Anjaam - Heute Liebe, morgen Rache

I have seen quite a few Indian films (often from the 1990s) where you have a male protagonist who is a spoiled, rich playboy who falls for a woman....and by the end of the film, he's changed and they fall in love. "Anjaam" looks much like one of these but then instead of the protagonist reforming, this guy becomes dangerous....which is MUCH more realistic than him becoming 'nice' by the end of the story.

Vijay (Shah Rukh Khan) is the obnoxious playboy in this film. He sees Shivani (Madhuri Dixit) on a TV commercial for the airline for which she's a hostess and he's smitten with her. He repeatedly follows her and acts boorish but instead of her falling for this, she marries another man. Does that stop Vijay? Nope...because he's emotionally unstable and twisted...and he will either get her or destroy her. I'll say no more...I don't want to spoil the suspense.

So is the film good or not? Well, it's a bit of both. Since it was made in the 1990s, the acting is a bit less subtle in films you'd see today. The music, also, like older films is a bit dated. Also, the cross-dressing trio just seem way out of place in such a serious film...I was never sure why they were there in the first place. Otherwise, it's a very good, suspenseful and creepy film...and SRK lovers might be surprised at how twisted and sick he is in this one. If you thought he was bad in his gangster films like "Don" or "Raees", well he seems a lot worse and dangerous in "Anjaam"! So, if you are looking for a sweet love story...keep looking! Instead, it's a film with strong feminist vibes...showing how godawful not only Vijay can be but the rest of the men in the story as well.

By the way, there are at least two other Indian films called "Anjaam" which came out before this one. It turns out neither have anything to do with this film other than the titles.

Also by the way, can a judge in India really sentence a person to prison without hearing all the evidence or allowing a jury to decide the case? This part of the film really confused me.

Anjaam starts out as a possible, traditional love story between Vijay and Shivani, which, quite unexpectedly turns into a story of unrequited love followed by intense obsession, ego, sadism and revenge. The story develops at quite a fast pace, with one story twist preceding another, killing every possible trace of romance, much to the complete shock of an unprepared, awestruck audience. This is one of the several formula-defying films a young newcomer named Shahrukh Khan appeared in earlier on in his career, risking future career prospects as a leading actor in a film industry which very often resorts to typecasting and marking slots of villains and comedians.

But it wasn't the case this time around, and it only contributed to the image of this young, highly courageous and talented actor, whose efforts in films like Baazigar, Darr, and this time Anjaam, were applauded all over and only enhanced his stature as a credible star-actor. And one can see why. Khan is tremendous in this role. His Vijay is the nice romantic fool on the surface, but underneath lies the soul of a true monster. And the trick is that this time it's not a caricature, it's a real psycho - an eccentric, capricious brat, whose passion and ego drive him to pull out all the stops to have things done his way. The weird mannerisms, the body language, the delivery and the overall creation of this character are done brilliantly by Khan. No matter how real or unreal it could be, it is immensely entertaining and impressive.

The cynosure, the love interest, the victim, the avenger, and ultimately the leading lady of the film is Madhuri Dixit, a beautiful, principled young woman, whose honesty is but the thing that drives the obsessive antagonist nuts. Roles of avenging angels had by then already become almost a standard in Hindi films, with Rekha setting the bar with her unforgettable daredevil act in Khoon Bhari Maang. The character of Shivani is different in story and execution, and it is not as heroic. That said, Dixit is excellent in a performance that easily ranks amongst the best of her career. The transformation from a charming young lass to a woman hardened by what she had to endure is utterly convincing. One wishes she had accepted more roles like this one in better films.

Which brings me to the next point, and it is the film itself. Sadly Anjaam doesn't completely live up to the quality set by the acting. While the film is greatly entertaining, the execution is often faulty. The prison portions, though gripping at times, are for the most part embarrassingly exaggerated. There is a familiar portrayal of the corrupt law and juridical system, against which no man could ever resist if no money was found at their disposal. Anjaam is directed by Rahul Rawail, a famous director. It is his most eclectic work, and is an unusual Hindi film for its time. For the story it tried to tell, it did very well. A strong story development, a stronger second half (which is a good thing), and an ending which is totally overblown and unbelievable. But it's a good watch in spite of the flaws, and the two central performance make up for many of them anyway.

Obviously this film is not even B class; to be honest, I don't think there are enough letters even in Devanagari to explain it's class.

Yet, it is absolutely fantastic. A must-see for a Bollywood fan, an absolute-must-see for a SRK fan.

Personally I just love SRK's roles as villains, those faces he makes... ahhh...

The story in this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end (just as it says at on the back of the DVD;) ) Madhuri is stunningly beautiful even after her, how to call it..., rebirth ;) (exept one tiny scene - the arm-teeth scene i'd call it, not to write a spoiler, which is also rather surprising) There are some fine songs (the one on the airport and the one on the wheel-chair) but the most important quality of this movie is that it's so surprising all the way.

Plus the obsessive love motive is always great to watch.

10/10 for sure (in it's category of course)

This film is perhaps one of the better films to have come out of "Bollywood" in the mid 90s. Bearing in mind that Hum Aapke Hain Koun came out in the same year it showed the versatility of one of India's finest actresses... I am of course talking about Madhuri Dixit! So the plot may be a little far stretched and the sub plots may be a little distracting (referring to the transvestites) but all in all what a powerful film! "Bollywood" is accustomed to certain codes and conventions so lets not forget we are watching a film from a completely different arena (compared to Hollywood).

Now to the songs (a key feature of any "Bollywood" film)... Badi Mushkil Hai, Channe Ke Khet mein, Tu samne jab aata hai and Barson ki baad - all top notch! Maybe its become common knowledge now but Barson ki baad was taken in one single shot! That doesn't happen often now does it?! Madhuri is sensuous, alluring and enchanting in her seduction...nothing is vulgar about this - can't say that about the heroines of today!

I don't think you have to be a fan of either Shah Rukh or Madhuri to appreciate this unique film... However, one does ponder if their performances were the real pull for this film - I can't imagine anyone else in their place!

Final thought: if you are sick of the stuff "Bollywood" is churning out these days - go back to the 90's and make sure you pay Anjaam a visit!

I don't get it! Why is it that when "Bollywood" tries to offer something new, its rejected? Unless the ending is so sweet it gives you diabeties the film is quite often a FLOP! As so is the case with Anjaam.

A film like this goes against the typical Bollywood conventions and teaches us new ones. Maybe?!

I don't want to give a synopsis of this film, but to see Dixit in this is such a treat, even for her detractors!