Insaf Ka Tarazu

B.R. Chopra's Insaaf Ka Tarazu is a gripping, thrilling and brutally honest story of rape and injustice. Chopra's direction is great, and the script is very well written and disturbingly real in its depiction of the subject matter, an issue which has always been a taboo in a conservative society like that of India but which is also inevitably relevant. Zeenat Aman plays Bharti, a young hot model who lives with her young sister, a schoolgirl named Neeta, in Bombay. Bharti gets raped by one of her die-hard fans, namely Mahesh. Bharti seeks justice in court but fails to prove his guilt given the lack of evidences, and he is exonerated. A frustrated and deeply hurt Bharti loses her job, separates from her fiancée Ashok and finds a new job as a typist in Pune. Two years pass by, Bharti's sister is now a more grown girl who goes for a job interview as a secretary, where the manager is none other than Mahesh. And history repeats itself.

Insaaf Ka Tarazu is poignantly unsettling and the courtroom scenes are effective. Chopra portrays the rape scenes in an incredibly realistic way, all the more so for those times. If the first scene shocks you with its authentic brutality, the second one will leave you wordlessly disturbed. It is sad to know how helpless a woman can be and even more sad that no one can come to her rescue. The proceeding dialogues do appear a bit melodramatic at times, but for a change this melodrama is so justified in this case that nothing really seems overdone in this film, and they eventually manage to make sense and impact. The film is not bitter, and though the law seems to be portrayed as somewhat stereotypically dumb and at places, unfortunately we all know that in many ways it is, especially with such crimes as rape. Aside from the direction and the writing, the film is aided by good editing and cinematography, and some very nice songs.

If there is one aspect that makes the film as convincing as it actually is, it is the acting. Needless to say, it is Zeenat Aman's film all the way, and her performance in this film is definitely one of her career's best. She is very graceful, compelling and moving, acting naturally and looking absolutely gorgeous and awfully attractive (appropriately so). A very young Padmini Kolhapure is terrific as her naive sister who is forced to instantly grow up after going through the same traumatic experience. Her impulsive acting in the rape scene is powerful and her subsequent scenes are well acted. The relationship between the sisters is well brought out on-screen, and the two ladies must be given credit for this. Raj Babbar as the villain is quite good. Deepak Parashar is great as Ashok, Shreeram Lagoo and Simi Garewal play the conflicting lawyers brilliantly, and Iftekhar is excellent as the restrained judge.

Insaaf Ka Tarazu has a much stronger first half as it is much more freshly chilling and interesting. The courtroom sequences are particularly good, even though not always do they ring true and at times they look a bit typical and theatrical. The second half does look a bit repetitive, but it is still involving. The film's ending is sadly sugarcoated to the max, yet it is satisfying and would certainly be accepted by lovers of Hindi films, as would Zeenat Aman's philosophical monologue in court. Despite being, as mentioned above, honest, Insaaf Ka Tarazu is not the most convincing film dealing with rape, but having said that, as a film it is still different, bold and enjoyable, and it shows the two faces of justice maybe not accurately but efficiently. With good performances and an engaging storyline which conveys a very critical and relevant message, the film manages to work and ultimately leave a mark.

A beautiful model who is engaged with her fiance, attracted by a businessman in a modeling party. Thus he obsesses with her beauty and fall in love with her, when he comes to know she has a love interest with another man, he takes the chance to rape her in her house while she was alone. In this consequences, the model seeks the help of the court. But nothing is proved and the accused becomes released. After some months, the man gets another chance to rape another girl. And he succeed this time as well. But this time he has bad luck after all.

The movie had a potential to be a great one, but illogical sequences made it an average one.

Spoiler ahead....

The court sequences were not logical. So many illogical and unrealistic things happened. The second raping was also illogical. The interview at night. Undressing the girl as the rapist wish. I didn't like the way it was done.

Overall, an average courtroom flick.

But the message for the society is just solid and brave. Recommended 30%.

In a typical Bollywood movie of yesteryears rape was depicted in a trashy and disrespectful way with the heroine yells out "Bachao Bachao (save me, save me).

With the rise in rape in countries like India, directors have started to tackle the subject on a more sensitive manner.

Insaaf Ka Tarazu is probably the first Bollywood movie to tackle the subject of rape in a mature and sensitive way. Who better to direct it than the wonderful B.R. Chopra who has experience with dealing with social issues like his masterpiece, the man VS machine saga Naya Daur.

Insaaf Ka Tarazu is a very enjoyable and well made movie.

Now onto the performances. Zeenat Aman is brilliant, her transformation from beauty queen to a disgraced woman was believable and well acted. Her finale speech was so moving and inspiring to rape victims.

The shining star of the movie however is the woefully underrated actor Raj Babbar as the devious Ramesh Gupta. I never expected such an unforgettable performance from an actor with only a few films behind him. It's sad that post Ghayal he got stuck in supporting or villainous roles.

Even child star Padmini Kholapure showed signs of a seasoned performer and she would go on to have a successful career as a lead heroine. Shreeram Lagoo's performance is also commendable as the conniving lawyer Mr Chandra.

It's reassuring that back in the days when rape was seen as nothing more than an exploitation device in Bollywood, there were some directors who went against the grain and made a movie that is a tribute to womanhood.

Insaf Ka Tarazu review :

The most successful as well as controversial rape revenge drama made in Bollywood; B. R. Chopra's Insaf Ka Tarazu introduced Raj Babbar in a sensational negative role of a rich young man who brutally rapes a model Zeenat Aman and then gets a clean chit from the court. As if that is not enough, he goes on to rape Zeenat's teenage sister (Padmini Kolhapure).

The film starts with superstar Dharmendra (in a cameo) playing an army jawan who kills a rapist. He confesses the killing but pleads guilty as he compares the person to the enemy across the border. Both are a threat to the nation, he argues. The court scenes involving Raj Babbar vs. Zeenat Aman case are the movie's highlight and I loved the way Simi Garewal grills Babbar even as the cunning slimy Shriram Lagoo gets him freed by proving the rape to be consensual sex.

Above all, Insaf Ka Tarazu belonged to the style icon Zeenat Aman and this is her best performance after Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978). Raj Babbar took a calculated risk playing a villain as a newcomer but the gamble paid off as he quickly graduated to lead roles after its success and also became a BR Chopra protegè appearing in most of their later movies. Padmini Kolhapure was completely convincing as Zeenat's younger sister who falls victim to Babbar's lust. Infact, that pre-climactic scene where he asks her to strip naked in front of him, oogles at her body and then goes on to violate her makes for a highly disturbing watch. The ageless Simi Garewal was elegant as ever.

The other positive factors of the film are its hard hitting dialogues (Shabd Kumar) and the crisp editing. Chopra's direction was intense and the audience had never seen such a realistic rape sequence in mainstream Bollywood. It lead to a lot of controversy with some critics panning the film as deliberately titillating. But obviously, they weren't viewing it from the right perspective.

Insaf Ka Tarazu became a huge hit and came up for multiple re-runs throughout the '80s and '90s. I wasn't allowed to watch it as a kid and saw it much later in a re-release at Citylight Cinema, Matunga.

The film gave a big boost to Zeenat's career and she gave another huge hit in Feroz Khan's Qurbani the same year and established herself as a top star. Deservedly!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

DISCLAIMER This movie is based on another Hollywood movie. The names of people and places are changed to hide the identity of the original.

PLOT Having said that this movie is based on a Hollywood movie - Lipstick (1976), I would not go much into the plot of the movie.

Jeenat Aman is a model in love with Deepak Parashar. Raj Babbar is an Industrialist who falls for her, but as he can't win her love he tries the hard way. Padmini Kolhapure, her school going sister, witnesses the rape. Raj Babbar is taken to court, though Simi - Jeenat's lawyer - tries hard, Dr. Shree Ram Lagoo - Lawyer for Raj Babbar manages to save Raj by turning tables onto Jeenat - by questioning her character.

Cut to future, Padmini Kolhapure has finished the studies and she goes for job interview. Finds that the interview is with Raj Babbar, who promptly rapes her too. Jeenat, when she knows about it kills Raj Babbar and is arrested & taken to the court.

DIRECTION AND ACTING

The original is not rated as high as the copy, is by virtue of the good direction. The direction is very good, and Jeenat Aman gives performance of her life. Raj Babbar is excellent, Padmini Kolhapure plays with ease the transformation from a school going girl to a young adult rape victim with ease. Deepak Parashar is not as wooden as his later appearences. Simi and Dr. Laagu are performers to watch.

TRIVIA During the initial numbering, Dharmendra makes cameo appearence as a Army personnel accused of killing a rapist in a court scene.

MUSIC Not worth mentioning, but the rest of movie is so good that the music can be tolerated (or avoided by simply making a trip to toilet). Mahendra Kapoor, BR Chopra's favorite singer has sung the title song (in his unique high-pitched voice).

OVERALL 7.5/10