melody Chanda O Chanda (Vinatge Kishore Kumar & Lata Mangeshkar).
Overall its 10/10 and Strongly recommended as its a story every middle class urban guy can relate to. Mehmood’s character Bhola is one of us and totally unlike the larger than life Plastic Studs of Yash Raj, Karan Johar, Rakesh Roshan duds.
So folks, do go and watch these 4 underrated gems of Indian Hindi Cinema. Its better to rent these movies on DVD or catch them on TV rather than wasting your time on pathetic shitty films like Tashan & Race.
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Yes, I have to agree…..KARAM and ANTHONY…. were very interesting…..