Mard

I first watched this movie as a child, and although i did not understand it, (As i am not Indian but Bengali, and this movie has actually been rated as a 15) I still loved it then as i do now.

I understand every word and am moved by many dialogues and scenes.

Amitabh Bachans acting, is again wonderful and spot on. As well as everyone else's. Im not a big fan of Amrita Singh, but i did enjoy her performances in this movie.

I have read other member comments and most have said that a lot of the movie has bloopers. Do these people actually watch the movie or do they sit and note down everything that doesn't fit in? When I'm watching the movie, i don't even pay attention to everything that is wrong, I'm too busy being entertained by the superb acting! Even the animals are entertaining....The way they are loyal to there master....and in return they get respect. This film is a simple lesson to us all...treat everyone and everything with respect.

Trust me, Watch this movie....i doubt if you could tear yourself away...i couldn't and still cant...this is one of my top five movies....and will always be!

"Mard" (1985) Although the late 70s early 80s produced some cinema masterpieces, this was also the decade of what in Spain we called "pelis de mamporros" (lit. "blows films"). There, fistfights, silliness and impossible plots were mixed in equal measure. United States had Chuck Norris, Europe had Bud Spencer and Terence Hill…and Bollywood had Amitab Bachchan. While this silliness was absolutely enjoyable in films like "Don" (also with the Big B as leading man), "Mard" actually provokes embarrassment. Any attempt to describe the plot would defy belief: animals that behave like humans, humans that behave like animals, gladiator fights, flamenco dancing, villains dressed as cowboys with the Union Jack as a cape... Moreover, nobody seems to have decided if the film is set in the 19th century or the present (some characters wear Victorian dresses, some walk around in bikinis and trainers). Special mention deserves the cheeky heroine (Amrita Singh), who is lethal with the whip and does not think twice about asking the protagonist for sex: in a reversal of the traditional love song, it is her who chases the hero, while he tries to reject her advances.

So, laugh out loud, enjoy and be thankful that the Big B prefers to do movies like "Black" these days.

Director Manmohan Desai with star Amitabh Bachchan made history of wonders like (Amar Akbar Anthony - 1977), (Naseeb - 1981), (Coolie - 1983), and (Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswathi - 1988). Here, it's not Desai's most fantastic world inasmuch as his most fantasia.

If you wanna be silly: actually (Mard) gives you an ideal chance. It's one realm of absurd hyperbole, where you'll watch Roman gladiatorial combat, secret service masks, colony with mine and slaves, evil guys with tankers,.. etc. It's (Spartacus) meets (Mission Impassable) meets (Indiana Jones) meets (Rambo)! Nobody dares to define what year all of this was happening: Helena as "Lady Helena" wears heavy 19th century clothes, then Amrita Singh as "Ruby" has a car from the 1950s, and clothes from the mid-1980s??? The most laughable one came from Manik Irani as Ruby's bodyguard "Zybisko" with his black leather punk garb, and for sure Dan Dhanoa as the evil "Danny" who wore Freddy Mercury's costume yet with Dracula's cape! Not to mention a horse that has an elephant's memory, explicitly shoddy back-projections, and an electric shocker as a torture device along with a bikini both in the 19th century??!!

If you wanna be merciful: the character of the popular hero, along with his melodramatic story and conflict, was great according to this kind of let's say: genre. The storylines come from so many folk stories or old legends, but through the Desai's distinct style of making highly satisfying piquant MOVIE, and with a patriotic sense too. Amrita Singh did fair, and kind of reprised her first role 3 years earlier in (Betaab - 1983) which was Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. Amitabh Bachchan was larger than life, particularly at that time, when he was super superstar and deserving it; look at him fells the screen while the movie's title appears, being The Man ("Mard" in English stands for "Man"). The songs were shot highly enthusiastic and vivid. "Mard Tangewala" is a great classic apart. Everything was quite ardent, so you have to feel exhilarating because of this non-stoppable action. In fact, we say the precept of "leave your brain at the door, and enjoy" about so many American movies, aren't we? So why not saying it about this Indian interpretation of fun?!

If you wanna be nostalgic: I watched it while I was 10-year-old, it was shown at the Egyptian theaters for a record time (20 weeks), and what a crush I've had. I ranked it at my early list of the best action movies ever. However, when I re-watched it, while I was 30-year-old, I discovered that it's special case of entertainment; like a comic book movie from India. Look at the last shot; it can summarize perfectly the whole condition of this movie as a fantasy with comedy / action / romance / melodrama / Desai! It's such a huge extravaganza of nearly all the quintessential cinematic factors of enjoyment, as pure piece of escapism however a' la Indian.

If you wanna be rational: You'd think cheese, delirium, or act of decadence. But simply (Mard) represents Bollywood picturization of ecstasy, as the ultimate commercial Indian movie of the 1980s at its highest peck of being dainty, with all the deficiencies of the previous too!

In one word: Enjoy it, it meant to do this exceedingly. And believe me, it will make you forget your worries.. along with your name as well!

Well wat a movie this is... with Block buster written all over it... it has everything u need in a movie u name it it has it... Wonderful loyal animals, superb starcast ,brilliant performance, great comedy, catchy songs, the great Dara Singh Ji, great action sequences, thrill, music, .. great and amazing entertainment at it's best..

I grew up watching this movie. This is one of the First Movies I've ever seen and i loved it. I have seen this 100 times and never get bored of it. This was at the time a Big Budget movie for Bollywood. The movie has loads of light hearted fun moments that keeps you entertained all the way. It also has some serious moments of torture that the British do to the poorer indians. It is definitely the Best Bollywood Period movie I've ever seen. Others include (Bhagat Singh, The Rising etc). The movie has some weaknesses which include the mother getting help from co-incidenses, which is not realistic, but Manmohan Desai directs it in a way that keeps the movie enjoyable. Even if you are not a Amitabh Fan (which is rare if you watch Bollywood) you might enjoy this movie.