Damini

In my opinion 'Damini' is Rajkumar Santoshi's best work to date. Meenakshi Sheshadri gives a powerful and flawless performance in what can be described as a role of a lifetime, a part every actress would only dream for. However, the actress decided to call it quits because, rumour had it, she didn't win the best actress award. She only did a handful of films to keep up with her other commitments.

Damini is a simple honest young lady who lives with her poor parents and sister. To save her parents from misery, Damini's elder sister elopes with an alcoholic. A wealthy businessman Shekhar sets his eyes on Damini and falls in love. The two get married but Damini's in-laws keep their distant. A lonely Damini develops a close relationship with the young housemaid Urmi. During the holi festival, the whole household celebrate the colour and music with visitors. Damini's brother-in-law and his three friends gang-rape Urmi. A helpless Damini witnesses the horror and she desperately seeks help from Shekhar. But they're too late and Damini faints from the shock. Shekhar's brother and co dump Urmi's ravaged body in the gutter. When Damini is conscious, she wonders about Urmi and Shekhar assures her that Urmi's fine and receiving medical attention in the hospital but suddenly the police arrive and want to interrogate Damini. Shekhar begs Damini to 'lie' for the sake of the family honour. But Damini never lied in her life...

Definitely an innovative screenplay and Santoshi deserves full marks as a director especially for the way he builds up the tension without going over the top (in most cases). However, the courtroom sequences tend to be a little too dramatic.

There are very few songs but they provide a nice break and are melodious and pleasant.

Rishi Kapoor does well in a role with shades of gray. Same goes for Kulbushan Kharbanda. In a very brief role, Sunny Deol too is good (though he should have tried not to be too loud). Amrish Puri does well but his character is slightly caricatured. Ditto for Paresh Rawal.

But, 'Damini' is a one woman show and it rests entirely on Meenakshi Sheshadri's powerful performance. The actress is amazing and she finally gets a role that does full justice to her immense talent. Known to be one of the finest dancers (and yes, here too she dances with grace and energy), with 'Damini' she's proved to be one of the finest actresses of India. It would have been easy for an actress to mess up the role but Sheshadri portrays Damini's strength and vulnerability through her innocence and sincerity with gusto.

'Damini' is also a socially relevant film about the power of one. How the power of one voice can make a difference, how honesty is always best policy (as the truth shall prevail), to do what's right and always fight against injustice.

Damini was a well made film that dealt with a woman's lone battle against a male dominated society to get justice for a rape victim. The film had some very powerful sequences in the second half, with Sunny Deol taking control. The film is remembered for its screenplay and direction and excellent performances from 3 actors,Meenakshi Seshadri, Sunny Deol and Amrish Puri. Director Rajkumar Santoshi combined a socially relevant subject with commercial ingredients to deliver one of the best films of the year.

Sunny Deol was easily the scene stealer. Although Rishi Kapoor was the main lead, he walked away with several awards, including the National award. Amrish Puri delivered a memorable depiction of the corrupt lawyer, Chadda. Rishi Kapoor was just about okay. Nadeem-Shravan came up with an average musical score. Meenakshi and Aamir Khan's pairing in the song Bin Saajan Jhoola Jhulu was refreshing.

Meenakshi Seshadri gave Damini everything she had and she truly shone in a performance of a lifetime. All who watched this film knew that the best actress trophy belonged to no one else in 1993, but her. She portrayed the role of Damini Gupta with complete conviction. Honestly, how Juhi Chawla won for Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke over Meenakshi in Damini, is a mystery that remains unsolved till date. I have lost all respect for Filmfare ever since!

One of Sunny Deol's best roles ever, I am full of praise for this movie. It is a social movie that deals with injustice in society, and how one lady fights it at all costs,being helped by a lawyer and her husband alone. The dialogues are impressive-TAREEKH PAR TAREEKH,DHAI KILO KA HAATH,CHIDIYAGHAR,etc.

Rishi Kapoor does an impressive job.His emotions are expressed well. Meenakshi's good as the protagonist.

The concept is good. Songs are melodious. Some fight sequences are there,which aren't bad.

Sunny's best as a prosecution lawyer,Amrish is tooo good as the villain. Though nearly 3 hours long,the film is enjoyable. Watch it.

The great Rajkumar Santoshi delivers "Damini", a powerful, gripping and hauntingly fascinating picture which can be rightfully called a great relief at a time when most Hindi films were poorly written. This is the story of a young girl who marries into a wealthy family. One day, during the Holi festival she witnesses a horrifying incident of her brother in-law gang-raping the housemaid Umi along with his friends. She cannot get into the closed room, and seeks help from her husband, but the two are too late. When the police comes to interrogate Damini about the physically and emotionally ravaged Umi who lies in hospital, Damini, despite all the pressure coming from her in-laws and her own husband, says the entire truth, and that's how this is taken to court. The story narrates the nightmare Damini goes through only because she is decisively stuck by her stand.

Amazingly scripted and aptly executed, Damini shocks you with its unpredictable proceedings and its disturbing and brutally honest portrayal of rape, injustice and social ignorance, without overdoing any scene in this regard. Its main goal, however, is not to portray the society as bad or unfair, but to show the power of one, and in this case, the power of one simple yet strong woman who has nothing but her truth, and who is ready to face the entire world if necessary to go with this very truth. The film is aided by pleasant music, brilliant dialogues, good editing, effective cinematography, but what makes it stand out is of course Rajkumar Santoshi's fantastic direction. Santoshi pulls this project off and delivers a product that is laden with intensity, suspense and entertainment value. He pays attention to details and extracts first-rate performances from his actors and from Meenakshi Sheshadri in particular.

Meenakshi Sheshadri, in a role of a lifetime, acts like never before. An actress who was limited to insignificant roles of the wife and the love interest in mindless action films, she is simply outstanding as Damini. She is compelling, intense and very convincing throughout the film. I also liked the "nervous breakdown" dance number she did, like the one of Sridevi in Lamhe. This is an exceptional performance. The only other actor who stands out in a big way is Sunny Deol, whose character of the good lawyer comes as a great relief. This is one of his greatest performances. Other cast members include Rishi Kapoor, who makes no impact as 'the husband', Kulbhushan Kharbanda who is good as Rishi Kapoor's father, and Amrish Puri who is as brilliant as always as the corrupted lawyer. Damini is an incredibly interesting, disturbing and ultimately inspiring piece which should not be missed by anyone.

Damini can be summarized as the hallmark of 4 people - Meenakshi Sheshadri, Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri and of course, Rajkumar Santoshi. All of them are at their exhilarating best in this movie. Not many movies have given such ample scope to an actress in India. Meenakshi Sheshadri does a fabulous job in this.

Rajkumar Santoshi has done realistic and hard-hitting movies, this tops them all. If you thought Ghayal was wonderful, this is terrific. He continued the same trend with Ghatak. They Sunny Deol-Rajkumar Santoshi is the Indian version of Martin Scorsese-Robert DeNiro.

Amrish Puri is another deserving mention. No actor can portray a villainous role better than Puri saab. He excels here as the scheming and "partially-deaf" lawyer, Inderjeet Chaddha who has a habit of swaying his hair.

All the supporting cast were wonderful. I have always hated Rishi Kapoor as an actor (mainly because of those white pants, white shoes and dhol songs) apart from Bobby. But this is one movie in which he brings the depth and range of a Kapoor. Kulbhushan Kharbanda has always been a fantastic, but underrated actor. In fact, he has been underutilized even in this movie. Tinnu Anand is an excellent supporting act. Not to forget, the Hari Kaka has also done a good job (the final frozen shot of the movie).

I have kept this section for last deliberately - Sunny Paaji's National Award winning performance. Everyone knows Sunny Paaji's best performances have been in Rajkumar Santoshi's movies, but this performance can be talked only in superlative terms. As the drunk, disinterested yet smart lawyer, he delivers the performance of his life. Even if you are not a Sunny Deol fan, you will certainly become one after watching this. If you started watching Sunny Deol movies with movies like "Indian", "Jaal", etc, you have got a wrong start. Start with Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak.

A must watch movie, if you watch movies very closely for their depth and reality. My rating: 8/10.