Khal Nayak

Subhash Ghai is an overrated director, his films barring KARZ and some more were nothing out of the world and had the same themes But some were entertaining enough

KHALNAYAK is one of them

The film has a very old fashioned story and the plot too moves in a predictable manner The way Sanju's character is handled deserves kudos In fact it takes center stage throughout

The entire run away from the jail and scenes with Madhuri and his change of heart towards her is well handled The entire transformation is well handled

The film does get clichéd at many places and tries to be a potboiler of it's times plus something else and hence the mishmash kinda feeling

Many scenes are too formulaic and the scenes towards the end aren't captivating and too filmy there are many flaws too in the film The scenes between Sanju and Jackie are wonderful

Subhash Ghai handles the film well though there are some flaws Music is good enough, CHOLI KE PEECHE and all are good Cinematography is good, editing is okay, though the film is too lengthy

Sanjay Dutt enjoys himself in the role he has done many times but he adds novelty to it, the way he acts though will be called too over the top by others but he handles the role very well His transformation is well handled and he actually overshadows every other actor Jackie Shroff is as usual Madhuri is excellent in her role which is at times not well written Pramod Moutho is okay Rakhee is her irritating self Anupam Kher overacts but does add some funny moments

Like many of Bollywood movies from the pre-millienia era, themes of cause and effect are heavy factors in the reality of life in crime driven cities in the world. In this case the anti- hero (Ballu) played by Sanjay Dutt, intensely well. Many scenes seems to parable the realities of his life at that current time and perhaps the inner demons he faced.

In the world of crime, there are puppets and then there are puppeteers, poverty and "purposeful terrorism" in the name of business. Madurai Dixit plays her beautiful self, graceful and fiesty as always. Watch it to understand the cause and effect of crime in poverty driven societies and how we create the villains for our heroes. Perhaps it is the simplest definition of human archetype; conflict.

Khalnayak is the movie that made Sunjay Dutt into the star he is today. His career is judged as the movies he made before Khalnayak and thereafter.

The film is a pop cultural phenomenon in India. All of the songs are still sung today by the children of Bombay. The role of the villian essayed by Dutt is one of the most memorable characters in Indian cinematic history. This is hard to beleive since Dutt is such a wooden actor.

The film was quite controversial due to one of its songs and the fact a hero was going to play a evil villian. But Ghai (a mediocre director) pulled off an amazing film with a worthy lesson for the vagrants of India.

This movie was one of the decades biggest hits, and will go down in Indian cinema as one of the best action thrillers of all time.

The success of "Khal Nayak" was accredited for the arrest of Sanjay Dutt and the controversial song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai." Besides, its success depicts the 90s taste of formulaic gimmicks and item numbers for which the film became one of the blockbusters of the decade.

The film shows the signature style of Subash Ghai in capturing the long shots and use of vivid colors on the screen, familiar from "Hero," "Karma" or "Saudagar." However, the specialty of the film is limited to technical expertise of Subash Ghai in filming the locations. In terms of narration and character development, it' a let down. The film plays somewhat like a stage play with the characters lacking a veracity, including a very superficial role of Madhuri Dixit, which is far surpassed by the roles of Jackie Shroff and Sanjay Dutt who bring freshness to the screen. The story is very superficial and the narration incoherent which leaves all the impact of the film as soon as it ends.

Rating: 1 star out of 4.

I still havent made it all the way through this film yet - 3 hours of standard Bollywood storyline. I keep having to rewind the dvd to the song Choli Ke Peeche - the song + the dancing is excellent, everyone should see at least that scene and appreciate how well choreographed Indian films can be!