I have always been a hardcore Hindi film freak. From comedy to romance, from action to mystery, i’ve seen it all!!! Any movie that came my way!! Many times, it has been pure torture to sit through some badly made flicks!! I have had to go through ALL, imagine that, films of Suraj Bharjatiya and Karan Johar!! I was ready to eat a Karela after watching Hum Saath Saath hain, just to get rid of the extra-sweet taste out of my mouth!!!! It seems that people in the film industry have a lot of time and money to produce these uncountable disasters!!! But then, there have been oh-those-memorable movies that leave a mark somewhere in your mind. Some characters that are so beautifully sketched out that they leave an impact in your creative thinking. So, now i’m going to list a few of those characters that have created their special place in my heart and soul.
(listed in no particular order)
Vijay- Deewar: No, i’m not referring to the latest flick about the Indo-Pak issue. I’m talking about the 1975 blockbuster which boosted Amitabh Bachchan’s career up by several notches! Big B’s powerful acting as the Angry Young man rebelling against rules of society left a mark the film industry. Who could forget Big B’s memorable speech confronting his brother:* Jao pehle uss aadmi ka sign lekar aao jisne mere haath pe ye likh diya ke mera baap chor hai!!*. Outstanding piece of work!!!
Geeta- Sita aur Geeta: I always loved this movie for its great comedy and excitement, and most of all I have always enjoyed watching the character of a “mast”, playful Geeta, who’s played by the Dream Girl Hema Malini. Mrs. Dharmendra Deol plays a double role as Geeta and the quiet and sombre Sita. Geeta finds herself mistaken as her twin sister and is put into the company of Sita’s family and the excitement begins!! Hema Malini is a joy to watch as she is frolicking about trying to teacher Sita’s cruel Chaachi and cousin a lesson. Her acting is superb as she says hehe…mein maange hue kapdon mein zyada achhi lagti hoon ji! An absolute laugh riot!!!
Dr. J “dot” Asthana- Munnabhai MBBS: I can sum this character up in one word: masterpiece!!! Boman Irani put life into this character by is signature “laughter therapy”. When I entered the movie hall to watch this film, I had no idea I was entering 2 and half hours of a Roll-on- the- floor-laughing flick!! And what made this movie so great was Boman Irani’s fabulous acting as he plays a distraught dean of the medical colleges where Munna bhai, a local goon, has decided to take admission. After Dil Chahta Hai, this was the first laugh out loud comedy that I saw, and I give at least 90% of the credit to Dr. Asthana’s character.
- And you mind your language, yeh le ke ayela kya hota hai!!!
Bhawani Shankar- Golmaal: Eeeeeeshhh!! Hehe, what else can I say about a this character, its too great to describe! Utpal Dutt, I believe, is one of the most talented actors of Bollywood. Unlike the cheap or vulgar comedy that we experienced in the past 2 decades mainly, Golmaal was a clean and entertaining comedy, which truly tickles the funny bone!! Bhawani Shankar is a confused boss with strict values. Confused because he falls into his employee’s ( Amol Palekar) mischievous fib. And then follows a series of fun filled events as Bhawani Shankar interacts more with Ram Prasad Sharma (Amol Palekar).
Mogambo-Mr. India: After Gabbar Singh I think, this character was the one that made an impact in a negative role. His signature phrase, Mogambo, khhush huaaa! has become a part of the routine lingo. Amrish Puri suited the role to the T, and resulted with an unforgettable performance. Shekhar Kapoor’s vision was well portrayed by this larger-than-life character.
Bhuvan- Lagaan This is one film that I’ll never forget watching in the theatre. I have never seen audiences react to this extent in any film. More surprisingly, I found myself to be a part of that screeching, screaming crowd, who was enjoying a cricket match in a movie hall. The audiences cheered Bhuvan (played by Aamir Khan) when he sermonised his ideals, they egged him on when he had to shoot the last sixer and they had tears in their eyes when they saw his desperation to prove himself in front of the villagers. Aamir Khan outdid himself in the performance of a lifetime!!! I cannot list any of his dialogues, since Aamir’s eyes and expressions spoke Bhuvan’s pain better than any words!!
Basanti- Sholay: Strange enough, the only 2 female characters that I really really like, have been played by Hema Malini. This character in particular, I simply could not leave out of the list. Yuuunkii, I feel that Basanti’s character was hilarious!!! Actually, I used to really identify myself with Basanti since even I was once a chatter-box, who starts off and forgets to shut down! As Big B said in the movie* Pyaari nahin bahut saari baatein karti hai!!* Another strange thing is that, Sholay is the only movie which appears twice on this list. But that’s not too surprising as legends like that are not made every day! Basanti added that extra something to the movie with heart wrenching dialogues like * Chal dhanno!! Aaj teri basanti ki ijjat ka sawaal hai!
Sameer- Dil Chahta Hai: This movie I believe brought Saif Ali Khan the long awaited appreciation that he always deserved. When I look back now, I cannot imagine ANY other actor playing the part that Saif played with so much ease! This flirty, yet sincere, serious yet playful character brought was soooooo hilarious that I just could not think of anything else for 2 whole days!! Who can forget when Saif desperately tells his friends the story of his “crook” friend Cristine: * Tumhe kya lagta hai, main roz iss takiye pe bethta hoon!!!* Hilarious!!!!!!!
Anand- Anand: I can say for a fact that I’m Not the kinda person cries at each and every sad scene in any movie. I surely do NOT shed tears in a Suraj Bharjatiya or a Karan Johar chocolatey, sugar-coated, diabetic love story, where the only thing characters tend to do is greet each other and fool around singing and dancing!!! But Anand was one movie, which could not hold my tears back. Brilliant is the word for Rajesh Khanna’s performance!! A person who’s on the verge of death can live with such a zest for life that in his happiness he even spreads a smile or two around. Anand not only brought pleasure to the people in the movie, but his philosophy still lives in my mind like an immortal soul. Unlike the recent try-to-remake-but-failure, Kal ho na ho, there are no melodramatic scenes and jerky tearful performances (uhmm…Ssssharukh ki overacting), but a soulful thought which teaches us a lesson in life: * Baabu maushaye….Hum sab to rangmanch ki Katputliyan hain…kab kaun kaise jayega yeh koi nahin bataa sakta hai!
If you’ve gotten this far with the read, for which you should be given the award for bravery, please don’t stop! There’s still one more to go! Torture yourself a bit more and leave a comment for yours truly. This is my second review, and I would really really appreciate a feedback from you guys!! Adios!