Baazigar

Baazigar review :

A huge gamble for then rising star Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) who dared to play the titular anti-hero role rejected by his peers Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar; Baazigar became an instant box office hit and catapulted SRK in to the top league.

Anu Malik's melodious score and Abbas -Mustan's slick direction deserve due credit but Baazigar was all about SRK and the fantastic way in which he portrayed the dual characters - one a scheming lover who bumps off Shilpa Shetty in an iconic scene and second, her sister Kajol's supposedly sympathetic boyfriend. The twist in the tale comes from a missing contact lens which makes for an exhilarating scene where SRK frantically searches for it in the wash basin to avoid being caught!!!

Another fave scene of mine is where he sits on the CEO chair with legs on the table after being newly appointed to lead the business conglomerate of his enemy Dalip Tahil and SRK's expressions in it are just fantastic!!

Despite playing the anti-hero, the audience sympathy goes with SRK once we get to know his tragic backstory with Rakhee playing his maa much before Karan Arjun (1995).

Baazigar not just established SRK but also started his much loved pairing with Kajol - they spell magic together in the 'Baazigar o baazigar' and 'Yeh kaali kaali aankhen' song which became chartbusters.

Released in Diwali 1993 at Dreamland Cinema, Mumbai, the film became a silver jubilee hit and paved the way for Yash Chopra's Darr (1993) another hit with SRK as the villain. Both, Baazigar and Darr, are one of SRK's finest performances and a befitting reward for taking such a huge risk at the beginning of his career. Real life Baazigar, indeed!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni

Baazigar is a wonderful suspense thriller made by Abbas Mastan, but the real reason it is well-known today is quite clear, and it's called Shahrukh Khan. Disregarding its unoriginality, the film is extremely entertaining and interesting, more towards the second half. In the first half, the point is a bit unclear and the film does not flow well, but the film takes a major plot twist after an hour or so when we get to see a rather shocking scene, which is completely unexpected and is the film's most drastic turn. Following this scene, it starts getting increasingly thrilling with inflaming and unusual proceedings and great suspense. I appreciated the film for its good script and for its loyalty to the general Hindi film style despite a very distinct and innovative formula, but I would still delete several comic scenes which are unnecessary and at times even pathetic.

The film quite clearly belongs to Shahrukh Khan who skillfully displays something very disturbing within his personality. It is a very balanced performance, and Khan successfully portrays the many sides of his character, whether it's the simple guy whose pain motivates him to take revenge, the romantic hero, or the psychopathic murderer. Kajol is splendid in a performance that is both natural and intense. She comes across as a very brave and smart girl. Shilpa Shetty gives a brilliant debut performance (and she is hot!). Raakhee is typecast as the suffering mother who loses her mental sanity, and she does it well. Johnny Lever is at times hilarious and at times unbearable, Dalip Tahil does not impress much, and Siddharth is adequate but he too is a bit annoying in some scenes.

Anu Malik's soundtrack is very good: "Baazigar O Baazigar" is lovely, "Kitaben Bahut Si" is wonderful, "Ae Mere Humsafar" is melodious and "Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen" is too cool. Overall, Baazigar is an extremely enjoyable flick. While the first half is a bit boring, involving all the possible Bollywood masala, including action, romance and silly jokes, the second half enjoys a fantastic development of story, involving the most unconventional moves a Hindi film could have at that time. Towards the end the film gets to be even more intriguing. A very sad flashback is followed by an unpredictable ending which is heart-breaking yet satisfying. The final verdict is therefore highly positive. I recommend.

What can i say about his movie apart from what i mentioned above, can i add awesome. This is the best movie directed by the duo Abbas Mustan who have made great thrillers like Khiladi and Race. I first saw Shah Rukh Khan act in Deewana but didn't care too much. I next saw Shah Rukh Khan in Raju ban gaya gentlemen and once again didn't care too much. I then saw baazigar and boy did this film impress me or what. This is the movie that made Shah Rukh Khan a instant superstar, in my opinion gave a dynamic powerhouse performance. He deserved the Best actor Filmfare award for this as it was a tough nominations list that year. Kajol delivers a great performance as well as Shilpa Shetty. This is borrowed from Hollywood movie Kiss before dying, but let me tell you Baazigar makes Kiss before Dying look like garbage. If you are a Shah Rukh Khan fan and you have not seen his best film,the go watch it now.

Films like Mother India, Sholay and Lagaan may be the greatest Bollywood movies of all time and I agree that they are but Baazigar is also included in my list. It was the first Shah Rukh Khan film I've seen and that is how I liked him and I still do although he played a villain in the film. Baazigar is the most intelligent revenge thriller I have ever seen even comparing to any Hollywood movie because it is directed by Abbas-Mustan and no one makes better thrillers than them. They are simply one of my most favourite directors and I have always liked their films they are completely unforgettable like Daraar, Ajnabee, Humraaz, Aitraaz, 36 China Town and Naqaab.

The story is beyond fantastic about Ajay (Shah Rukh Khan) who steals the hearts of Seema (Shilpa Shetty) and Priya (Kajol) the daughters of his greatest enemy Madan Chopra (Dilip Tahil). Years ago Madan Chopra snatched away Ajay's family business and property. Now Ajay is grown up and has come back to avenge the death of his father and baby sister. But Ajay didn't plan on falling in love with one of chopra's daughters. Will he forsake all for his love? Or will he forsake his love for the sake of his family? This blockbuster hit will definitely keep you riveted to your seat. It is simply SRH's and Abbas-Mustan's best film ever. Shilpa Shetty was introduced but also SRK and Kajol have appeared for the first time together and they are a landmark couple of Bollywood. The movie also has excellent comedy mainly by Johnny Lever that is still funny. I have seen it more times than any other film and is about 15 years old and I still love it. Music is also good and the best songs are Baazigar oh Baazigar & Yeh Kali Kali Aankhen.

I grew up watching many a Shah Rukh Khan film and after watching this I am an even greater fan of his acting. This films proves how versatile of an actor he is. I won't reveal much of the plot but if you've seen A Kiss Before Dying starring Matt Dillon you'll somewhat get the picture.

At one moment, you experience the fun, lovable, and illuminating essence that SRK is known for. At another moment, you see SRK as an evil, obsessive, and enraged force to be reckoned with.

If you want to experience a film which has both styles of SRK then watch this. It's not a perfect Bollywood film. There are a few flaws with the special effects and it gets gory towards the end but you will enjoy yourself and you will be asking yourself, "How does SRK pull this off?"