Baazigar

Definitely one of the best of Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan was always "one of my favourite" but this flick kicked the "one of the" far away. I'm not really a fan of Kajol but her work in the film is pretty good. And yes Shilpa Shetty looks ravishing in the movie. So apart from the awesome cast, the direction of the movie takes it to the next level. Then obviously comes the concept. It is based on one of the most interesting and fascinating concepts of Revenge or more appropriately... Vengeance. It is about a man seeking to avenge his destroyed family by dragging the guilty to a similar fate. Now as we know Revenge is sweet, this movie offers a lot more than what you bargain for. It is a complete Bollywood masala movie consisting of everything, from action to romance and some quite decent music. A definitely must watch for any Shahrukh or thriller fans.

'Baazigar' is probably the first commercial Hindi film that centres around the anti-hero. It 'loosely' rips off 'A Kiss Before Dying'. It's not a scene by scene copy and the director duo did smartly Indianize it (unfortunately a lot of it is too Bollywood e.g. the 'dishum dishum' fight sequences). To an extent, as a film, it is better than 'A Kiss Before Dying' as the twists are changed to appeal to the Indian audience. The songs are pleasant but some of the tunes are ripped off too. The whole comedy track featuring Johnny Lever and co deserve to be fast-forwarded. What mainly makes 'Baazigar' more watchable than it's 'original' source is its performances. The film belongs to Shahrukh Khan who does his first anti-hero act and blows the audience away with a strong balanced performance of a multi-layered character. Kajol is lovably hyper in the beginning but she shows her character's gradual maturity with grace. Shilpa Shetty gives a stunning debut act. Rakhee plays the typical distressed mother again. Johnny Lever is irritating as always. The rest of the cast do not impress much either. Technically the film could have used a lot of improvement but one should keep in mind that this is a film of the early 1990s. The end sequence is a disappointment and it sadly brings the film down by a notch but on the whole, 'Baazigar' is enjoyable to watch. In spite of the plentiful plot holes, there are some fine moments like the scenes where Ajay manipulates Seema, Priya discovering the truth about her sister, Priya confronting Ajay...Even though one knows what happens in the end, there's something about the film that makes you sit through it.

I grew up watching many a Shah Rukh Khan film and after watching this I am an even greater fan of his acting. This films proves how versatile of an actor he is. I won't reveal much of the plot but if you've seen A Kiss Before Dying starring Matt Dillon you'll somewhat get the picture.

At one moment, you experience the fun, lovable, and illuminating essence that SRK is known for. At another moment, you see SRK as an evil, obsessive, and enraged force to be reckoned with.

If you want to experience a film which has both styles of SRK then watch this. It's not a perfect Bollywood film. There are a few flaws with the special effects and it gets gory towards the end but you will enjoy yourself and you will be asking yourself, "How does SRK pull this off?"

Baazigar is a wonderful suspense thriller made by Abbas Mastan, but the real reason it is well-known today is quite clear, and it's called Shahrukh Khan. Disregarding its unoriginality, the film is extremely entertaining and interesting, more towards the second half. In the first half, the point is a bit unclear and the film does not flow well, but the film takes a major plot twist after an hour or so when we get to see a rather shocking scene, which is completely unexpected and is the film's most drastic turn. Following this scene, it starts getting increasingly thrilling with inflaming and unusual proceedings and great suspense. I appreciated the film for its good script and for its loyalty to the general Hindi film style despite a very distinct and innovative formula, but I would still delete several comic scenes which are unnecessary and at times even pathetic.

The film quite clearly belongs to Shahrukh Khan who skillfully displays something very disturbing within his personality. It is a very balanced performance, and Khan successfully portrays the many sides of his character, whether it's the simple guy whose pain motivates him to take revenge, the romantic hero, or the psychopathic murderer. Kajol is splendid in a performance that is both natural and intense. She comes across as a very brave and smart girl. Shilpa Shetty gives a brilliant debut performance (and she is hot!). Raakhee is typecast as the suffering mother who loses her mental sanity, and she does it well. Johnny Lever is at times hilarious and at times unbearable, Dalip Tahil does not impress much, and Siddharth is adequate but he too is a bit annoying in some scenes.

Anu Malik's soundtrack is very good: "Baazigar O Baazigar" is lovely, "Kitaben Bahut Si" is wonderful, "Ae Mere Humsafar" is melodious and "Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen" is too cool. Overall, Baazigar is an extremely enjoyable flick. While the first half is a bit boring, involving all the possible Bollywood masala, including action, romance and silly jokes, the second half enjoys a fantastic development of story, involving the most unconventional moves a Hindi film could have at that time. Towards the end the film gets to be even more intriguing. A very sad flashback is followed by an unpredictable ending which is heart-breaking yet satisfying. The final verdict is therefore highly positive. I recommend.

Baazigar review :

A huge gamble for then rising star Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) who dared to play the titular anti-hero role rejected by his peers Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar; Baazigar became an instant box office hit and catapulted SRK in to the top league.

Anu Malik's melodious score and Abbas -Mustan's slick direction deserve due credit but Baazigar was all about SRK and the fantastic way in which he portrayed the dual characters - one a scheming lover who bumps off Shilpa Shetty in an iconic scene and second, her sister Kajol's supposedly sympathetic boyfriend. The twist in the tale comes from a missing contact lens which makes for an exhilarating scene where SRK frantically searches for it in the wash basin to avoid being caught!!!

Another fave scene of mine is where he sits on the CEO chair with legs on the table after being newly appointed to lead the business conglomerate of his enemy Dalip Tahil and SRK's expressions in it are just fantastic!!

Despite playing the anti-hero, the audience sympathy goes with SRK once we get to know his tragic backstory with Rakhee playing his maa much before Karan Arjun (1995).

Baazigar not just established SRK but also started his much loved pairing with Kajol - they spell magic together in the 'Baazigar o baazigar' and 'Yeh kaali kaali aankhen' song which became chartbusters.

Released in Diwali 1993 at Dreamland Cinema, Mumbai, the film became a silver jubilee hit and paved the way for Yash Chopra's Darr (1993) another hit with SRK as the villain. Both, Baazigar and Darr, are one of SRK's finest performances and a befitting reward for taking such a huge risk at the beginning of his career. Real life Baazigar, indeed!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni