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 from Kaml
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GANGSTER’s MOLLS : shortcut to fame?

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GANGSTER’s MOLLS: shortcut to fame? 

Do we hear of the underworld nexus in Bollywood these days? Not much, unless the screaming out of his lungs Arnab Goswami occasionally blaming dreaded don Dawood Ibrahim for sushant singh rajputs death ! That’s like an occasional instance. 

There was a time when Bollywood starlets got embroiled into the dirty world of gangsters, from 1972-2002 thirty years and seven beautiful Bollywood damsels were linked to horrifying underworld gangsters, here’s a brief recollection of the ‘seven wonders’ 


Sona: almost everyone knew about the infamous Haji Mastan’s infatuation for the late actor Madhubala, now there were far too many admirers then and even today. So it wasn’t a surprise when he fell head over heels in love with a budding starlet Sona who’d an uncanny resemblance to the late Venus of Indian cinema. Sona’s only notable film was Kachche Dhaage(1973) and the affair and subsequent nikaah with Mastaan put a permanent end to her acting career. 


Madhu Kapoor: petite and soft spoken Madhu a Rajshri films discovery shot to fame with the musical Sanch Ko Anch Nahi(1979), Dubai based gangster Anees Ibrahim was smitten by her coy and feminine persona, after an apparent Bollywood show in Dubai, Kapoor did not return back to India and was never heard of again. Her ‘special’ friend Amrita Singh gave a clarification in glossy stardust mag(1988) that she had severed all ties with Kapoor. 


Heena Kauser: mostly relegated to supporting roles that of a courtesan or sister she was promoted as the love child of K Asif and Nigar Sultana. Her most famous movie is Dharam Kanta(1982) where she was given more mileage than bigger stars like Reena Roy and Waheeda Rehman. It didn’t take too long to find out that it was her tempestuous affair with blood thirsty gangster Iqbal Mirchi that led to the special privilege in the big movie. Kauser allegedly married Mirchi and was whipped away from Bollywood. 


Mandakini: by far the most sensational moll in Bollywood, Raj Kapoor’s discovery who shot to fame for her near nude waterfall scene in Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) could never repeat the success of her debut film. She was soon in the news for her regular ‘Raat Roki’s’ (overnight halts) in Dubai, her pictures with most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim started circulating in 1991, the next year she got pregnant and delivered a son! Her anyways non existent career ended and she vanished into oblivion. 


Aneeta Ayub: a sensuous Pakistani model who was introduced by debonair Dev Anand in Pyar Ka Tarana(1993) got limited fame for a graphically disturbing gang rape scene in Anand’s Gangster(1994). Dawood famous for his attraction to sex symbols got drawn to the buxom beauty. There were Fatwas assigned against her after she appeared semi nude in a fashion magazine. She wasn’t deterred as Dawood had already imported her to Dubai where she lived with him for almost half a decade and then relocated to London to start afresh as an interior designer. 


Mamta Kulkarni: her first claim to fame was a topless cover shoot for stardust mag(1993) which created a sensationalism in the country. She appeared in blockbusters like Karan Arjun(1995) but a steamy affair with gangster Vicky Goswami put an abrupt end to her acting stint. She fled the country with beau Goswami and settled in Kenya where they were allegedly married at a private Nikaah ceremony. Apparently they were operating an international drug syndicate from Kenya, while Goswami was arrested, Kulkarni shifted to spirituality. 


Monica Bedi: one of the last known celebrity molls. Tall, vivacious and beautiful Bedi shifted from Canada to Bollywood and was a regular C grade starlet when noticed by dreaded criminal Abu Salem, sparks flew and an instant chemistry struck. Bedi was cast in Big budget films like Janam Samjha Karo(1999) and Jodi No 1(2001) thanks to Salem’s threats to the producers. While hibernating in Portugal both Salem and Bedi were arrested and deported to India after serving their respective term in Portugal. Bedi appeared in Bigg Boss in a desperate attempt to detox her image, it was too late. After playing character roles on some TV series she disappeared into anonymity. 

Must they sing a tune filmed on one of the above beauties ‘Mujhko Ranaji Maaf Karna Galti Mhaare Se Ho Gayi’? 

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