Sponsor PFCOne
Loading ...
Blackmail : Vijay Anand
Crime, suspense and relationships are the areas where Vijay Anand excelled as a director. He was a genius director, a brilliant editor and had a wonderful understanding about music and an amazing sense of how to picturize those beautiful songs. All these impressions have been established quite strongly in the minds of lovers of hindi cinema.
Crime, suspense and ups and downs in the relationship between main characters, remained important factor in his almost all the films. Blackmail also treads over these paths.
Story is not that strong and suspense and thriller elements don’t have standard more than shown in pocket books written for children. Beauty of the film lies in the way in which Vijay Anand has shown his story visually. How he has mixed relationships also in this kind of story usually written for kids, that has importance.
* * * * * * * * *
A scientist is working on developing electricity from alternative sources of energy like solar source. And when he gets success then he screams like as per anecdotes Archimedes had screamed Eureka Eureka. He had come out naked on road while scientist Madan Puri comes out wrapped in a towel. He realizes it once he reaches to home of his nephew Dharmendra, who is owner of their firm also.
But in such stories it can not happen that such an invention has happened and villains don’t try to steal the formula.
No doubt Mr India’s initial portions were inspired from Blackmail.
Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha are close friends. Dharmendra is rich and he has a open heart. Shatrughan Sinha is not rich and he even does not tell Dharmendra that he loves a rich girl Rakhee.
When Dharmendra sees Rakhee he feels attraction towards her and slowly feels that he has started liking her. When he tells about his attraction to Shatrughan Sinha then he is rather pleased on this news.
Very unusual for a lover! A lover will be angry on knowing that his close friends has started loving his lover.
But he not only motivates Dharmendra to make closeness with Rakhee but he does all efforts so that Rakhee may come close to Dharmendra.
Rakhee’s father is happy in marrying her to Dharmendra but she is deeply in love with Shatrughan Sinha. She plans to elope with Shatrughan Sinha and he becomes ready but when she is waiting for him to come she gets a letter from him where he has mentioned that though he loves her but he values his career more and he is leaving country to go to Europe.
Heart broken Rakhee becomes ready to marry Dharmendra. After marriage when Dharmendra is entering his bed room where Rakhee is standing, he finds that someone is just leaving the room through the window. He enquires from Rakhee but she is unable to say anything. Their marriage is broken before consummation. Dharmendra gets impression that she was in love someone and her lover had come to meet her and she has not forgotten her old lover.
When Madan Puri visits them then he finds them aloof and he thinks that they have quarrelded on something and he tries to bring normalcy between them and he asks Rakhee to bring food and he forces both of them to eat from same plate as according to him by such rituals love grows more between husband and wife.
Dharmendra sees Shatrughan Sinha and becomes angry that he did not attend his marriage. Shatrughan Sinha says excuses.
Dharmendra and Rakhee try to be normal with each other. When they are alone then they think about each other. Dharmendra was already in love with Rakhee and his love starts reducing the impact of misunderstanding and his good behaviour generates a liking towards him in the heart of Rakhee also.
She waits for him all the day. Sometimes she sings. She prepares her in good dress before Dharmendra comes back to home. She imagines Dharmendra singing for her song
Video of song - Pal Pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho
But when they are coming closer, Dharmendra feels that somewhere Rakhee is cheating him and in his absence she meets some unknown person. He does not know that person. He follows her one day but does not want to give impression that he has followed her so he waits on road only and does not know who the person is with whom Rakhee meets.
Villains are already trying to steal the formula of generating electricity from alternative mediums and when they don’t success they pick up kids of Madan Puri.
Madan Puri does not tell anything to Dharmendra and gives him the original formula and takes wrong formula to take possession of his children.
Rakhee gets to know it and she goes to help and Dharmendra also reaches following Rakhee and there he gets to know everything.
Now villains are after Rakhee and Dharmendra. When everything is clear between them and there is no misunderstanding their lives are in danger. They have to save them.
And here Vijay Anand does which no other director ever did in Hindi cinema. Dharmendra and Rakhee are hiding inside a pile of woods and first time their bodies are touching each other. As their hearts are clean now towards each other so only love start generating there and here plays a beautiful song in background.
Video of song - Mile do Badan
Goons are searching for them and they are searching each other physically and mentally. They are now knowing each other though touches, heart beats and body movements. They can’t speak so their eyes are communicating all the messages they wish to give to each other. That’s a situation never seen before or after. It’s a unique song. Romance was not generated on screen before in this way during a violent time. On one hand tension is there whether goons will find out where lovers are hiding and on the other love is growing. Its a unique composition of a scene ever envisioned by any director in hindi cinema.
Usual dhishoom dhishoom is there in the climax. Dharmendra has to fight with old friend who has turned in to the enemy.
Why Shatrughan Sinha arranges marriage between his friend Dharmendra and his lover Rakhee when he also loves Rakhee?
That’s the secret which is opened in the climax.
* * * * * * * *
Without any doubt Vijay Anand is the real winner of the film because he has maintained a praiseworthy standard of visual story telling throughout the film and film does not fall down from that level inspite of having quite weak story line. He has handled scenes in a better way. Screen play is far better than the story and this suggests the grip of the director.
Second high point of the film is its music, composed by Kalyan Ji Anand Ji.
Third plus point is Shatrughan Sinha. He has got character whose villaneous shades are revealed slowly and though audience know he is a bad man but he is so much involved in the main story and he has got so many shades in his character that watching him on screen brings energy in the film. He not only lip syncs the song but makes it so alive by his energetic dance.
video of song - Sharbati teri ankhon ki jheel see gehrayee mein
This is another unique song where Shatrughan Sinha can be found in this mood. No other love song has been picturized on him in this manner. Its out and out Shammi Kapoor’s Jungli’s Yahoo category song and Shatrughan Sinha makes it his own song.
Dharmendra was a super star in early 70s and he plays his role in the restrained manner which was required by the plot. His character goes through emotional ups and downs and he shows it with great skills. His ability to play character as its envisaged by director and writer and not to try to rise above the script often has been taken as his weakness. But Dharmendra remains just within the limits of screen play and his characters, in so many films and plays them in subtle manner. His role is not very heroic which can make strong his image of a He- man hero and still he plays it with full devotion. That’s a praise worthy attitude.
Rakhee has got good role and she displays her skills in playing the different emotional stages of her character. She has got shades in her character and she is just suitable for her role.
Vijay Anand even dares to show her leading lady’s character as bit complex. She loves Shatrughan Sinha but marries Dharmendra and she still cares for well being of Shatrughan Sinha and at same time she has started liking Dharmendra. Not so conventional character for a heroine in hindi films. Vijay Anand weaves it and Rakhee plays it successfully.
Madan Puri and Iftekhar are good as always in their small roles.
Vijay Anand makes Blackmail a pleasant watch. It should be watched to watch direction of Vijay Anand. Blackmail is weak before Jewel Thief but in comparison to suspense thrillers made by other directors Blackmail is too good.
43 Responses to “Blackmail : Vijay Anand”
Leave a Reply
Our Comments Policy : The following kinds of comments are troll capped, blocked and/or commenter's identity reported publicly: Verbal abuse, personal attacks, hate statements, spam, trolls, advertising. Please assist us in keeping the comments clean. Use the contact form to let us know if you find unwarranted comments on PFC. Thank you.
- Himesh Bhai ka Karz
- Christopher Nolan and Batman - The Phenomenon
- The Torture Series 3: Bhavani Junction
- Truth is getting stranger than fiction
- Sorry State of Affairs
- The Torture Series 3: Bhavani Junction
- Comedy Films Today
- Truth is getting stranger than fiction
- Building the Perfect Beast
- Announcing PFCOne 2008 : Call for Entries
Recent Posts:
Hottest Today:
I think Blackmail is one of Vijay Anand’s weakest films that probably marks the beginning of the downward slide as a director.
@Aditya,
If Kala Bajar, Tere Ghar ke Samne, Guide, Jewel Thief, Teesri Manjil and Tere Mere Sapne occupy level 1 among Vijay Anand’s films
then No Do Gyarah, Johny Mera Naam, Blackmail, Chhupa Rustam, and Bullet can occupy level 2.
and Rajput and Ram Balram can be kept in level 3.
But he has comparison with him only. w.rt others some factors of his films may score above others films in same genere.
@RK: that’s an interesting observation. plotting this as a graph would reveal a classic curve, true of most directors. Starts at a moderate level with Nau do Gyarah, reaches in the peak in the sixties and then starts to decline from the seventies. :)
Oh yes, compared to others, Vijay Anand is still a few notches above. Even a film like Rajput had much more depth than most multi-starrers of that era.
I agree that Vijay Anand is the one who has given us some very good thrillers…infact he is the only one who has given true thriller at those times when thriller was really not the most fav topic.
Though I disagree that Jonhy Mera Naam was a level2 movie. Its a level 1 movie.I know there is little more drama in this movie then ideally should have been, but there are only few moview(yet) where the story is suspense and not the charactor.We know the hero, we know the villain but still we dont know what they r going to do.Jwell Theif is more excelled movie in this regard, but JMN is a great example of a good plot.
And there is one more thing where JMN is ahead of its lot of competitors, acting deptt. Even Jeevan, IS Johar with such small roles, have done such intense acting, let alone the actings of Premnath, Pran.We dont find such class of acting in thrillers, where most imp object is plot.
What say????
thank you RK sir for unearthing another gem.. will surely give it a watch
Thanks for bringing this. Mile do badan was fabulously captured.
I really liked Dharmendra’s restrained performance in the film. I grew up watching Dharmendra in movies like Hukumat, Main Inteqaam loonga, Tahalka….where he’ll always be thirsty for dog’s blood. And when I saw Balckmail for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by his performance. After that Chupke chupke, Satyakam, Anupama, Naya Zamana, Dost and many of his 1960s movies convinced me that he is one of the most underrated actor in our Industry.
V. GANGADHAR on VijayaAnand….
http://tinyurl.com/3267en
vijayanand with devanand
http://tinyurl.com/39fy3o
vijay anand speaks philosophy
http://tinyurl.com/2pebmd
good interview of vijayanand,… he talks about dev anand, shekhar kapur, his last film….
http://www.screenindia.com/old/mar17/cover.htm
Blackmail has two other songs
Asha O Asha (Latamangeskar)
Mere Naina Rang Bhare (Latamangeskar)
full album of blackmail in mp3
http://tinyurl.com/2sal2o
Vikrant @ 6
where he
Blackmail… hmmm… what’s that one about?
LOL.. sorry RK bhai, just joking. If anyone hasn’t seen the film then sirji you’ve given them the enitre plot, twists and all!
I agree that it’s an otherwise average film but the level was definately raised with the strong direction and some sincere perfomances.
Vikrant you scared me there for a second.. you had me thinking you’ve only seen Dharmendra films from the 80’s! BY GOD that would have been horrible! Definately his best work was in the 60’s and 70’s… if you haven’t seen it, watch Mera Gaon Mera Desh… oh, and this other film called “Sholay”, I heard Dharmendra was pretty good in that one too :D
I was not exposed to his earlier work for a long time…I guess its side effect of being born asnd brought up in 80s. Eventually I discovered his earlier movies. I made sure that I watch almost all his movies pre-solay films. I view ‘Sholay’ as a short of departure point from his usual calm and subtle acting style. He became lot more animated after that. May be the success of sholay convinced him that thats what gonna work with public. I loved his work in Sholay…chakki pissing pissing….I have lost the count of how many times I have seen Sholay…bahot yaraan hai…:)
That’s great man, now I can sleep well tonight. :)
many pics of Dharmendar and…………
Dharmendra Hemamalini at Shatrughan Sinha’s place…
http://www.hamaraphotos.com/dharmendra_355.html
..so good looking Dharmendar…. and he is 72 years old ^:)^:):d
a nice article about Dharmendar
http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2002/jun/24dinesh.htm:d
Dharmendar fighting with Bruce Li:d
http://www.indiauncut.com/iublog/article/dharmendra-vs-bruce-li/
best songs of Dharmendar
http://www.geocities.com/~sm0e/R-gcDharmendra.txt
Khalid Mohamad a fan of Dharmendar ??????
http://tinyurl.com/2ptga5
:-?:-c=d>@}:)
Dharmendra was superb in Chupke Chupke…Miles ahead of Big B in natural acting( even though B’s character was matching his acting style ). Films like Devar, Satyakam, Phool Aur Patthar were simply splendid
@ 20.. kcp, I agree with you totally. I think Anupama and Satyakam were two of his best performances in 1960s. and MGMD, Chupke chupke and Sholay in 70s.
@Aditya (3),
Though we must keep Guide in separate category as its most important film of Vijay Anand. A complete representative film of Hindi Cinema. What Hindi cinema is all about can be presented through retrospection of Guide.
His all other films, surely, can be analysed through a rough sinusoidal curve as there is ups and downs in his performances as far as his grip over the over film is concerned.
Persobal life’s ups and downs certainly might have affected his performances in his films as 70s was the time in his life when he was facing existential challenges.
That confusing state might have affected his products.
@Abhishek (4),
When we keep Guide, Jewel Thief, TGKS, Kala Bazar and Teesri Kasam at level 1 only then JMN goes on bit lower level. In comparison to films made by others in that category its a very good film. But Vijay Anand had done all things, shown in JMN in his earlier films.
It has ups and downs. e.g.
(1) Dev Anand, had done it all and it was quite repetition for him.hence average
(2) Hema Malini was very good specially in songs. Being a dancer she made alive the song O Babul Pyare, only a dancer can live up to that demand of exhibition of emotions described in lyrics through that manner. She is upside here.
(3) Pran, had not got any different and challenging role so he comes in average category.
(4) PremNath, was a revelation and hence he carried film upwards. He and Vijay Anand made Husn ke lakhon rang a unique song, never seen before and never repeated after.
(5) Sajjan, PremNath and Hema Malini angle had some novelty hence upside
(6) But Dev Anand and Pran angle was usual formula based angle hence average
(7)Songs picturization was good as always. But picturization of Der se ana aur ye kehna has taken liberty. It does not represent intelligence of Vijay Anand.
(8) If film had upside inclination in all angles then it could have become level 1 film but it slided down because of some formula based things.
Its just my looking at Vijay Anand’s profile and it can be having shortcomings of a personal bias.:)
@Striker (5) Thanks for your comment. If you have not seen it before you are certainly going to like many things in the film and being an actor you will be having an experience because there are some unusual situations in the film where three main characters Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha, and Rakhee had to do efforts to fulfil demand of vision of Vijay Anand and you will get a great degree of learning there. It will help.:)
@Vikrant,
we can say Dharmendra is underrated because he has not got a list of awards behind him. and we can say it now when he has made a come back after years of absence. But if we go back to see his works in late 60s and 70s then we cant say same thing. He was getting different kind of roles and he was giving consistently good performances. Quality was maintained inspite of engaged in rush of quantity.
He was spreading his wings in 70s. He had a body and looked a He-Man and yet appeared in senistive roles in 60s and remained romantic hero except Phhool aur Pathtar. After that he started doing roles having bit action also and where his He-Man image could be used, like Aankhen, Rakhwala, MGMD etc.
Then he started Comedy also through Seeta Aur Geeta and during 70s his all three acting traits, heman, romantic and sensitive man and an actor who is at home in comedy, were at full bloom.
Its only after 1982-83 that he also started going downside, though commercially his films made more money and at BO Dharmendra remained on top in 80s with super success of Hukumat, Elan E Jung, Tahalka, Dadgiri etc but now he was reduced to action based roles only. The actor who was destined to play different roles started doing single shaded roles and hence a sudden decline.
His last restrained film in 80s could be Qayamat where he played a character with negative shades.
Films in 80s were quite bad and his desire to be active in films did affect an actor of his calibre. and after he married Hema Malini, his on screen romantic pair was lost. If you see Bazi now then his sensitive romantic lover was lost and it was replaced with bit cheap comedy and adult jokes kind of lover.
Adulthood ushered in roles of Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan and career of both the actors suffered in 80s. Both actors were not meant for those films. But when Maksad, Tere Mere beech mein type films were getting sucess then perhaps dialogue writers of films of AB and Dharmendra also tried to swim in same river and hence they lost ground. Whole family with kids could not go to watch AB’s Mard, and many Dharmendra’s films. They lost in 80s.
Its about their super star status. As an actor AB though did some expts like Mein Azad Hoon, Agneepath, in late 80s but Dharmendra surrendered to films full of bloodshed and became Hindi cinema’s Arnold, that was a mistake for which he paid fines later.
@Krishn(7-10)
Thanks for links. ya Blackmail had two good Lata songs. I could not find Video so did not mention.
I was waiting for Vijay Anand’s last film with Dev Anand, Jana na dil se door, but his demise stopped the film. But perhaps 75% shooting was finished. Its only a wish that Dev Saab himself finishes the film and he must release it.
Vijay Anand about UG was good to see and listen.
But with that intellect and that orientation perhaps its difficult to make Hindi films. Vinod Khanna and Vijay Anand took deep plunge and hence their so called professional career was affected though in real life they might have got some meaningful things. Mahesh Bhatt seemed to be only listening and care for theoretical things without going in to experimental phase and thus he remained rooted in market based activities and his professional activities did not get any effect.;)
@Tony (12),
ya few points but new viewer will not find it same film as its not.;)
having seen it you must know it better
@Krishn(16-19)
Thanks for good links. Khalid Mohammad’s link was interesting.
@kcp(20),
Dharmendra was at full bloom during the years when Chupke Chupke was made. He had excelled in comedy, while AB was just entering in comedy (leaving aside some juvenile attempts in Bombay to goa). AB was excelling in intensive roles as there he was at home. Success matters a lot. AB was walking on foot carrying behind failure of many films and Dharmendra was riding on horse of success.
after Chupke Chupke, except some scenes in Sholay, these two comedy kings have not come together in a comedy film. Otherwise that could have been a laughing riot.
Perhaps now in their old age they need to do a full comedy film together. They will raise the level of film many meters in sky.
@Vikrant(21),
If you like comedies then do watch Dharmendra starrer Dillagi (Basu Chaterjee) also.
RK, somehow I dont agree on your logic. Amitabh, himself was a casanova in the late 60’s onwards, in private life and had been an outgoing person by nature. Also he was firmly rooted in the industry by then with big banners backing him up. And I firmly believe that he was a born comedian. I did not say that he did a bad job in Chupke Chupke…in fact his character made me imagine how many “lallu’s” would be there in that era, being converted to angry young men. He did a fairly good job. But Dharmendra - he was a class apart.
Dharmendra’s body language, timing, expressions were splendid. The best scene I like is that time when he bhagaao’s Sharmila and then brings back to her house, he gets off from the car and does a pranaam to Om Prakash !! Bhai wah wah !!
I agree with you. Even Ram Balram had ample scope but it was not utilized. Interesting to note that they did cameo roles, together in the cast, in many films.
Yes..If they do a comedy film together, it would be very interesting
@kcp (31),
first films-
it may be little odd to say but as per my observations Hrishikesh Mukharjee could not extract best of comedy out of AB. AB shined in intensive areas in HM’s films.
HM extracted best of comedy out of Dharmendra and Rajesh Khanna but with AB he explored senstive side more. As a wounded person, AB shined more in his films.
Even anger, frsutration based emotions AB showed in Namak Haram where he threatens his on screen Dad, Om Shiv Puri” Dad Agar Shomu ko kuch huaa to….” That is a scene to keep in collection. This is AB’s most personal scene in a way where it can be said nobodyelse could have done that.
Chupke Chupke’s AB’s role was a supporting role and he was a tool there and film was not standing on his shoulders.
Dharmendra was in his full elements in Chupke Chupke. he had got material in his character to play with and rightly he gave his best ever comedy in that role.
Shudh Hindi and the scene which you have mentioned were all greats but one scene which, for me, made Dharmendra as one of the greatest actor skilled in comedy is -
Dharmendra is acting as watchman of guesthouse in hills and Sharmila Tagore’s teacher sends him to buy something to eat.
First when he does conversation with teacher.
second when he brings things carrying a big vessel on his head.
He is huffing and Sharmila Tagore in her typical dragging dialogue delivery says,” Par ye to kachche hain (eggs)”.
Dharmendra:- To aur kaise hote hain.Apne to ande lane ko kaha tha mein le aya memsaab.
Sharmila: par ab inhe ubalenge kaise.
Dharmendra: meine to socha tha yaheen ubal lenge, picnic ho jayegee.
Sharmila: par pani kahan hai.
Dharmenmdra: wo wahan jheel hai na. aap mein se kuch mere saath aa jayiye.
Sharmila: Chalo chaukidar ke saath. chalo kanta
Dharmendra: Ayye Kanta Ji.
–
The way Dharmendra says it Aye Kanta ji, with full involvement is height of comedy from him. His body language, his way of saying it, his expression, his enthusiasm.
If one has paid attention to this small scene then he(she also) will be laughing for several minutes.
Thats my selection of best comedy scene in Chupke Chupke. Here he is not surrounded with actors skilled in comedy like Om Prakash, Asrani or Keshto. What he did , he did on his own and made scene a memorable scene. and in reality he is a professor of Botany in film and his watchman in disguise was amazing.:)
—————
ya thats wish that AB and Dharmendra appear in a full comedy.
Even we have a post covering wish to see a remake of “Shaukin” with AB, Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna replacing Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt and AK Hangal respectively. :)
Yaar if you talk about Dharmendra and Chupke Chupke scenes then it is a never ending topic. His conversation with Keshto is simply hillarious. Wish they had a few more scenes together.
@KCP, thats why I mentioned a scene where Dharmendra alone has created a high standard comedy and where he is not supported by any of Om Prakash, Asrani, AB or Keshto. Here Dharmendra enters in Chakravyuh of Comedy as Abhimanyu and comes out as Arjuna the winner.
Or that chor scene. that was funny. but he did went overboard in the scene after ‘Abke Sawaan mein’ song. Where he is faking that he cannot see or is deaf etc. Perhaps it required that, but did not like it.. Anyway, my favorite film….
@HG,
I feel Thats Director Hrishikesh Mukhrjee’s weakness or say whoever wrote screen play. He had that angle and as an actor Dharmendra had to enact it that way only. Scene had poor logic.
in the climax also in the temple where Dharmendra makes confessions, thats also weak scene. But weakness is in written scene and written dialogues. when these two factors are weak then actors have to go for scenes which may not look authentic on screen inspite of all their efforts.
true. that scene did have a poor logic and it did not fit in with the script - it seemed like forced in - or a gimmickry to make people laugh. where as in most of the scenes it is the situation that makes people laugh…
@RK-25, I see your point. More I think about it more I am convinced that he was not so underrated. He has been given his due love and respect in 60s and 70s. After all he was considered among superstars than wasn’t he? In some sense, it was his own undoing in 80s and 90s that robe him of the respect that he deserved. It would be interesting to know what propelled him on this path of destruction. I mean Dharmendra of 60s and 70s was a very sensitive and intelligent actor who was keen to do movies like Satyakam. What happened or what went wrong in late 70s? Was he not ready to accept his age? Or was it because the entire industry was going the down the wrong alley? After all not only Dharmendra but Amitabh, Vinod Khanna, Shatrugan Sinha, Rajesh khanna, Jitendra…almost all the big names went downhill in 80s and also the overall quality of films got degraded. What went wrong? Was it just one of those cycles that the industry was going through (ebb and tide)? People involved failed to realize it or there was more to it? Being born later I don’t have very good idea about that time but I think it would be an interesting research thesis.
I show Dharmendra’s interview once(I don’t recollect where exactly) and the Dharmendra in real life appeared really matured, very honest, philosophical and level headed person. More importantly, he appeared scared by his later career years. Sometime I wonder what would have happened if he had the luxury and guts to say NO to some of the bad movies he did?
thanks for recommendation I will watch Dillagi soon.
@Vikrant(38),
May be it was a transition phase. Dharmendra was not a producer. Two of his big projects where he appeared along with Hema Malini, Bagawat (Ramanand Sagar) and Razia Sultan (Kamal Amarohi) were flopped at BO. His usual romantic film Aas Pas (again with Hema) was also not so successful film. He had married her by this time and though he appeared with other heroines like Zeenat and Rekha in early 80s but none of the films created noise at BO as his films of 70s used to do.
While social films used to perform better at BO but these films also started disappearing all of a sudden from 1982 on wards. We may not find any Raj Shri kind of light film getting success, even after Tarana in 1979 Raj Shri gave only one hit Nadiya Ke Paar in 1982 till Suraj Barjatya revive the banner with his debut Maine Pyar Kya.
South producers were taking grip on hindi films and they had their deity in Jeetendra, who was also establishing south Indian actresses through his films. Amol Palekar and his magic was lost by 1982.
No formula was working. BR Chopra’s multistarrer The BURNING Train was flopped. Yash Chopra’s Silsila was flopped.
Amitabh Bachchan was also unable to create old magic at BO. His every third film was faring well but not every film. Though even his flop films were able to give profit to producers but old magic of late 70s which still worked till 1982 was losing its lustre. If Coolie did some good at BO then Mahan and Pukar were less successful and they were not praised either. In Sharabi he got success and praise both else he was getting only one reward.
70s had already encashed beyond limit the formula based films and when 80s saw new filmmakers trying to encash old formulas then it did no good for films. From 1983-1990, good films can be counted very easily as there were very few.
Violence was the king in that decade and Dimple, Sri Devi and Rekha appeared in roles which were earlier reserved for male action heros.
When Dharmendra’s romantic hero did not get either proper heroine or proper response at BO then his producers might have used him in action based films only, which were made in plenty. Even Mithun, who got startdom from social films like Pyar Jhukta nahin and became household name , he also migrated to action only. Subhash Ghai forced Dilip Kumar to do stunts on motor bike in Saudagar.
Not only Dharmendra everybody did these violent films in the period after mid 80s. Even Rishi Kapoor will be seen in films like Dosti along with Rajnikant and Jeetendra.
Period was very bad where majority of filmmakers were making bad films and once in a while good films were coming.
Same old formula, exploit and revenge. and music was deteriorating fast. Now songs started appearing all of a sudden without any need or suitable place for them to appear.
Writers rather every creative department of filmmaking was responsible for this deterioration.
Art films movement was also almost died by 1983 so no competition was from that side also. There was no Shashi Kapoor who could produce Junoon, Vijeta, Utsav, kalyug kind of films. Producers were interested in Maqsad, Tohfa, Mawali and mindless films with no story at all.
Film stars were seen sitting with mafias enjoying cricket matches. Disco was gone and break dance had appeared and may be it was symbolic. everything good in hindi films was broken in this period.:(
ya Dharmendra
Thank you for the details of that era. Never thought about new producers angle.
Here is my another musing why people stopped watching those movies all of a sudden? Were they fed up all those formula films? May be the socio-political change that was happening? May be I am reading too much in to this situation.
Is it true that Hollywood also went through a bit similar(if not identical) phase. Just like Hindi film industry, Hollywood also had their most successful and productive (both in quality and quantity) phase in 70s. And then in the early 80s their movie qualities (on an average) nose dived. I’m not sure how true it is but on the surface it seems like plausible hypothesis.
@Vikrant(41),
Sorry for delay. About 80s and 90s scenarios, when we look back standing in 2008 then we certainly can see some visible factors responsible. We can collect now those different points. But its still a big topic and it will become longer than the present post. Will try to cover it a separate post in coming days and then we can have a proper discussion about that period and films made during that era.
Its an interesting phase because quality wise it was at lowest level and hence it should be explored.
@RK. Yes I agree. I will wait for your post on it. Thanks.