Namak Halaal

Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachan make a great duo in films such as Suhaag and Hum do aur panch, and they return in what is their last appearance together, and they are both funny and fantastic in what is a solid comedy-action entertainer with a strong plot and a great production.

The story: Arjun, a youngster, works at a hotel owned by Raja and serves him faithfully. However, when he learns about a plot to kill Raja, he decides to save him from harm at any cost.

The songs are great, especially Jane E jaaneman, which Parveen Babi sings with style. It's a classic scene. The performances are great all around. Smita Patel shows that she can both do serious and masala films effortlessly.

Namak Halaal review :

"E lo kar lo baat Babuji, Aisi Angrezi ave hain ke I can leave Angrez behind.

You see sir, I can talk English, I can walk English, I can laugh English Because English is a very phunny language".

This iconic dialogue evoked laughter galore in theatres and transformed the film's hero in to a one man show. Earlier in the '60s and '70s, Bollywood needed a Mehmood or a Rajendra Nath for the comedy track which would run parallel to the main plot. Not anymore!! Superstar Amitabh Bachchan changed the trend and how!! Now the hero would not just sing songs and bash up the villains but he would tickle the audience to lol as well.

Namak Halaal, directed by Prakash Mehra, is Bachchan show all the way. As Arjun Singh, he becomes a one man show stealer - almost a standup entertainer to his audience. Its not that others dont matter here. There is Shashi Kapoor as Big B's employer cum dost and the beautiful Smita Patil as his colleague cum love interest. And yup, who can forget the charming Parveen Babi singing "Raat baaki baat baaki" to an enchanted audience.

Namak Halaal is an out and out masala entertainer blending action, emotion, comedy and drama to perfection which Prakash Mehra was known for in his hey days. His films provided wholesome entertainment for all ages and appealed to class as well as mass audience.

The typical lost and found formula was peppered with awesome music score by Bappi Lahiri. Coming to the much heralded eleven and half minutes 'Pag ghungroo bandh' song, Kishore Kumar is at his best here and Amitabh is equally brilliant performing it on screen. In another chartbuster, Amitabh and Smita Patil literally scorched the screen in the rain number 'Aaj rapat jayen'. The song is so sensous but never vulgar.

Namak Halaal remains my personal favourite Bachchan film. It not only proved his versatility as an actor but re-affirmed his superstar status at the box office. Having seen it multiple times on TV, I watched it recently in a Sunday afternoon re-run at New Excelsior, Mumbai and trust me, the film cheered me just like before. Something lasts forever!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

(Reviewed on the basis of watching on T.V. 31 years after release)

Plot: A rich man and his loyal servant are murdered by his step-brother, for his property. The wife runs away with the master's son, leaving her own son Arjun with his grand father. Years later Arjun gets employed in a hotel owned by the master's son Raja babu. But the old enemies are still lurking around and are after Raja babu's life. Will Arjun be able to protect Raja babu and recognise the true identity of his mother?

Review: Prakash Mehra and Amitabh Bachchan made one of the most formidable pairs in Bollywood history by notching up seven consecutive hits from 1973 to 1984. Almost all of them were intense emotional dramas making it impossible for the audiences to hold back their tears after the climax. But there was one exception, Namak Halal (1982).

Hindi films back then followed a predictable storyline. Most of them were potboilers with generous doses of tragedy, comedy, romance, music and action. But the underlying tone throughout the film, especially at the climax was always extremely serious. Some of the sequences appeared silly and foolish but yet the characters always approached them with utmost seriousness. There were some comedies; but they followed a simple non-violent approach. But Namak Halal was the first film which introduced the concept of light-hearted action dramas. The hero loves to make a fool of himself throughout and with the same buffoonery he compels the baddies into submission. Reminds of some of the recent Bollywood blockbusters, doesn't it? That's where lies the greatness of this film for what's common today was rare back then. It shows how ahead of time Namak Halal was.

It's tough to believe a director like Prakash Mehra came up with a concept like this. His Zanjeer (1973) was one of the most serious films of the 70s; while Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978) and Laawaris (1981) were enormous tear-jerkers, although they had their share of comedy as well. Even Sharaabi, which came later (1984), also followed the same format. Unlike those films, where the underlying tone was serious; here the whole treatment is light, comic and fun. The numerous fun sequences outweigh the serious ones with most of the dialogues being hilarious. Even the climax is funny, which is the most striking aspect of the film.

Complementing the mood is the bright picture quality, glitzy sets and dazzling costumes making it the most glamorous film of Prakash Mehra ever. Some of the outdoor locations can clearly be identified as fake artificial ones. But just like in Muqaddar Ka Sikander where Mehra used them to build a melancholic ambiance; here he blends them perfectly with the cheerful mood of the film.

Big B reprises his roles from Kaalia and Yaarana (both 1981) of the simple straightforward fellow who occasionally becomes a laughing stock but with time develops enough wit to stump the baddies. Bachchan is in top form and pulls off all the shades of his character with consummate ease. There was always the danger of going overboard, but he hardly puts a foot wrong. In one scene he even spoofs his own famous crocodile- wrestling sequence from Shaan (1980). While there the whole sequence was visually shown, thus giving goose-bumps; here he narrates the whole fight in a humorous tone comparing an assailant with the reptile! It's impossible to imagine anyone else salvaging the film by pulling off a character like this.

It's always great to watch Shashi Kapoor with Big B; but unfortunately here also he sportingly plays a second lead just like most of their films together. Although the role doesn't do full justice to his heroism; he still successfully portrays the fun-loving loner who suffers from the pain of knowing that his adopted mother is after his life! What makes the film more special is the fact that this is the last film where both of them are still at their peak. This is one of the few mainstream films featuring Smita Patil and she impresses thoroughly with her simple dignified portrayal. Parveen Boby doesn't have much to do except for dancing in dazzling costumes and looking drop-dead stunning which she does with aplomb. Special mention must be made of Om Prakash, in a 'double' role. He is deliciously good as the fun-loving old fellow in complete contrast to Big B's 'daddu'. Waheeda Rehman's quite good as well. It seems Mehra liked Satyen Kappu in negative roles as he repeats him in this uncharacteristic avatar again after Laawaris.

Considering the kind of music that garnished the Prakash Mehra films since Zanjeer, it seems unjustified to Kalyanji-Anandji for having been cold-shouldered this time around. But after having heard the five masterpieces rendered by our Bappida, there can be no complaints. This has to be one of Bappida's best albums in both Hindi and Bengali. In the 'Paga Ghungroo' song his creativity is overflowing as the song is garnished with a plethora of melodies which could easily have been set to a variety of different songs. The music undoubtedly is a major strength of the film. In spite of having a more compact script than some of the earlier films, there still are some flaws. How could 'daddu', with his modest means, afford to live in a five-star hotel? How could Arjun's mother not recognize her son despite knowing his name, surname and even his birthday?! But these facts never strike us during the running period; but only upon introspection.

Overall, Namak Halal has all the essential ingredients for providing wholesome entertainment; but what sets it apart and earns it a bonus point is its quirky treatment. It's also one of the last great films coming out of the golden era. And lastly, it's certainly a better watch than most recent Bolly-blockbusters.

Box-Office Verdict: Namak Halal was declared a 'Super Hit' and all the songs became exceedingly popular.

Namak Halaal is an action comedy film, directed by Prakash Mehra. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Late Shashi Kapoor, Late Smita Patil, Late Parveen Babi, Waheeda Rehman, Late Om Prakash, Ranjeet and Late Satyen Kappu.

Arjun, a youngster, works at a hotel owned by Raja and serves him faithfully. However, when he learns about a plot to kill Raja, he decides to save him from harm at any cost.

This film is a perfect example of a masala film. The film has action, emotion, comedy, great music and a pinch of romance and is blended beautifully which is superbly backed by great acting by all the star cast. The film also gives a feeling of lost and found plot although this film can't be termed as a typical lost and found film.

The acting is superb and everyone were outstanding in their respective roles with a special mention for Amitabh Bachchan who carried the entire film on his shoulders and is beautifully backed by the stellar star cast. Shashi Kapoor impresses in the role of rich hotel owner, Smita Patil looked very pretty and was great in acting too, Parvin Bobby also impresses in her limited screen space. Satyen Kappu who played negative role was stunningly good and deserves a little more screen space along with Om Prakash. Ranjeet and Waheeda Rehman were also good.

Screenplay of the film is funny and hilarious and will keep you glued to the screen. The film is so funny that it will not even give you a chance to blink your eyes. The climax of the film gives a perfect closure to the film.

Music of the film is mind blowing and every song was a craze upon it's release and are still craze with "Pag Ghungroo Baandh", "Aaj Rapat Jayen" and "Jawaani Jaan-E-Man" my personal favorite.

A must watch family wholesome masala entertainer which will surely be enjoyed with all the masses of the society.

I've liked most of the comedies by the Shashi Kapoor- Amitabh Bachchan duo than the more serious films they did e.g. 'Deewar'. Another title that comes to mind right now is 'Do Aur Do Paanch'. 'Suhaag' too works as a semi-comedy.

'Namak Halaal' provides numerous laughter and entertainment. There is the loyal servant (Bachchan) who's protecting his employer, a hotel owner (Kapoor) because of the promise he made to his mother (Rehman) and he also falls in love with a fellow employee (Patil). There is a grandfather (Prakash) who wants his grandson to make it on his own. There's a siren (Babi) who's been hired to assassinate the hotel owner. Then there's the evil manager (Ranjeet) who wants to frame the mother and kill the owner in order to takeover the hotel.

Mehra puts it all together and gives us a thriller/ comedy. This gives Amitabh another chance to show his comedic abilities. The actor does reasonably well at most parts but he does tend to go over the top. Shashi Kapoor is quite adequate. Smita Patil is luminous and Parveen Babi is ravishing. Waheeda Rehman does well with her part as does Om Prakash.

The songs are a strong point. Though the first song is better to watch than listen to, the rest are both pleasant for the ears and filmed nicely. Parveen looks particularly stunning in 'Raat Baki' while Smita is sexy in the white sari rain song.

'Namak Halaal' is one film that can be enjoyed with the family. It does have its share of flaws as some of the comedy fails to be funny (mostly due to Amitabh's over the top acting).