Falak (The Sky)

Falak" is a quintessential 80s Bollywood drama that successfully combines romance, action, and familial conflict. While the storyline follows a somewhat traditional path, the execution and performances make it stand out. Jackie Shroff and Rakhee Gulzar's performances are particularly noteworthy, bringing depth and sincerity to their characters. The film's exploration of personal and ethical struggles, set against a backdrop of familial bonds, makes it a poignant and engaging watch."Falak" may not reinvent the wheel in terms of its plot, but it excels in delivering a heartfelt and entertaining narrative. For fans of classic Bollywood cinema, it offers a nostalgic trip back to the 80s with its strong performances and evocative music.

Falak review :

Falak, meaning sky, was written by Salim Khan after his split with Javed. Thematically, it was similar to their Deewaar (1975) where two brothers end up on opposite sides of law after their mazdoor father is implicated by a crooked businessman. Only Falak had Mohan Bhandari and Jackie Shroff as lawyer and goon brothers instead of Shashi Kapoor - Amitabh's cop and goon drama.

Rakhee played the suffering maa while the lovely Madhavi was Jackie Dada's love interest whom he loses to honest cop Shekhar Kapur. Paresh Rawal and Anupam Kher were convincing as the main villains. Mohan Bhandari got a meaty role but sadly, couldn't capitalise on it. Jackie's performance was intense but went unnoticed as the film sank without a trace at the box office.

Interestingly, Madhavi played a nurse who falls in love with her patient Jackie Shroff. Two years later, she enacted a similar role in Amitabh Bachchan's cult classic Agneepath (1990).

Expectedly, dialogues by Salim Khan were top class. "Maa tumhare naam se jaani jaati hai, mere nahi" Jackie tells a sloshed Mohan in a superbly executed restaurant scene.

Sashilal Nair's direction was not bad but somehow, the script and execution appeared straight out of the 70s. Falak would've probably worked in that era with Amitabh at the helm. It was a decade too late, thats all!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.