Betaab

"Betaab" was a big box office hit of 80s, which launched a new star in Bollywood, Sunny Deol. Well, story-wise, there is nothing new in this film. Heroine comes from a very affluent family and hero is poor. The rich father of the heroine declines their relationship and starts tormenting the hero. There are villains, a loyal maid, a loyal dog, and a final fight sequence after which the lovers meet and the villains are punished. Perhaps, you have seen the same story for hundreds of times in Hindi movies. But it still works in this film which is still entertaining and refreshing to watch. The stunts, music, good photography, and freshness of the stars still make it entertaining though not very memorable.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4

Hindi film viewer's from late 80s to early 2000s were used to staple of films starring Sunny Deol, were he portrayed numerous roles of angry young man fighting against the establishment/corrupt businesses which were lapped by the masses. Before becoming an action star with films like Arjun, Dacait & Ghayal, Sunny Deol acted in number of romantic films with Betaab being his debut film along with Amrita Singh. The plot of the film is simple and is the one that we see in majority of romantic films of its time. The film's highlight are it's scenery, melodious songs and earnest performance from all its actors (including strong performance fron its debut pair) and the director (Rahul Rawail) with this film had mastered the art of making Romantic films (with Love Story being another trend setter).

On the whole this a must watch for the fans of Sunny Deol and for the one's who would like to see him in a different role then Betaab tops the list.

Betaab (1983) : Brief Review -

A super hit romantic masala by Rahul Rawait works as the perfect launch vehicle for Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh. Quite a day to review Betaab, Sunny Deol's debut film; he was 26 then, and he turns 67 today. A career spanning across 4 decades and still running, and I still feel no other Sunny Deol super hit has been this lighthearted and entertaining. He has had bigger hits and better classics, but most of them were in an intense zone. Betaab, for a change, is a very delightful and colorful film. It's a perfect definition of romantic action masala entertainer from the times when this combination was celebrated in cinemas. Rawail gave a similar start to Kumar Gaurav and Vijayta Pandit with Love Story (1981), and he did it again with Betaab, but this time heroism was much stronger. The music plays a great part in making the narrative even more lovable. You need a perfect theme song that can be played in 3-4 different situations, and Betaab got "Jab Hum Jawan Honge" at work to do the job well. Baadal Yu Garjta Hai adds a seductive touch to this romantic drama, which was anyway trying to be sexy with fancy clothes and getups. Isiliye Maine Tumse Dosti Ki Thi is a perfect breakup song, while Tumne Di Awaj and Teri Tasveer fit perfectly in their situations. Sunny Deol is presented like a modern hero. You know, you see him half open, showing off his body, with shorts on, and that horse training scene when he arrives in Clint Eastwood style wearing the heroine's pink scarf around his neck-such a sexy vision to present the male hero. Amrita, on the other hand, starts off as a spoiled rich girl and then turns into a mature girl, a wannabe woman. Rawail's drama was maybe typical, but the mixture of multiple cliches actually looks fresh. Whoever spread the rumor that Betaab was based on Shakespeare's "The Taming Of The Shrew" needs to be bitten by Buzo. Overall, a superb romantic masala film with high repeat value, fancy frames, and super hit music.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Sunny Deol has established himself as an action hero in Bollywood but he was looking young when Senior Deol launched him with Betaab in 1983.Movie was blockbuster and if it had not; I would have doubted the Bollywood lovers.The fresh music of RD Burman is soul of movie especially "Jab hum jawaan honge" & " Teri Tasveer mil Gayee" stole the show.Although story-line is not new but it was pictured with a freshness.You never get bored and are lost in the story-line.

Thanks a lot to Rahul Rawail and Dharmendra for making such a amazing movie and double thanks for giving my favorite hero to Bollywood with Betaab.

Betaab hit the box office and overnight Sunny Deol became a sought after actor. Although the story by Javed Akhtar is romantically adventurous and studded with action by Rahul but the main credit must go to R.D. Burman for composing great lyrics and unforgettable songs. All of its songs are super hits and beautifully pictured especially, "Jab Hum Jawan Honge" that is filmed in a verdant valley farm house and scenic locations. The humorous content injected by the director as light comedy by Sunny and Amrita boosts the interest of the audience.

It is definitely a memorable love story which introduced and established Dharmendra's elder son as a Bollywood icon.