Hatya

I remembered this film from when i was a kid even up until we were adults me and my brothers, cousins still remembered the classic tune and the ya ya ya ya etc.

Even so i wasn't quite sure I actually watched the whole film when I was a kid so recently brought the DVD online, yes its a dated movie but I wasn't disappointed this is quality Indian cinema which still deserves some recognition today. Govinda's a class act although his standards have dropped recently.

I haven't seen all his films but I'm confident this is still one of his best.

Hatya is a remake of the Malayalam thriller Poovinu Puthiya Poonthennal, which spawned several remakes in different languages, including a fantastic Telugu version Pasivadi Pranam starring Chiranjeevi, which is my favourite. Hatya is a scene-by-scene replicate of the other versions, and it is not up to the level of the Telugu film, which really is a rare thriller in how affecting and chilling it is. Hatya adds up several new elements, including some randomly infused moments of high melodrama, some nice but a little redundant songs, and other such ingredients that would meet the standards of a Hindi fare of the times and probably the requirements of a fixed audience as well. This is not to say the original versions lacked all of this, but Hatya takes a good few steps down in this regard as it places emphasis on the emotional side than the actual suspense.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm fond of Govinda - he is one of the most energetic and charismatic actors I can think of. He's young and vibrant here, and does well enough even if honestly I preferred Chiranjeevi's excellent performance. The starlet of yore, Neelam, is as beautiful and gentle as she always was. Like all the other five versions, the film actually recasts two actors from the original - Sujitha, who plays the little precocious deaf-mute boy, who does a good job although clearly the material is too familiar to this child actor, and Babu Antony, who is equally as scary as he was in other versions in the role of the villainous hired killer. Anupam Kher is also here in a pretty common negative role he started doing around that time, and there other familiar faces like Raj Kiran, among others. The music by Bappi Lahiri is quite good, but often redundant.

For Hindi film buffs, this is a nice go since the familiarity of the cast, the language obviously, and the narrative style is easier to digest. Other than that, personally I was much more impressed with the Telugu version (and I don't usually watch many regional Indian films, frankly speaking), which I had the pleasure to come across.

Overacting and melodrama galore. Back in the days when overacting was an accepted norm this movie must have been popular but if you are watching this in the 21st century you'll want to throw up. The kid was good in the role as a mute child. Kirti Kumar, Govinda's director brother known mostly for his overly filmy and melodramatic movies and dialogues really made this movie unbearable to watch. Neelam was used as an eye candy without much to do. A safe movie to skip.

This is surely the best movie of Govinda and of course must watch movie.