Nothing else captured the imagination of the young, educated, disgruntled and restless in the seventies as did the character Vijay created by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar and brought to life by Amitabh Bachchan.All the midnight’s children
(As in Salman Rushdie’s booker of bookers) who spent their childhood in the hope of a resurgent and resourceful country and then by their youth got disgusted by the whole system that was in place as if to thwart every ambition they had ever harboured, saw a slice of their own lives in the tribulations of this iconic Angry young man of Bollywood.
Hence when Vijay Pal Singh(the Vijay in kala Paththar) sulkingly declares "Pain is my destiny and I can’t avoid it" while refusing to take medical help, he must have touched chords with a lot of people in unrest for various reasons.In a long list of legendary movies including Zanjeer, Deewar, Trishul among others that nurtured this hard hitting character came the 1979 release Kala Paththar directed by one of the original mavericks of HIndi cinema, Yash Chopra.
Veering away from the basic realms of feel good cinema , this movie was shot in and around the coal mines of Dhanbad and not in any palatial bungalows or scenic locations.The grime and dust which is very much an integral part of the mine worker’s life is unabashedly portrayed as it is.The story revolves around the central character Capt.Vijay Pal Singh(played by Big B).Having had to abandon his ship putting the lives of hundreds of passangers’ lives into jeopardy and having faced the enormous public wrath, he has landed in this coal mine in a bid to bury all the ghosts of his past.He works harder than others, is always the first to jump into any danger yet doesn’t get the peaceful sleep in the night his body deserves.His past never leaves his psyche and his faint hope of redemption keeps on getting more and more blurred.
Then there are the usual suspects.Hundreds of labourers who despite their back breaking efforts can’t manage two square meals for their families and what’s worse, they have to work with the constant fear of fatal accidents in the mines which is an uneasy norm in those circumstances.The moolah-hungry mine owner(played by baddie Prem Chopra) who doesn’t give a damn about the well being of the workers and keeps on squeezing them to shreds.The well meaning doctor(played by Rakhee) who despite her constraints tries to make the best of her resources and lessen the sufferings of the labourers.The newly appointed Engineer shahib(Shashi Kapoor) who believes in performing his duties with utmost sincerity and integrity and doesn’t care about being in the good books of his boss unlike his predecessor.A bangle seller girl(played by Neetu Singh) who not only sells bangles and cosmetics to the women of the place but also gives them their brief moments of unbridled happiness.A happy go lucky Sardar truck driver(Parikhshit Sahini) who believes in singing away his own and other people’s sorrows.
Amidst all this enters Mangal(the explosive Shotgun), who is a remorseless criminal and has come here for safe haven from the Police.He has a method of his own, like when he enrolls for work one day and the Munim asks for his name he counters
Mangal-Aaj Din Kya Hai?
Munim-Mangal
Mangal-To likh Le.
He has this inbuilt urge for a "panga" so that he establishes himself as the most feared goon of the area.This brings him face to face with Vijay and the hostility ensues.
The story progresses through the intertwined lives of all it’s characters and comes to a climax when because of the overwhelming greed of their owner the workers face a real and grave danger to their lives.This is when they work together, leaving their differences aside in a show of true character and most of them beat certain death.
There are many reasons why I consider this movie a must watch.Watch it for the all so evident chemistry(not the bonding kind) between AB and Shotgun when they share the screen, for the sheepish yet remarkably funny one-liners by the Bihari Babu Shotgun, for the commendable genuineness of Yash Chopra as he has compromised very little on the plight of the ordinary mine worker for the sake of drama, for the priceless look of self digust in Vijay’s face and for the sincere attempt by Salim Javed to offer a tribute to the anti capitalist brigade.The only major flaw for me was the character of Prem Chopra which seemed a bit half baked and weak where he almost became a punchbag for everyone.