Abhimanyu review :
Basking on the success of Tezaab (1988) and Ram Lakhan (1989), quite a few delayed films of Anil Kapoor hit the theatres in 1989/90 to cash in on his newfound star status. Abhimanyu was one such film which despite a regressive plot and pathetic execution, managed to take a good initial at the box office.
Anil Kapoor played the titular character, a gaon ka chora, whose sister (Poonam Dhillon) is raped by the village Thakurain's (Aruna Irani) good for nothing son (Shakti Kapoor). By the way, Shakti Kapoor calls himself "Pannalal Panni Double horse power" replete with a jig.
Abhimanyu and sis then hatch a plan, pose as a foreign returned richie rich with accent and trick both Panna and his sister (Kimi Katkar) in to marriage. How? Kaise? Dont ask!!
On suhaag raat, they spill the beans to Panna who then starts ill-treating his wifey and proceeds to have an affair with an escort (Anita Raj in a thankless cameo). Abhimanyu finds this out, comes dressed as an Arab and wins over Anita to make Panna J and furious...
The film reeks of toxic masculinity and is regressive enough to offer marriage as solution for rape. Wonder how our current liberal and pseudo secular critics would have taken this....many of them probably would've passed away in their seats. Lol.
Anil Kapoor tried to bring some sense and sensibility in to the proceedings but alas! Kimi Katkar looked hot and sexy in that Khatia charpaai song which reminds us of the infamous Govinda and Karisma number in Raja Babu (1993). The pretty Poonam Dhillon was competent. So was Shakti Kapoor doing what he does best!!
Released at Imperial cinema, Mumbai, Abhimanyu easily ranks amongst the worst of Anil Kapoor (probably next to Jigarwala (1991) another much delayed project).
Regards,
Sumeet Nadkarni.
