Mard

"Mard" (1985) Although the late 70s early 80s produced some cinema masterpieces, this was also the decade of what in Spain we called "pelis de mamporros" (lit. "blows films"). There, fistfights, silliness and impossible plots were mixed in equal measure. United States had Chuck Norris, Europe had Bud Spencer and Terence Hill…and Bollywood had Amitab Bachchan. While this silliness was absolutely enjoyable in films like "Don" (also with the Big B as leading man), "Mard" actually provokes embarrassment. Any attempt to describe the plot would defy belief: animals that behave like humans, humans that behave like animals, gladiator fights, flamenco dancing, villains dressed as cowboys with the Union Jack as a cape... Moreover, nobody seems to have decided if the film is set in the 19th century or the present (some characters wear Victorian dresses, some walk around in bikinis and trainers). Special mention deserves the cheeky heroine (Amrita Singh), who is lethal with the whip and does not think twice about asking the protagonist for sex: in a reversal of the traditional love song, it is her who chases the hero, while he tries to reject her advances.

So, laugh out loud, enjoy and be thankful that the Big B prefers to do movies like "Black" these days.

Director Manmohan Desai with star Amitabh Bachchan made history of wonders like (Amar Akbar Anthony - 1977), (Naseeb - 1981), (Coolie - 1983), and (Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswathi - 1988). Here, it's not Desai's most fantastic world inasmuch as his most fantasia.

If you wanna be silly: actually (Mard) gives you an ideal chance. It's one realm of absurd hyperbole, where you'll watch Roman gladiatorial combat, secret service masks, colony with mine and slaves, evil guys with tankers,.. etc. It's (Spartacus) meets (Mission Impassable) meets (Indiana Jones) meets (Rambo)! Nobody dares to define what year all of this was happening: Helena as "Lady Helena" wears heavy 19th century clothes, then Amrita Singh as "Ruby" has a car from the 1950s, and clothes from the mid-1980s??? The most laughable one came from Manik Irani as Ruby's bodyguard "Zybisko" with his black leather punk garb, and for sure Dan Dhanoa as the evil "Danny" who wore Freddy Mercury's costume yet with Dracula's cape! Not to mention a horse that has an elephant's memory, explicitly shoddy back-projections, and an electric shocker as a torture device along with a bikini both in the 19th century??!!

If you wanna be merciful: the character of the popular hero, along with his melodramatic story and conflict, was great according to this kind of let's say: genre. The storylines come from so many folk stories or old legends, but through the Desai's distinct style of making highly satisfying piquant MOVIE, and with a patriotic sense too. Amrita Singh did fair, and kind of reprised her first role 3 years earlier in (Betaab - 1983) which was Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Amitabh Bachchan was larger than life, particularly at that time, when he was super superstar and deserving it; look at him fells the screen while the movie's title appears, being The Man ("Mard" in English stands for "Man"). The songs were shot highly enthusiastic and vivid. "Mard Tangewala" is a great classic apart. Everything was quite ardent, so you have to feel exhilarating because of this non-stoppable action. In fact, we say the precept of "leave your brain at the door, and enjoy" about so many American movies, aren't we? So why not saying it about this Indian interpretation of fun?!

If you wanna be nostalgic: I watched it while I was 10-year-old, it was shown at the Egyptian theaters for a record time (20 weeks), and what a crush I've had. I ranked it at my early list of the best action movies ever. However, when I re-watched it, while I was 30-year-old, I discovered that it's special case of entertainment; like a comic book movie from India. Look at the last shot; it can summarize perfectly the whole condition of this movie as a fantasy with comedy / action / romance / melodrama / Desai! It's such a huge extravaganza of nearly all the quintessential cinematic factors of enjoyment, as pure piece of escapism however a' la Indian.

If you wanna be rational: You'd think cheese, delirium, or act of decadence. But simply (Mard) represents Bollywood picturization of ecstasy, as the ultimate commercial Indian movie of the 1980s at its highest peck of being dainty, with all the deficiencies of the previous too!

In one word: Enjoy it, it meant to do this exceedingly. And believe me, it will make you forget your worries.. along with your name as well!

The British soldiers would normally come over to India and loot all its wealth and carry it over to there country. But once in a time they were all challenge by a king called Azad Singh, and caught and carry to Lady Elena but they all attack King Azad behind his back and he was wounded and treated by Dr. Harry (Prem Chopra) but Dr. Harry turn out to be a British employer despite being an Indian and decided to attack King Azad and his family which consist of his wife and baby son. And so the son was separated from mother and father at a very young age. He was grown up by a horse and dog and was named Raju Singh/Mard (Amitabh Batchchan) which took him one day to the enemy's/British house and daughter named Ruby (Amrita Singh) Dr. Harry's house where he will have to challenge and fight with his father to impress the British and also made a plan which will help him and his father outwit the British.

I first watched this movie as a child, and although i did not understand it, (As i am not Indian but Bengali, and this movie has actually been rated as a 15) I still loved it then as i do now.

I understand every word and am moved by many dialogues and scenes.

Amitabh Bachans acting, is again wonderful and spot on. As well as everyone else's. Im not a big fan of Amrita Singh, but i did enjoy her performances in this movie.

I have read other member comments and most have said that a lot of the movie has bloopers. Do these people actually watch the movie or do they sit and note down everything that doesn't fit in? When I'm watching the movie, i don't even pay attention to everything that is wrong, I'm too busy being entertained by the superb acting! Even the animals are entertaining....The way they are loyal to there master....and in return they get respect. This film is a simple lesson to us all...treat everyone and everything with respect.

Trust me, Watch this movie....i doubt if you could tear yourself away...i couldn't and still cant...this is one of my top five movies....and will always be!

Bollywood fans pretty much hold Amitabh Bachan's Mard in high regard but I think it is very overrated. Manmohan Desai collaborated before on movies like Suhaag,Parvarish,Amar Akbar Anthony,Naseeb,Desh Premee and Coolie and I have seen all of them I liked so I had very high expectations before I watched Mard and was bitterly disappointed. My main gripe about Mard is that it feels like Amar Akbar Anthony part 2,maybe Mr Desai ran out of ideas, after all he had been using that formula for years and years. 1. First of all some members of the cast is repeated from AAA, for instance the police inspector who brings up Amar, the Muslim who brings up Akbar, Nirupa Roy and a few more. 2. In AAA Nirupa Roy loses her eyesight, in Mard she loses her voice 3. In AAA there is the famous song (Shirdi wale sai baba)well in Mard we have Amitabh singing Maa Sherawali. Having seen AAA for over 1000 times I noticed that straight away.

My other gripes are that some of the situations just seem ridiculous, true Manmohan Desai made leave your brain at the door kind of movies but with Mard I thought he went too far. My last gripe is that compared to songs in previous Manmohan Desai movies I found the songs rather disappointing. I know it has many fans that swear by it but I didn't like it one bit. It actually pains me to write this review because I am such a huge fan and have loved his movies since I was a child.