Indulge me a bit while I take off on a tangent. Like everyone who’s watched “Salaam Namaste”, I too was amused by Javed Jaffrey’s antics. But I kept thinking, it isn’t only the bihari take or accent that makes the character funny……something else…what is it…..then it struck me…the cowboy attire, flat voice, stone like face…..Javed Jaffrey’s completely spoofing western/cowboy flick obsessed Feroz Khan!
All those who’ve watched Jaanbaaz, have to remember the unintentionally hilarious scene where the villainous Raza Murad (Teja) is happily torturing Feroz Khan’s lady love Sridevi, giving details to Feroz Khan over the phone…with every detail Feroz Khan shouts “TEJA”, then again “TEJA”, then again, “TEJA”…Wah…kya scene tha….beauteous Sridevi giving an extraordinary performance as someone suffering from drug withdrawal symptoms, every expression perfect….and then there is Feroz Khan…stone like face, neither a change in expression nor any attempt at voice modulation……anyone who needs classes in under-acting, has to seek Feroz Khan out!
PLOT
Having said all that, I rather like Jaanbaaz….what’s not to like….its masala movie at its best. Jaanbaaz is about two brothers, one a police officer (a cowboy attired Feroz Khan, giving our real police officers and pandus a big complex I’m sure!), the other a hot-headed Casanova (Anil Kapoor), a beautiful woman (Dimple Kapadia), and a whole bunch of drug trafficking villains (Raza Murad, Shakti Kapoor, Puneet Issar). The two brothers live on this exotic farmhouse with their rich father Rana something (Amrish Puri), and their glamourous, young looking mother (Sushma Seth). Dimple Kapadia, recently orphaned, comes to live with this family, makes friends with Feroz Khan, learns about his tragic love affair with Sridevi. After pretending to dislike Anil Kapoor, Dimple doesn’t waste a lot of time falling in love with him and boldly does (this was nearly 15-20 years ago in Bollywood movies, mind you!) what Preity Zinta so coyly does with Saif in a Yashraj film today! Unlike today’s heroine, Dimple wants her man to marry her soon after, which Mr. Casanova refuses to do, much to the disgust of his mother and brother. It takes a dubious rival, some great songs, and an accidental death, for Mr. Casanova to realise that he loves Dimple as well. But by then, it is too late for a happy ending. The villains have stepped in and have the three main characters hostage. You know one has to die…cant be the woman, cant be the rock Feroz Khan (too many facial expressions required in a death scene you see!) ..and that leaves…you figure it out!
REVIEW-
While the plot is nothing to write home about, there are a lot of admirable things about Feroz Khan movies…well, atleast with regards to Jaanbaaz. Let me list them out one by one
MUSIC- What absolutely great music by Kalyanji Anandji. “Tera Saath hai kithna pyaara”, “O Pyaar do”, “Har kisi ko nahin milta”, “Jaane Jaana”..and the only decent English song in an Indian movie thus far.. “Bring me love”….A.R. Rehman could take some lessons from Kalyanji Anandji! Great melodies, wonderful arrangement, and mostly new (for that time) voices, makes this a great musical score. If for no other reason, the music and the choreography’s a reason to watch the film.
WOMEN- While Feroz Khan doesn’t exactly “discover” women actresses in his films (like Dev Anand claims to do in his movies!), he certainly picks his female actresses with great care…whether it is the ludicrously glamourous mother (Sushma Seth), Dimple, Sridevi, Rekha (all looking their absolute best), or even the villain’s sister! The women completely outshine the men in this movie….not such a hard task with stony Feroz and hairy bootpolish tanned face Anil Kapoor for competition! The most attractive man, amongst the main characters, turns out to be… a surprisingly hot, long haired Mr. Amrish Puri!
GLOSSY LOOK, GLAMOUR- Jaanbaaz boasts of cinematography that could rival any film produced in 2005. Beautifully shot in great locales, beautifully attired and made up people, give the film the “glossy” look I am talking about. As for the glamour quotient, you have the sleek race horses, no doubt from Feroz Khans own stables. And then there are the cutting edge, European club style song sequences…..plenty of under-dressed, athletic “foreign” dancers, BOTH men and women, not in the least vulgar coz they are all obviously trained dancers. Actually, in these dance sequences, the sinewy men far outshine the women!
In conclusion, while this movie will not be remembered for acting performances (hamming Anil and Dimple compensating for Feroz!) or great direction, there is something very appealing about Jaanbaaz!