Joshilaay is a movie with a Western feel, complete with trigger-happy bandits, smokin' pistols and gunfire and a plot that borrows heavily from John Wayne-Clint Eastwood movies. But before you sit to watch it, be prepared for some annoyingly loud background music that'll pierce your ears during the climactic scenes. However, considering that the film was released way back in 1989, most of its melodramatic excesses are somewhat forgivable. After all you just can't ignore a movie like Joshilaay (and many others such as Khote Sikkey, Kala Sona, Chunaoti, Jagir etc). These movies gave Indian audience the typical 'desi' mix of Bollywood and Western flicks. Joshilaay on its part is particularly memorable for its cinematography, scenes shot in the arid landscapes of Ladakh, the composed acting of Anil Kapoor (usually known for his loud acting) and of course the dreaded bandit JOGI THAKUR. The actor who played the role deserves to be placed in the same ranks as the late Amjad Khan or Amrish Puri. It's rather sad that we remember Gabbar Singh, Mogambo and Mola Ram, but if someone asks 'Remember Jogi Thakur?' the curt response would be "Jogi who?" Overall, Joshilaay is an underrated film that deserves recognition from today's viewers. But let me also warn you... the movie prints are in bad condition. Sometimes the screen turns dark during daytime scenes and you might think there's a solar eclipse going on every now and then. No proper restoration was done for the prints and it's evident that the director himself lost interest in restoring the film maybe because it was a massive flop upon release. Whatever, the solar eclipse phenomenon is in some way countered by Sridevi's flashing jewelry. As you watch Sridevi you seriously wonder how a poor Banjaran girl whose father runs a small traveling theater troupe can afford such expensive jewelry. As for the songs in the film, the only memorable one is the title song sung with amazing manliness by the late Kishore Kumar. The other three songs in the film are too loud, absurd and unnecessary.
