Soldier

This is easily one of Bobby Deol's best performances,if not his best performance. This was actually Preity Zinta's first film, though Dil Se was released before this so that was her debut. She has given one of her best performances in this film too. The film is very cleverly made. After a lot of the key moments, there is a song. You can't even fast forward it because you want to be told what happens next and not tell yourself. The climax is brilliant, and you don't expect what happens in the end to happen. The music is great, though the best track has to be, you guessed it, 'Soldier Soldier...'. Another good thing is that you don't know what each character is up to, so some of the events are surprising. The screenplay is great and it has been edited very well. What more can I say? Watch it yourself.

Verdict: Unmissable. The films these days very straightforward in comparison; they should make more like this. I give it 9/10

Abbas-Mustan's first combination with Bobby Deol proved a good result as the movie did quiet well in the box-office in 1998 as a musical thriller. Moreover this was the only movie which competed enough with another romantic blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (released one month earlier to Soldier) both in box-office and in musical score. This technically advanced movie changed the views and appetite of watching action movies in the Bollywood industry in many ways. The director duo know very well to use the hidden talent of Bobby Deol for action movies. Before this, his last hit was Gupt-The Hidden Truth that was released almost a year earlier. Soldier is basically a story about a boy taking revenge against the culprits who killed his father when he was small. He prepared himself well and step by step he fulfilled his desire to revenge the murderer of his father. The location and sceneries of Australia and New Zealand in the movie are highly aesthetic and worth watching. Lastly, Soldier showed that India also can produce such highly technically advanced movies with its own systems and processes.

The plot may seem dated. But the buildup was great, as expected from an Abbas-Mastan action film.

Just the previous year, the elder Deol sibling had delivered a patriotic mega-blockbuster in the form of a war epic named BORDER(1997). The younger Deol struck his own form of patriotism in the form of a suspense thriller which left audiences pondering till the last half hour where his allegiances lay. Well, they lay with India, and what better way than clearing the name of your ill fated Army officer father accused of treason.

Just one complaint, they shouldn't have dubbed Preity Zinta's voice.

I was 4 years old. Didn't understand that time. But then watched it later and understood the masterpiece. Really awesome story. Bobby rocked. And music!!!! 10/10

Quality wise, Soldier is hitherto the best product of Abbas Mustan in my opinion because it contains everything that we want to see in a good suspense movie and it never defies logic like certain of their later ventures. Plus they have maintained the Indian faith in the moral values in this movie which presents an altogether different picture of the Indian (military) services adored by the us for protecting our frontiers.

The story of Soldier starts with the corrupt practice of selling the military weapons to the underworld by certain people in the army and the honest soldier - Captain Vijay Malhotra (Pankaj Dheer) gets killed by the corrupt ones - Prataap Singh (Suresh Oberai), Virender Sinha (Daleep Taahil), Baldev Sinha (Sarat Saxena) etc. The leader of the baddies is a mysterious person - DK (whose identity becomes known in the end only). Virender's wife - Shaanti (Farida Jalaal) gets too much aggrieved by her husband's evil deed and she leaves him. Virender migrates to Australia with the bad money earned leaving Shaanti behind who now takes care of the widow of Vijay Malhotra - Geeta (Raakhee Gulzaar) who has lost her mental balance following her husband's killing and tainting of his name for arms smuggling thereafter.

Years pass. And now a mysterious person Vicky (Bobby Deol) comes into picture. He goes after the baddies one-by-one and in between comes across Prataap Singh's daughter - Preeti (Preity Zinta) also. Love blossoms between them on one hand whereas some mysterious and deceptive incidents start taking place with the villains who are rich businessmen now on the other. Vicky is tricky and he makes Virender and his younger brother - Baldev believe that he is Virender's son. But the subsequent events tell that it couldn't be. Then who's Vicky ? And who is DK, the ringleader of the baddies ? Everything gets clarified in the climax only.

The USP of Soldier is its gripping script and taut direction which does not allow the audience to pause and think anywhere during the movie. The fast paced narrative keeps the spectators glued to the screen until the complete mystery gets unravelled. Starting on the routine idealistic note of a tussle between a good man and some bad men, the movie soon picks up speed as the narrative leaps ahead by many years and the real thrill begins. Then there is no looking back either for the filmmakers or for the viewer. Despite the relief moments provided through comedy (by Johnny Lever) and romance (through lovely Preity and melodious songs), the narrative moves fast towards the ultimate destination with several jerks kept in store by the director duo for the spectator. The twists and turns surprise him and amuse him as well.

Personally I admire Abbas Mustan for picking up this plot itself in the first place. In our country, the philosophies of 'Holier than thou' and 'Pot calling the kettle black' prevail like anything. Every agency or institution is just too much interested in blaming the other one but none is genuinely interested in introspection. Let others improve, why should we ? And that's the biggest problem of corruption-ridden India. Military services are respected a lot and the brave soldiers who put their own lives at stake to protect the nation from any external threat are no less than God for the commonfolks of India. But ! There is no dearth of corruption in the armed forces. Not only the corrupt politicians get kickbacks in major arms-related deals but this canker has hit the military people themselves also. Abbas Mustan has done the rightest thing by making it as the beginning point of this suspense-thriller. Through the idealistic character of Shaanti, they have highlighted that the true patriots keep the nation and the ideals of life above even the closest of relationships.

Besides, the movie is very high on the entertainment scale. In addition to the spellbinding suspense; through the track of Johnny Lever and the characters of Baldev and his son (Jeetu Verma), the directors have presented healthy and clean comedy (unlike the vulgar comedy of Anil Kapoor and his female assistants in 'RACES'). There are laughs aplenty for the audience in this movie. The romantic track of Bobby and Preity has been given ample footage and this young pair amuses as well as tickles the romantic spots in the young hearts through its interactions.

Like all Abbas Mustan movies, Soldier also maintains a high production value and quite in line with their habit, the directors have picturized certain quality scenes of the movie on a cruise and also under the sea. Technically the movie is superb and all the action and thrill sequences have been well executed. Editing is sharp and though the movie spans for more than two hours and forty minutes, this length is nowhere felt because of the non-stop entertainment coming from the screen.

Anu Malik has prepared admirable songs with the help of Sameer's lyrics. The best song is Tera Rang Balle Balle which alongwith the title track (Soldier Soldier) was a chartbuster. Other songs viz. Mere Dil Jigar Se Guzri Hai, Mere Khwaabon Mein Jo Aaye, Mehfil Mein Baar Baar Unn Pe Nazar Gayi, Hum To Dil Chaahen Tumhaara etc. are also ear-soothing ones.

This male-oriented movie belongs to Bobby Deol and it's a showcase of his talent. He has utilized this opportunity optimally to demonstrate his all-round capabilities including his comic timing. Preity Zinta, true to her name, looks very pretty and she has performed well also. The complete supporting cast including the veterans like Raakhee Gulzaar and Farida Jalaal have done complete justice to the assigned roles.

I wholeheartedly recommend this admirable suspense-thriller to the movie buffs of all categories.