Gardish

Gardish is a remake of the acclaimed Malayalam film Kireedam by Sibi Malayil, a versatile director who has directed many critically and commercially successful films in Malayalam.

Kireedam (the Crown, in Malayalam) among the Keralite population belongs to the folklore, a film unmatched and always among the top 15 or 20 brilliant films in Malayalam. No discussion on Malayalam films or its star Mohanlal is ever complete without mentioning Kireedom. The movie is also famous for catapulting Mohanlal (who was already a superstar then) to unimagined heights among the malayalees. The movie is also famous for winning the National award - Special mention to its lead actor. The climax scene in Kireedam where Mohanlal depicts a range of emotions of agony and pain which his character is going through, in a single take is unmatched till now, and I have read many discussions on the performance even among non-keralite and international audience, who have seen the movie. You can even google many articles on this performance.

Coming to its Hindi remake, Priyadarshan (another popular and accomplished director in Malayalam films) makes his second Hindi film and he does well by staying true to the script of Kireedam. I think this is the first movie which had the great Amrish Puri in a character role (long before DDLJ), a change from his villainous characters.

Probably Gardish will be remembered as one of the few films (along with Parinda), which had Jackie Shroff showing his acting skills and getting a Filmfare Best Actor nomination. Amrish Puri is excellent as the father, Dimple Kapadia is good and so is the cameo of Aishwariya (daughter of yesteryear actress Lakshmi, who played the lead in Hindi movie Julie). Suresh Oberoi and Mukesh Rishi also play their roles well.

How can the review of Gardish be complete without mentioning its music by the one and only RD Burman. 'Badal jo barsein tho', 'hum na samjhe the baat itni si' 'tum jho mile humko, tum jho mile ho', 'ye mera dil, tho pagal hain' are some of the popular tracks and can they ever be matched?

Overall, Gardish is a must watch.

The fight scenes and cinematography and an excellent screenplay mark this great Priyadarshan directed blockbuster.

Oustanding acting performance by Amrish Puri, Jacki Shroff, Mukesh Rishi, Dimple Kapadia, Asrani and Annu Kapoor.

The plot is this: Purshotam Kashinath Sathe (Amrish Puri) confiscates the van of the son of a Member Of Legislative Assembly (M.L.A).

In revenge the M.L.A transfers him to to the dangerous district of Kala Chowk where a thug known as Billa Jalani terrorizes the populous.

One day it so happens that P.K. Sathe is caught in a fight with Billa. Shiva P. Sathe, P.K Sathe's son (played by Jackie Shroff) intervenes, and strikes Billa's head with first a steel pail and then a metal rod. It seems that Billa has not died of that beating, but apparently recovering at a local hospital and plotting his full and final revenge against Shiva.

Who will prevail at the end, Billa or Shiva?

Gardish is a relief from the usual Bollywood masala movies where the plot is just an excuse for the hero to take on the bad guys and beat them black and blue. This film has a strong plot, good music, slick editing and good cinematography.

The story revolves around Shiva (Jackie Shroff) whose father's (Amrish Puri)dream is to see him become a police officer. However, circumstances compel Shiva to cross paths with a local thug Billa Jilani (Mukesh Rishi). One day while Billa beats up Shiva's father, Shiva decides to take matters into his own hands and beats up Billa severely, sending him to the hospital. While in the hospital, Billa contemplates taking revenge against Shiva and once he gets out of the hospital, he begins to terrorize the whole village and Shiva's family. Will Shiva take a stand against Billa or will he act according to his father's principles, putting his dreams of becoming a police officer to the fore?

The story is very well told and Priyadarshan did a really good job of keeping the viewer involved. I didn't know that Priyadarshan can direct an action film and that too with a good story and acting.

Jackie Shroff unquestionably gives the best performance of his career after Parinda. He proves that he is a director's actor and Priyadarshan succeeds in bringing the best out of him. Amrish Puri is excellent as Jackie's confused father and he proves yet again that he can carry off not just the negative but also the positive roles with aplomb. He has very large, expressive eyes conveying anger, sadness and fear painstakingly. Dimple Kapadia is also good as the prostitute and her last scene is heart wrenching. Raj Babbar succeeds in creating an impression in just a guest appearance.

Overall, Gardish is a good and thoughtful film. If you like meaningful cinemas, then this movie is for you to watch.

One of Priyadarshan's viciously underrated films...and in my opinion, Gardish is one of the most well acted Indian films ever. The story is of an aspiring policeman (Jackie Shroff) who gets caught in a web of hooliganism and the fight of his father (mesmerisingly played by Amrish Puri) to keep his son from becoming corrupt. The story may sound tried and tested but the results on screen are nothing short of amazing. Excellent direction by Priyadrashan, where he more than capably manages to portray the emotions of both father and son. The film never bores or loses the audience's attention because the screenplay is so flowing and relevant. I think Amrish Puri deserved a National Award for his performance and this is one of Jackie Shroff's most praiseworthy performances. The star of the show though, once again, is Amrish Puri (surely the most underrated actor to work in Bollywood). His performance rivals that of Amitabh Bachchan's in some of his classics such as Sholay and Silsila. If you like to be entertained by watching well acted, well directed and stimulating films, then you must watch this!

Priyadarshan's 'Gardish' is a Bold and Disturbing film, that tells the story of a common man gone angry. Priyadarshan, now known to be making Comedies, has actually made one of his finest films in 'Gardish'.

'Gardish' tells the story of how the Evil can turn even the Holy, on the wrong side. A common man is caught in a gruesome atmosphere where he has no chance to survive. It's the story of each and everyone.

Let this writer inform you this very clearly: 'Gardish' is not for the faint-hearted. The overdose of gruesome violence is sure to put the illy-livered disturbed. And even the intense & tension build sequences are sure to appear dark and gritty to many. But for me, the violence and tension shown in the film appeared so justified, so well-written, that the grip just doesn't go away.

Priyadarshan is truly in terrific form here. 'Gardish' easily ranks amongst his finest efforts to date. The Cinematography is excellent. Even the Soundtrack, is impressive.

Performance-Wise: Dimple Kapadia is absolutely amazing in a strong supporting role. Dimple is one of the most talented performers Hindi Cinema has witnessed! Jackie Shroff delivers a performance that can silence even his worst critics. Amrish Puri, like always, is marvelous. Raj Babbar leaves a mark. Farida Jalal is very sincere. Mukesh Rishi, however, delivers his finest performance in here. He plays the twisted villain with such command, that you begin to hate him. Bravo, Indeed! Annu Kapoor does a fair job.

On the whole, 'Gardish' is gruesome, disturbing, but an amazing watch nevertheless. One of the finest films from the 1990's. Strongly Recommended!