O Patriota

I have seen a lot of Indian films--particularly the films of Bollywood's biggest stat, Amitabh Bachchan. However, despite me enjoying his films, I am no blind fan--and I really, really disliked "Desh Premee".

The film has a LOT of plot shoved into the film--perhaps too much. When the film begins, Dinanth (Bachchan) is a freedom fighter battling the British for Indian independence. Oddly, only seconds later, India is independent! Now, inexplicably, this well-respected man is ruined by local mobsters--and his wife and daughter are taken from him. He is left with his young son--and no place to live. So, they pack up and move. They settle into a town where mobsters also rule. Oddly, however, as time passes, Dinath's young son, Raju (ALSO played by Bachchan!!) turns out to be a bit of a bandit himself--and extorts money out of the local mobsters! He's a real jerk--and he later meets up with a young lady who, inexplicably, gets married to him...of sorts. To see what I mean, see the film...or not!

The film has too many divergent plots and should have been trimmed a bit. Additionally, although Indians might have accepted Bachchan in dual roles, the idea of someone playing BOTH father and IDENTICAL son is just too stupid for me. I especially loved when Raju dressed up EXACTLY like his father and yet the mobsters didn't think he was the dad or vice-versa!! Additionally, I just thought Raju was too much of a jerk to care about him or his story. Overall, a pretty dumb film--and a rare misfire for Bachchan.

Manmohan Desai, who in his earlier movies "Amar Akbar Anthony" and "Naseeb" introduced formula of "Hindu-Muslim-Christian unity", has gone beyond the formula. Here he has the formula for "east-west-north-south unity of India". Of course, he has his usual spice.

Dinanath (Amitabh) is a freedom fighter - married to Bharati (Sharmila Taigore). During the freedom struggle, though freedom is won but, he looses Bharati - who leaves as she is affected by leprosy. He is given shelter in Bharat Nagar - as four underworld dons of Bharat Nagar (representing east - great bengali actor Uttam Kumar - who died during filiming the movie and the rest of his role was played by hair dresser to Amitabh Bachchan), west (Parikshit Sahani), north (Shammi Kapoor) and south (Prem Nath)). However, his son (again played by Amitabh) right from childhood realizes that the dons are using his father's stay in Bharat Nagar to cover up their wrong doings. So he starts "hafta-wasooli" and grows up just opposite of his father. He is mistakenly married to Hema Malini while trying to run away from police hides behind "sehra" in a mass marriage ceremony organized by his "Father".

How the son and the Bharat Nagar is reformed that is rest of the story.

Lot of massala is there and that include Amitabh Bachchan mimicking his idol "Mehmood"!

Overall load of fun!