It is quite rare when two powerhouse performers, like Sridevi and Smita Patil who have such a different approach to acting, share screen in one film. However, it is a pity that this is wasted in a bad movie. If only there was a good director and writer who had cast them together. There is nothing wrong with the way the two perform. Actually, what 'Nazrana' really has going for it is Smita Patil and Sridevi. Ravi Tandon's direction is quite poor but this may be due to the terrible script he has got to work with.
Sridevi's character has to tan her skin in order to appear dark to protect herself from goons that are raping the young light-skinned women of the neighbourhood. It is understandable that such low-class goons won't even bother noticing a dark skinned woman (considering the cultural history where people are taught that light skin equals beauty and dark skin equals ugly).
But, what is most frustrating is when Rajesh Khanna's character, who is supposed to be this well educated agent, all of a sudden can't keep it in his pants when he discovers that Tulsi is actually light skinned. Watch his reaction in the scene where he watches Tulsi dance in the rain and the tan colour pour down her body revealing the real skin colour. Such retarded mentality is expected of lower class citizens but when an educated, well-cultured and sophisticated member of society acts like a humping dog, based on skin colour, that's going a little too far especially when this is presented as something normal and okay. Despite the poor characterization, Rajesh Khanna is terrible. There's a sequence where Sheetal points a gun towards him and his laughably bad response is proof enough. Oh and the songs are downright forgettable.
The best moments are the scenes between Sridevi, Smita Patil and Priti Sapru. It is a delight to watch Patil and Sridevi interact. Their on screen relationship is that of mistress and servant but not the conventional kind. There is a camaraderie between them that is disrupted when Rajat could no longer keep it in his pants. Both actresses are terrific and Smita proves yet again (against popular belief) that she can pull off a glamorous role. Priti Sapru deserves special mention as she effectively pulls off the role of a calculating and manipulative vamp.
I would recommend this movie only for the performances of the two lead actresses. Not very often does one get to see two such megatalents in the same screen space throughout most of the film and this is one of those movies, albeit a bad one, where the viewer at least has the joy of watching them perform together.
