Desire to watch a recent Big B flick on weekends requires helluva toil. After 1 hour of jostling in queue and tanning my skin in scrotching heat of Chennai, at last managed to get tickets of Deewar. My friends were cursing me for getting tortured in heat. Some one said ’’Kya yaar tu bhi...araam se multiplex mein TROY dekhte’’. I said ’’Amitji, hain naa..’’
Star Cast
Amitji : Major Ranbir Kaul
Tanuja : Mrs. Kaul
Sanju Baba : Khan Whistle...Whistle...
Ak-she-y Khaana : Bhai kya naam tha...haan Gaurav
Amrita Rao : Radhika
Kay Kay : Sohail (Jailer Sahab)
Akhilendra Misra : Yakku Krur Singhh..Sorry, Jabbar
Aditya Shrivastava : ISI Agent
Raghuvir Yadav : Jatta
Others : Arif Zakaria, Virendra Saxena, Kamlesh Sawant, Raj Zutshi and Ashraf Ul Haq.
Story
Big B is the leader of a team of POWs (Prisoner of Wars), who are given brutual treatment by Paki Army. Big B n team has been trying to escape from there, but all efforts goes futile. Somehow he was able to convey the message to India that he’s alive and captured.
Tanuja protests in front of Indian Govt to bring them back, and as usual comes the reply...’’Our hands are tied up’’. Akshay takes the onus on to himself and decides to bring his Father (Big B) back. He lands up into the house of Jabbar (a hindu in Pak) and his daughter, Amrita Rao goes head over heels for Akshay at first sight. (This shows the scarcity of dudes in Pak..he he) Akshay takes help of Khan and manages to take POWs out of Pak.
Performance
Watching Big B is always a feast. There is plenty of energy, talent and perfection hidden in this great person. Watching him approx 30 years after Deewar (1975), one can only say Kuch bhi to nahin badla... For Angry young man, its still the beginning.
Tanuja does justice to whatsoever small role she got. One dialogue of hers still haunts me ’’Jo log hamare sainiko ke seene par goliyaan chala rahe hain, aap unse haath kaise mila sakte hain’’ . Incidentally when I watched this movie on Sunday, Indo ? Pak talk on PEACE and SECURITY was actually being undertaken. Many and many of our heros are really getting rotten in Pak jails. I don’t wish to comment on double standards of Pak, coz probably this is not the right forum and probably that needs another dedicated review.
As Sanju baba appeared on screen with his ’’Marenge Sale Sab ke Sab’’ , I could here the maddning crowd cheering and whistleing. That shows his fan following. Khan is Portrayed as a very strong character in movie and none other than Sanjay Dutt could perform this role magnificantly.
Ak-shay Khanna had a golden opporunity in form of Deewar, which he wasted. A polished actor like Ajay Devgan could have done wonders in this role. Ak-shay needs to learn a lot. His acting is limited to just three expressions:-
Jab Akshay ko gussa aata hai : He clinches his teeth and shouts
Jab Akshay khush hota hai : he slightly opens his mouth, smiles and nod his head
Otherwise when he is serious, romantic, sad, surprised : he just looks dumb and surprised !!!
Amrita Rao was used as a show piece, but it really added the show. Her sensual and seductive (not at all vulgar) performance in song ’’Piya Bawri’’ was picturised beautifully. That was what expected out of Maneka to woo Vishwamitra...and in the end it was Miss-ion Accomplished!
Aditya Shrivastava (Inspector Khandilkar of Satya fame) is getting into limelight nowadays. You can see him in Lakshaya as well. He also acted well. But all the roles he is getting are either of cop or fauji. I am afraid that he doesn’t get type casted for these roles as Jagdish Raj and Iftikaar of yesteryears. Kay Kay, Akhilendra Misra and Raghuvir Yadav were also nice.
Music
Full numbers to music and sound track. Piya bawri and Ali-Ali were melodious and also picturized well. ’’Leke aayi hain hawayein’’ reminds you of Patriotic numbers of Freedom Fighters. Marhaba-Marhaba was O.K.
Post Mortem
Movie started with a real slow pace and by the interval you’ll be yawning. I was getting apprehension that it’s going to be another drag. But Post- interval, with ’’Piya Bawri’’ and ’’Ali-Ali’’, fizz was added in till now dull movie. There after, it was a joy ride full of thrill and action. I strongly recommend you to finish all your popcorns and pepsi/coke before interval, coz you’ll be glued to screen after that.
It is a nice flick by Milan Lutharia, credit goes to Gaurang Doshi as well. I have heard people saying that it was inspired by David Lean’s THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI [1957] and John Sturges’ THE GREAT ESCAPE [1963]. Since I haven’t seen any of them so can’t say ( want all of you to comment on it). But at least, none of the bollywood movies were copied.
I totally agree that many sequence in movie were very unrealistic , it requires helluva luck or series of coincidences. But, at least we can appreciate the innovativeness and execution of scenes. e.g.
When Police came, Akshay’s hiding gun and taking it back in toilet.
POWs giving signal of 9 to Akshay by walking in that fashion. Akshay reverting back with msg on Army truck.
Sanjay’s escaping from the mines over dead bodies..
Also, thanx God... Amrita Rao wasn’t dragged into the mission to rescue POWs, unlike traditional hindi movies where actress becomes a shadow of actor.
But...i am still confused about something. Whenever Big B was bashed by Pakis, Russel Crowe’s (Gladiator’s ) Wife and Son flashes in his memories. Movie doesn’t talk of this extra-marital affair of Big B. What was that???
In the end, I must say..nothing great about it dude..but still, worth watching once. Amitji hain naa...