Duniya

Duniya (transl. The World) is a revenge action film directed by Ramesh Talwar. The film stars an ensemble cast including Late Ashok Kumar, Late Dilip Kumar, Late Rishi Kapoor, Amrita Singh, Prem Chopra, Late Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Late Pran with Saira Bano, Late Pradeep Kumar, Late Satyen Kappu and Late Om Puri in cameos.

A man who is framed and jailed for the murder of his employer as well as friend seeks out to take revenge and to bring real culprits to justice who were not only the real killers but also responsible for the death of his wife.

The film which was probably the one of the first film written by Javed Akhtar independently after his split with Salim Khan is nothing less but a typical 70s revenge drama film with lost and found theme and offered nothing fresh to the viewers. The film which has an impressive and stellar star cast which raises the expectations but fails to deliver and falls below expectations.

The plot of the film is a predictable 70s revenge drama and so as the execution. The film which heavily depends on its star cast but somewhat fails to entertains and despite of a it's stellar star cast the film turns out to a predictable and mediocre revenge drama film.

The screenplay of the film is average and has few predictable twists and turns which doesn't excites much. Despite of the music from great R. D. Burman the music of the film is not worth remembering and most of the songs the viewers will forget as soon as the film ends.

Acting is the strongest and the only savior of the film with Dilip Kumar and Pran (in his rare negative character post Upkar) carries the film on their shoulders and were the most impressive of them all. Ashok Kumar was also great but deserved more screen space. Prem Chopra and Amrish Puri were decent so as Rishi Kapoor. Amrita Singh was a disappointment as the character played by her doesn't suits her personality and it felt that she overacted in some of the scenes to look simple or innocently cute. The chemistry between Rishi Kapoor and Amrita Singh was also pale. Wasn't able to understand the worth of character of Om Puri. Saira Bano, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Satyen Kappu and Pradeep Kumar were good in their respective cameos.

Climax of the film is also predictable.

Overall despite of a stellar star cast and a legendary writer and one of the greatest musicians the film disappoints on almost all the fronts and ends in a disappointment.

Dramas blended with crimes, smuggling, revenge, lost children, and reuniting have been an instant recipe of most of the Hindi Movies from '60s. By the time this film came, the story has been seen so many times that there remains nothing new to be explored. The story is familiar, the villains are well known, the characters are buyest, music and songs if not mediocre are still not very memorable. A sequence if I'm not mistaken is taken straight from the Oscar Winning "The Sting" in which Rishi Kapoor steals cash. If something is good in this movie, it's an impressive performance from Thespian Dilip Kumar and a cameo by Saira Banoo. Dilip Kumar made yet an another remarkable performance in "Mashal" in the same year. Today the film if remains watchable is only for the due respect to him. Lastly, with this review, I would like to pay a homage to Late Sulabha Despande, who appears in a brief role in the film. Sadly I got the news of her demise while I was watching the movie. She should be remembered for her modest roles in social dramas like Pet Pyar Aur Paap, Bahu Ki Awaaz, Kamla, and many more.

Rating: 1 star out of 4

Dilip Kumar is a wronged man who sets out to seek revenge in this film against his three nemesis. The film slowly plays out over a span of more than two hours (common for most Hindi films at that time) with measure of melodrama thrown in.

What elevates it is the star cast. Be it the negative trio played by Pran, Prem Chopra and Amrish Puri or the good guys Ashok Kumar and Dilip Kumar, they deliver a standout performance.

Music was never a strong suit of films from this era and it's weakness shows in this regard. The song sequences are more of a nuisance than adding any real value to this film.

The great Dilip Kumar used to act in a number of movies in the 1980s and these movies had him as the central character. This character overshadowed all other characters and stood tall, larger than life. The audience used to lap it up with applause and cheers. Duniya released in 1984 is one such movie, which has Dilip Kumar taking on Pran, Prem Chopra and Amrish Puri for spoiling his life. He is ably supported by Saira Banu and Rishi Kapoor. The movie has excellent music by R D Burman and is a must watch. The movie might not have done as well as it should have but is a must watch. One must see the movie to realize what a great actor Dilip kumar is.

Duniya is a movie that I have watched several times, and I always think that it is a very underrated movie and that it should be better known by the general public. That's because Duniya has a great script, good soundtrack, an era of the brilliant R. D. Burman and good actors in general. Of course, I have my reservations, such as the film taking advantage of The Count of Monte Cristo and some other films without the slightest guise, in addition to some bad scenarios and special effects thanks to the evident low budget. The rough effects, on the other hand, bring comedy and take some scenes of this film to slapstick, something that was certainly not intentional, but which in my view unexpectedly complemented the film a lot.

Another point that stands out is the symbology of some well-crafted scenes, which is also attributed to the script, such as the final scene that I think sums up the film well, in the sense of a bit of comedy in JK's part in the container. And a nice dramatic ending .

Finally, Duniya is a good film, I don't think this is an absolute truth, because I fully believe in a Nietzsche phrase: "There are no truths, only interpretations", but my opinion is this.