JAWAAN (2023) : review

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And finally the much hyped, much awaited Jawaan saw light of the day ! Big stars, big budget( humongous budget actually), big music composer, everything super large. But does it meet the expectations of the average viewer? No it goes not. Read on.  A decorated jawan locks horns with a criminal called Kaali, this is in 1986 ( the year movies like Aakhri Raasta released, just for reference). Kaali gets him eliminated and send the pregnant wife to jail. The baby born in jail grows up to become the hero (look alike of the father) and decides to avenge the misdeeds done to his innocent patriotic parents. Well, isn’t it a masaaledaar full on Bollywood- Tollywood drama subject ?  And then the director Atlee also borrows ideas and references from various retro movies, some idea from Sholay (1975) as the hero assembled a gang of jailed Qaidis in order to form a team to nab the villain, then there’s an entire episode borrowed from Dhartiputra (1993), and the basic theme is copy pasted ...
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KHALNAAIKA (1993)

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KHAL-NAAIKA (1993) 

Directed by- Sawan Kumar Tak 

Cast- Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Mehmood, Bharat Bhalla, Puneet Issar, Varsha Usgaonkar, Baby Saahebzadi,Master Zain Ansari, & Anu Agarwal. 

A frame to frame copy of the Hollywood thriller “The hand that rocks the cradle”(1992) this Indian adaptation by the “Souten” specialist Tak was actually quite decent as it didn’t divert from its central plot with unnecessary side tracks. There was no attempt to Indianise the movie, thankfully. Maybe that’s the reason the audience didn’t lap it up. 

The life of a wealthy couple is terribly disrupted on the entry of a sultry governess in their palatial mansion. They soon discover the governess is on a cold blooded mission with “revenge being her only desire” - that was the tag line. 

Promoted as the hottest film of that year it’s unfortunate that it was marketed as elite soft porn, the distributers focussed on a breast feeding scene and the raunchy disgusting “Choli” item song. The thriller was actually better conceptualised, though the male counterpart Khalnayak(1993) became a huge blockbuster there are many who feel Khal-naaika was better. 

Technically it wasn’t up to the mark, even the direction had its low points but the gritty, bloody, thrilling climax was outstandingly well executed. Even the music by Mahesh-Kishor is lost in Bollywood archives inspite of having soulful ghazals like ‘Doosron Ki Burai’ ‘Sajao Pyar Ka Aangan’ ‘Dost Bewafa Hai’, sad tale of soul stirring ghazals overshadowed by a skimpy Choli in this film. 

Of the cast, veteran Mehmood was sheer delight to watch, performing with grace and immense sincerity. Agarwal in the titular role exhaled vengeance with superlative charm and generous sex appeal. 

The hand that rocked the cradle in the west couldn’t quite cut the ice with viewers in India. 

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