The 1980s is usually considered the dark period in the history of Hindi films.People complain that films of that era had neither story nor screenplay;they say the music of the 80s films was abysmally bad and that most of the top heroes and heroines looked over the hill and did routine work. Now that might be the case with majority of films but some films made then, still remain firmly etched in my memory.Those being my formative years in watching films, the films I am going to mention below have left an indelible mark on my mind. Here are my five best bollywood films of the 1980s and if you disagree with my choice..well its a free country mate..to each his own..
DANCE DANCE- First on my list is one of Mithunda’s biggest hits of his career.Here was a film which celebrated the trademark kitsch of 80s in all its glory unabashedly.A film which had a pair of brother and sister growing up on the streets, having ’’halwaa’’ as their staple food, singing ’’AA gaya aa gaya HALWAWAALA Aa gaya, Dhoom machane aa gaya, rang jamaane aa gaya (incidentally this song is a favourite with me and some of my friends..whenever we run out of songs when playing antakshari..we start singing our eternal favourite:))at the drop of a hat and then growing up to be MithunDa and Smita Patil.
The cast of Dance Dance makes it special where MithunDa played a singer-dancer for the 120th time!!!(any doubting thomases I have counted it myself before arriving at that number).Smita Patil tried to look glamourous with this film with bad make-up and even worse clothes but then these were never Smita Patil’s strong points. Mandakini, remember that waterfall babe of Ram Teri Ganga Maili, provides the oomph quotient.The baddies were played by Shakti ’Aaooooooo’ kapoor and Amrish ’Mogambo khush hua’ Puri with so much overt relish that you have to see the film to believe me.
The story of the film was another strong point where MithunDa becomes a big singing star and then takes ’’Badlaa’’(revenge)on his arch enemies Amrish Puri and Shakti kapoor who incidentally marries Smita Patil in the movie and then abuses her...sigh...sob...!!!But all ends well..and Mithunda keeps singing , with Mandakini baby dancing to his tunes..
The music of the movie by Bappi-look-i-wear-more-jewellery-than-my-wife Lahiri makes it worth a dekko.This is one of Bappida’s best works till date what with songs like ’’Everybody dance with ma ma..everybody dance with pa pa’’, ’’Zooby zooby’’ and ofcourse the memorable ’’AA gaya aa gaya Halwa wala’’...absolutely brilliant stuff...A confession I have watched this movie 5 times on VCR..those days we were not allowed to watch movies in cinema halls..pity considering this movie is meant to be a big screen experience...
MARD- Amitabh Bachchan might have worked in some great movies but in the 80s MARD was his best effort according to me.MARD was a Manmohan Desai directed film and as his films generally are, it was a complete entertainer.
This film is memorable not only for its entertainment but also certain lessons it taught me:
1) Small aircrafts about to take-off can be stopped by lassoing a rope around it and uttering ’’BHARAT MATA KI JAI’’.
2)Best way to make a spoilt-rich girl fall in love with you is to beat her up and then literally rub salt into her wounds(No wonder people after watching this scene started calling Amrita Singh-Mard Singh).
3)The Shakti(power) of Bhakti(Devotion to GOD)can do miracles.Big B sings in front of Durga Maa and Durga Maa restores Nirupa Roy’s eye-sight who incidentally played AB’s mother for the 45th time.
4)MARD KO DARD nahin hota(A MAN NEVER FEELS PAIN)..
Wow I am sure that this film must have had some more invaluable lessons to impart but my cerebrum at that age wasn’t big enough to grasp all the pearls of wisdom flying around.
The music of this film still rings in my mind.Who can forget songs like ’’Mard Tange waala mein hun mard tange waala, mujhe dushman kya marega mera dost hai upar wala’’ or ’’Buri nazar waale tera munh kaala..dil bhi tera kaala aur lahoo bhi kaala..wah s@#&la...and my favourite ’’Will you marry me..NO NO sorryjee’’.
The music by Anu Malik then was pristine my friends, when he had not let it by corrupted by western, pakistani, latino, rahman, bangladeshi, chinese, etc etc etc influences..and yes before I forget I have watched this movie 4 times on...VCR ofcourse..
NAGINA- Now this was a film which scared yet fascinated me at the same time.I was scared becuase of its hair-raisng scenes of the IKCHADHAARI NAAGIN(for ppl who don’t know what that means..plz leave your queries in the comments section and I will get back to uu asap)played by Srivdevi turning into a NAAGIN(female cobra)whenever she or her husband(Rishi Kapoor)were threatened or in danger.And Fascinated because the way Sridevi squirmed, slithered and contorted her face and entire body before she did the unthinkable (Hey I mean changing into a Naagin here..no hidden meaning whatsoever). Coupled with some sensational dances(remember Mein Teri Dushman Dushman tu mera...WOW)and her heavy-duty confrontation scenes with Amrish Puri who played the evil Tantrik, this movie made for rivetting stuff.
Rishi Kapoor who played her lost and perpetually confused husband wearing his baggy sweaters and pullovers lend able support..so did Sushma Seth who played Rishi Kapoor’s mother for the 112th time in this movie.
This film I remember was a super-hit which saw a surge in the sale of contact lenses especially the green ones as Sridevi always donned them before she turned into a nagin..U cud see a lot of potential ’’nagins’’ slithering around the roads then.
The music of the film was a big hit too.Who can forget songs like ’’Mein teri dushman’’ or Sridevi’s seduction song ’’Balma Tum Balma ho mere’’ and the romantic ditties like ’’Tune Bechain itna jyaada kiya’’ and ’’Aaj Kal Yaad kuch aur’’ in Mohd.Aziz’s ’’soulful’’ voice..Truly a memorable film!!!
TOHFA- This remains one of Jeetendra, Sridevi and Jayaprada’s best films.If the story was novel, the treatment even more so.The story where one sister sacrifices her love for the ’’Khushi’’(happiness) of the other was original as it comes and the taut screenplay and dialogues made it a compelling watch..The absolutely wonderful cinematic technique used is still remembered by people like me..watch out for the scenes where the camera starts moving uncontrollably to show the turmoil in Sridevi’s mind or where you get to see the long shot-top shot-close up of Jeetendra, when he meets Sridevi after her marriage to Shakti kapoor, to register Jeetu’s shock!!!
The dialogues are memorable. People still remeber the unforgettable lines uttered by Shakti kapoor in this film ;sample ’’Aaooooooo Lalittttaa’’.The dances by Jeetendra and Sridevi around the thousands of pots on some beach down south is also as original as it comes.
Music, as it is by Bappida again, is several notches above what you hear nowadays.Songs like ’’Ek Annkh Marun’’, ’’Gori Tere Ang Ang mein’’ and ofcourse ’’Tohfa Tohfa Tohfa...Laaya..Laaya..Laaya’’are specially haunting..all in all one of the best family dramas of the 80s.
Continued in the comments section...............