1942: A Love Story

"1942 A Love story" is a portray of a beautiful love story with the backdrop of the Indian struggle for freedom.The plot is still the same of a love story but unlike other Bollywood movies the villains are not the parents but the political turmoil of 1942.

Vidhu Vinod who was just three movie old when he made this movie teams up with the genius Sanjay Leela Bhansali ( screenplay) to deliver a movie which is definitely the best of 93.With an impressive star cast of Anil Kapoor, Prem , Jackie Shroff,Danny, Ashish Vidyarthi and Anupam Kher this one could have never gone wrong.

The story runs on two parallel lines one is the love story between Rajjo(Manisha Koirala) and Narender(Anil Kapoor). The other story is about the assassination of general Douglas.

THe music of the movie is absolutely amazing R.D.Burman delivers yet another masterpiece which was unfortunately his last. Manisha Koirala fits so well in the role of an innocent and beautiful young girl.THe introductory scene of Manisha Koirala is absolutely amazing."Ek Ladki KO " and Kuch Na Kaho are one of the best pasteurized songs. Kuch Na Kaho gets you into the moment so well.THe on screen kiss if definitely one of the best on the Indian screen.

Javed Akhtar wrote the songs that are just a brilliant example of superb poetry.THe songs are a part of the story and since they are so good you don't get irritated when they pop up unlike other Hindi movies.

The story takes a sharp turn just before the interval after the death of Anupam Kher when Manisha Koirala is rescued by Jackie Shroff and the conditions forces Anil Kapoor to jump into the struggle of Indian independence.

performance wise Jackie steals the show delivering the role of a young and self driven freedom fighter he is able to portray the emotions and feelings to picture perfect.BUt that does not undermines the performances of other actors.

I give this movie a 9 out of 10 a must watch for people who believe that Indian cinema is not dead yet and there are great film- makers who will deliver the best when ever they could

This is a good Indian film. The movie still holds up well even today, in 2025. There is a convincing and credible rendition of pre-independence India, with the clothing, architecture, and overall vibe. There's good acting by the leads and supporting cast. There's suspense, action, and romance. The songs in this movie are elite-tier. "Pyar Hua Chupke Se" is beautiful: the scene where Manisha encounters the group of men carrying torches is majestic. Some filming locations look so scenic too

A couple issues though: the film's first half is basically a romance; the second half focuses on patriotic freedom-fighting action. Therefore, Manisha Koirala is front and center in the first half, but she fades into the background and becomes forgettable in the second half. Likewise, Jackie Shroff is front and center in the second half, but he is barely there in the first half. The overall effect is that the film feels a little disjointed. Looking at what Jackie Shroff does at the end, I kinda feel that his character, not Anil Kapoor's, should have been the star

Typical to a lot of Bollywood movies of this era- the film overdoes it with sentimentality. The romance scenes between Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala are syrupy to the point where many viewers may get sick. Anil Kapoor's character gets annoying a few times with his excessively love-stricken lines.

Lastly - Jackie Shroff and Danny Denzongpa kinda looked alike to the point where I mistook them for one another at first.

8.0/10.

Just like the title suggests, the film has two sides, 1942, a historic period and a love story. 1942, represents the time period when the Indians revolutionized against the British rulers for the freedom of the country, popularly know as "Quit India" movement. Many patriots sacrificed their lives during the freedom fight of the '40s. Under this backdrop, a beautiful love story has been weaved under a fabulous music of music maestro RD Burman. It was his last movie for which he won the coveted Filmfare awards for the best music director.

The film remains commendable for three strong reasons. The first is obviously RD Burman's memorable music, which was unfortunately his last masterpiece. The songs like "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To" or "Kuch Na Kaho.." remains the modern day classics. The songs get blended well with the beauty perpetuated through the superb cinematography. The lights and colors of the sets and the costumes all have a right touch for depicting the period. And the third nice aspect of the film remains the performances. Vidhu Vinod Chopra recasts Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff from his "Parinda" and they look good enough in their roles. Manisha Koirala adds beauty to the film and looks innocent. In the small roles, Raghuvir Yadav, Anupam Kher, Pran, Danny, Sushma Seth all play their roles perfect. Although the film saw some criticism and wasn't a very big success in the box office, the film is an iconic love story from '90s which has been made with an optimum care for which the film appears technically flawless.

Rating: 3 stars out of 4

Blending musical poetry with epic spectacle, "1942: A Love Story" stands as a definitive work of Indian filmmaking. As the film follows a pair of lovers through the Indian uprising against imperialist Britain, traditional Indian song is used to juxtapose the harsh realities of an oppressed people. Though the film is grand in size, the fact that a small core of characters inhabits the plot makes for an easily understood picture, even while reading subtitles as I did.

"1942" celebrates the people of India and their struggle for independence. When compared to traditional American films dealing with political revolt, this film wins over in heart. When compared to traditional American musicals of the 1950s and 60s, "1942" displays a deeper social conscience and a more solid grasp on narrative storytelling. Above all, "1942" provides entertainment with a rich cultural tapestry.

This movie reminds me that what indians were suffering yesterday, is paid Innocent Kashmiris, i hope one day Bollywood would make a neutral movie on Maqbooza Kashmir