Raja Jani

Raja Jani (1972) : Brief Review -

Mysterious Anastasia (1956) brought into Bollywood with a proper commercial Hindi masala flick. Mohan Sehgal adopts the mysterious tale of Anna, who impersonated herself as Anastasia, to Bollywood with a quintessential Hindi masala flick. Ingrid Bergman delivered a mind-blowing performance, which reminded me of Wendy Hiller in Pygmalion (1938). Hema Malini plays that role here, but since she is an Indian girl and a princess, she adds a different cuteness to the character. In the beginning, she is extra cute with that abusive language because Hindi audiences don't expect a leading lady to speak such language. When Dharmendra tells her, "Iss ghar me gaali mat do," she instantly replies, "Yeh saala gaali kon deta hai," not realizing that "saala' is sort of a gaali. Also, the way she says saala "Khuskat." Johnny Walker also gets a very nice role to play. At first, you wonder why he hates Hema's character so much, but later, when he reveals the past of his boss, you realize that he was right to hate any coming to his boss' life. That entire portion before Hema goes to the palace as a princess is so cute, so romantic, and so lovable. It was a perfect example of a pure entertaining romantic comedy. The songs are good, but nothing great or evergreen. The film sets itself in a completely different mode in the second half from what was there in Anastasia. Durga Khote's character is totally different here from the original, and the real identity of the princess remains unsolved in the original, whereas Raja Jani has a typical Indian "lost and found" formula. Dharmendra is charming, Prem Chopra and Premnath make good villains, and Durga Khote was fairly decent as Rani Maa. Overall, this is actually an entertaining adaptation of Anastasia, and it also has a lot of new things to offer in the second hour.

RATING - 6.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Raja Jaani", a 1972 Bollywood film is directed by Mohan Segal, the movie features Dharmendra and Hema Malini in the lead roles. It is a romantic drama with elements of action and suspense, and it showcases the chemistry between the popular on-screen pair of Dharmendra and Hema Malini.

The story revolves around Raja (Dharmendra), a small-time crook who falls in love with Rani (Hema Malini), an innocent and kind-hearted girl. Rani is unaware of Raja's criminal activities, and their love story takes a twist when Raja's past catches up with him. The film explores the challenges and obstacles they face as they strive to protect their love against the backdrop of their conflicting backgrounds.

One of the highlights of "Raja Jaani" is the sizzling chemistry between Dharmendra and Hema Malini, who were known for their fantastic on-screen pairing. Their performances bring depth and charm to the characters, making the audience emotionally invested in their love story. The film also boasts memorable songs like "Parvar Digare Aalam" and "Kis Kis Ki Kismat" that are still cherished by fans.

The direction by Mohan Segal is competent, and he manages to keep the narrative engaging throughout the film. The screenplay strikes a balance between romance, drama, and action, keeping the viewers entertained. The movie also benefits from the talented supporting cast, including Pran and Premnath, who deliver strong performances in their respective roles.

However, it is important to note that "Raja Jaani" was made in the 1970s, and the storytelling style and filmmaking techniques may feel dated to modern audiences. Some aspects of the plot may appear formulaic or predictable, considering the era in which it was made. Nevertheless, it remains a beloved film for fans of classic Bollywood cinema, primarily due to the performances of the lead actors and the timeless melodies.

Overall, "Raja Jaani" is a delightful romantic drama with a touch of action. It offers an enjoyable viewing experience, especially for fans of Dharmendra and Hema Malini. If you appreciate vintage Bollywood films and enjoy classic love stories, "Raja Jaani" is definitely worth watching.

Raja jani is a perfect movie for the conservatives families because this movie shows us every aspects of lives of millions of movie lovers

"Raja Jani" should have been called Rani Jani or something. It is quite an enjoyable flick of 1970's Hindi cinema: very colourful, very entertaining, basically the perfect one for nostalgic fans of the genre and the time. This film starts with Raja (Dharmendra) who tries to find a girl who would be a perfect impostor to take the place of the missing princess Ratna. During an assassination of her parents she disappeared, and during the last ten years her grandmother, queen Rajmata has been looking for her. Raja finds a street dancer named Shanno, and finally, after extensive training, she enters the house as the long awaited princess. What he does not know is something that may spoil his intentions to get the money through her, and it is revealed later (you may guess what it could be). Well, the story is narrated nicely - nothing exceptional but still interesting enough. Dharmendra is very good as Raja, but the film belongs to Hema Malini, who is also the film's main and perhaps only attraction. She is such a beautiful lady, such a talented actress, and such an awesome comedienne that whether the film is particularly good or not does not matter. Raja Jani has been with me since childhood, and I still like it and attribute this to Hema Malini.