Jeevan Yudh

This is very weird - Jeevan Yudh has the look and feel of a B-grade film, it is very dated (maybe it is a delayed project anyway), and it was actually directed by the same guy who directed Yugpurush and Agni Sakshi, two very decent films (the former is actually very good). How come this film is so different in story and execution is a mystery, but it is really a poor film - very melodramatic, poorly written and handled.

Mithun Chakraborty is given a typical leading role, his age shows but he does a good job anyway. His leading lady is Jaya Prada who plays a sassy dancer and does very well too, also dancing very well during her songs, particularly "Sarmane Lagi". You also have Atul Agnihotri and Mamta Kulkarni in a redundant romantic sub-plot so as to signal to Mithun and Jaya that they're not young enough for the masses.

In support, Raakhee, Alok Nath, Mohan Joshi do their usual bits, and the villains are as caricaturish as you can imagine. The only one who is cast against type obviously is Shakti Kapoor, who does a wonderful job as Jaya's transvestite friend, a role which is rather stereotypically done but Kapoor infuses it with real compassion and sympathy. His is the most impressive turn in a very very bad film. Is the film completely unwatchable? I'm not actually sure, but it's certainly not watchable enough.