Himmatwala

Directed by: K. Raghavendra Rao 
Starring: Jeetendra, Sridevi, Amjad Khan Kader Khan, Waheeda Rehman 
Released: 1983

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Classic by the influence it had on the fashion of filmmaking at its time (which kind of explains why 80s mostly sucked), and one damn overrated film when it comes to quality, Himmatwala is better to be avoided, unless you are in mood for a boring heroism of a ridiculous hero, some bad acting and unintenionally hilarious tragedies. Himmatwala also failed to give me what I wanted: Sridevi. Because ironically, although this is the film that catapulted her to stardom practically overnight, she has next to no role and 80% of her screentime is focused on her waist-down. And she is no miracle in the film either, in spite of her undeniable screen presence.

Cause darn it was not acting that made her the star of Himmatwala.

But let me introduce you our hero first. He wears the coolest 80s fashion, he sports the awesome Elvis haircut, his name is Ravi and he is definitely too old for the role. After years he spent studying he got his degree in engineering and now returns to his village. He is shocked to find out his mother (who in real life happens to be just six years older to him – and that she is my beloved Waheeda Rehman makes this crime even more horrible) and younger sister have sold their house long time ago and are living like beggars in dirty huts. Why? Here the sob story: Once upon a time his father was a respected school master, but after he testified against local rich villain Sher Singh he was trapped by him and accused of a rape. He is ostracized and leaves his family without a word. (and Ravi apparently suffers from amnesia, because he doesn´t remember a thing from all this, in spite of being at least 7 years old at the time). The broken wife of the teacher decides her son should become a big man by studying in the city (while her daughter is obviously not good enough and can happily slog and live in poverty.)

 So now the village is completely under control of Sher Singh (who has a really bothersome and IMO needlessly complicated way of killing his enemies, involving railtracks) and on mercy to a whim of his spoilt and pretty beti (this is where Sridevi´s leather pants make an entry). But Ravi is not afraid! Ravi is and educated man capable of beating anyone up with his hands as well as never ending motivational speeches about duty and righteousness, that will make your head ache. And then... you guessed it. Ravi triumphs over Sher Singh, turns his daughter from a spoilt kid in leather pants into a Sati Savitri wrapped exclusively in sarees and lives to see the day his father returns home. Meanwhile he saves India from post-flood apocalypse, giving us a song with... corpses.

Jeetendra I just don´t get. Every film I´ve seen him in I found his a very bad actor. No dialogue delivery, no screen presence, no body language. And as already mention, too damn old to be a fresh graduate running around the trees with a child-like Sridevi. She in her turn does what the director wanted her to: making silly faces and speaking in squeeky voice. It has been proven lots of times she is capable of so much more, but sadly this “cutesy” act became her main image. To give credit where it´s due her Naino Mein Sapna dance number is a highlight of the film, and really addictive. Rest of the songs left me rather cold (except for Taki O Taki, but I´d rather not mention Jeetendra and his “jumping Jack” dancing style) and Wah Wah Khel has to be one of the most retarded songs and picturizations I´ve ever seen.

Supporting cast boasting of great names like Amjad Khan, Waheeda Rehman and Kader Khan, don´t leave much of an impression either. Amjad is not a scary villain in this (what a contrast to Gabbar from Sholay!), and why Waheeda did this film, being as picky and generally having a good script sense, is beyond my understanding. Apart from making me loathe the name „Ravi“, Himmatwala showed me that some films just cannot last in the long run and don´t stand the test of time. I don´t think Himmatwala has anything timeless and transcending the years. I would only recommend it to die-hard Sridevi fans, and that too purely for research purposes. Better go and watch the iconic Naino Mein Sapna on youtube and that on repeat (at least her dancing ability was fully put to use!). I am largely sceptic about remakes, but frankly, I think the new Himmatwala, that will be here soon with bells-swinging Ajay Devgn (also too old for the role. Meh.), can only be better.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

Directed by: Vishal Bhardwaj

Starring: Pankaj Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma

Released: 2013

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

A film about..... nothing interesting really. It touches fleetingly a love story between two young people from different social background, as well as corrupt politicians, greedy businessmen and voes of the poor. But apart from a fabulous Pink Cow this film has no original, or even remarkably handled, ideas. Vishal Bhardwaj has over the years become one of those „reliable“ filmmakers, whom you associate quality and good cinema with. However this piece of cinema is to be a black (or mabye pink?) spot in his filmography.

The film is centered around a rich Mr. Mandola, who dreams to become even more rich by snatching the land from the villagers (in a village named by him) and turning it into an industry zone. He is supported in this by a mighty politician Shabana Azmi, and apart from helping each other professionally they are also fond of rubbing each other´s feet and whatnot. To make the connection more solid they decide their children should get married (anyone else felt this was kinda incestous?). But Mr. Mandola has a problem. He likes to drink. He likes to drink a LOT. And when he is drunk, he becomes a very sensible and very human person, even if a bit disoriented. He keeps sabotaging his own grand plans, and it doesn´t help that he hires a village hunk Matru to keep him from drinking, considering Matru is, in secret, trying to improve the lives of his fellow poor and eunuchs under a pseudonym Mao (in case you have not noticed he is a Communist – but to give credit where it´s due, he is not a caricature and is shown as someone truly believing the high ideals of Communism, while most films, especially Western ones, have Communists either as ridiculous, evil or equal to Nazis.)

Pankaj Kapoor steals the show. He is amazing. Both as a menacing and sober landlord and as harmless old man willing to give anything for a single bottle of beer, he nails the only 3D character in the film perfectly. I admired how easily his dialogue delivery and body language change as situation demanded. Together with Shabana Azmi, who is not her best, yet still very good, he puts the leading pair to shame. And the idiotic spoilt Baadal, played by Arya Babbar, is actually funny without trying too hard. 

However now we must touch a more sore spots: Imran is neither good nor bad, because his Matru is anything but a complex character, plus gets surprisingly little screentime. He doesn´t have enough fire in him to come off as either a village loafer or a political idealist fighting for what´s right. Not even the revelation that he is in fact „Mao“ is presented in a way that would at least surprise the viewer a bit. It´s just random, just like gobber flying through the air and African dancers enjoying themselves in rural India. Anushka Sharma is extremely annoying and recycles her previous characters from Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Band Baaja Baraat and Patiala House (and the rest of her movies I forgot to mention), only once we get to her wedding finale she becomes good. I couldn´t help but noticing throughout the film she looks rather sick and ill though? In any case she and Imran don´t share much of a chemistry, and their relationship feels superficial.

There are several chuckle worthy moments in the film, but only a few and far apart. The film lacks script it seems, the plot is uninteresting, as it is really based on a situation that has been done to death previously, and with more success.

Unlike many I actually did like Vishal Bhardwaj´s 7 Khoon Maaf, for which he got a lot of flak, and many were expecting him to return to a better track with Matru Ki Bijlee. But instead this film reminded me why I genuinely think of 7 Khoon Maaf as a fine and entertaining film. It had good dialogues, it had a very unique and exciting atmosphere. It was overall brilliantly acted. It had fascinating heroine and progressive plotline. In other words everything Matru Ki Bijlee lacks. It does have the fabulous Pink Cow though.

Ram Teri Ganga Maili

Directed by: Raj Kapoor

Starring: Rajeev Kapoor, Mandakini, Divya Rana, Saeed Jaffrey

Released: 1985

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Will there ever be another man or woman who could reach the level of Raj Kapoor´s story telling? Because had it not been for Raj Kapoor, Ram Teri Ganga Maili just might have been a whiny story with two non-actors, one of which is not even an eye-candy. But it was Raj Kapoor on a director´s chair, and he did manage to create yet another beautiful, though not flawless film.

Disgusted by his rich and corrupted father (and oblivious to pretty Divya Rana´s feeling), Narein (Rajeev Kapoor, who looks very much like his older brother Rishi, yet lacks his charisma and talent) joins a group of young men traveling all the way from bustling with life and filth Kolkata to Gangotri and place where the river Ganges/Ganga begins her journey. Keeping in mind a promise given to his loving grandmother, Narein brings along a jug with an intention to bring clean and unpoluted water of the holy river back home for her. Almost instantly upon his arrival he meets a local village girl Ganga (Mandakini, looking more Russian than Indian with her Slavic bone structure and blue eyes), and both young people are instantly attracted towards each other.

So much that they actually get married according to a tradition of Ganga´s people and engage in pleasant nightly activities. Alas, Narein has to return home, but promises his kind-of-wife to return for her. Alas, alas! The family meanwhile fixed his marriage with rich and pretty Radha (already mentioned Divya Rana). Alas, alas, alas! The news about Ganga shock Narein´s beloved grandmother so much she dies. And Narein is stopped from going back to Ganga by Radha´s influential father, who is determined to ensure his daughter´s happiness by marrying her to Narein. Thus Rajeev Kapoor, a boring hero if there ever was one, becomes sad. And stays sad.

Meanwhile Ganga gives birth to his son, and to ensure he grows up with his father´s name she decides to look her kind-of-husband up. And with nothing but her baby and utter naivity she sets out on a long journey, that actually makes it seem everybody in the world wants to rape her, and she ironically finds shelter in a kotha. Indeed, Narein teri Ganga maili ho gayi.....

Mandakini and Rajeev Kapoor were two non-actors, and it actually played to their advantage they were both so talentless, so they actually fitted together well. At least Mandakini has a certain X_factor, a screen presence, and she is definitely the life of the movie. The tale itself gets a bit tiring in the second half, with hero sitting at home and heroine meeting various creeps, but the finale was definitely worth all that, even if only for the wonderful Radha/Meera´s love comparism in a song. Music of the film is brilliant overal, and this last song has to be a crowning jewel.

Ram Tera Ganga Maili, skillfully drawing parallels between the holy river that is polluted by sins of others and a girl Ganga, polluted by pretty much the same source of dirt, is also (in)famous for the semi-nude and completely-nude scenes that would be shocking to many even today. Raj Kapoor, after all, liked to show female body (remember Zeenat in Satyam Shivam Sundaram or even Simi Garewal´s booty in Mera Naam Joker?). Yet it is again a part of Raj Kapoor´s art that the nudity never seems out of place or vulgar. It is not there to lure anyone into Mandakini´s lap (makes me think if she was actually cast because no other actress agreed to reveal herself as much?), it is not there to shock. It is used to show her purity, her acceptance of the natural part of life. And I loved that. I loved pretty much everything about this film.