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'Vijay' pretty much echoes Yash Chopra's own 'Trishul', with a higher budget but poorer execution (mostly because of the typical 80s campy style). A selfish idiotic Lakhaire (the lakh version of a millionaire) Lala Yodhraj Bhalla (Anupam Kher) lives in a typical Yashraj studio's lavish mansion and owns a business where both his chatterbox son Shashiraj (Raj Babbar) and fat daughter Suman (Hema Malini) work under his employment. Against her father's wish, Suman marries a poor clerk, Ajit (Rajesh Khanna), and temporarily moves out of the expensive Yashraj studio in order to live with her husband. Things don't get any better when Lala's son, Shashiraj, proposes to poor Christian hottie named Rita (a stunningly beautiful Moushumi Chatterjee). Lala sends him off on a business trip and tries to buy Rita into walking out of their lives. Unfortunately, Shashiraj proves to be a terrible pilot when he fatally crashes his plane (that his ancestors must have borrowed from the Wright brothers) and dies. Using his daughter's sympathy, Lala manipulates Suman by guilt-tripping her into leaving her husband and moving back with the grandchild. Oh, I forgot, Suman and Ajit had a baby amidst all this. A quarter of a century pass by and Suman's son Vicky is about to become a shareholder of the family business while Vicky is busy screwing an airhead (Sonam). Meanwhile, Gujral (Lala's ex-employee, now rival, played by Saeed Jaffrey), is planning to build a hotel with the help of his son Arjun (Anil Kapoor) but Lala has his eyes on that property. Vicky befriends Arjun who has fallen in love with a hot babe (Meenakshi Sheshadri) but this one has some brain and class unlike Vicky's air-headed girlfriend. Things get more complicated (yes, it really does) as Lala gets desperate for Gujral's property.

Confused? Ah, don't worry, it ain't as confusing as it looks but the story is badly developed, obviously. While some sequences were terribly rushed, others dragged on and a few could have better been left out. Considering that this is an 80's masala film one can expect below-average execution. Now this is a pre-2000 Yash Chopra film so one can expect songs visualized in Switzerland (even if the entire movie is set in Switzerland). Not surprisingly, several songs appear randomly. Now the songs themselves are forgettable (a few are unbearable) but Meenakshi Sheshadri 's dance and beauty makes one or two watchable.

Of course there are many unintentionally funny sequences like an overweight Hema Malini dressed as a teenager or Sonam prancing on the beach in a cheap two-piece bikini and a bad 80s hairstyle. This was meant to be sensual but it had me laughing out loud. More so when the fat Rishi Kapoor was lying on top of her. One will find more such jokes.

Anupam Kher caricatures Sanjeev Kumar's role from 'Trishul'. He is laughably bad. Hema Malini's performance is flat while Rajesh Khanna is wooden. Raj Babbar is over the top but Moushumi Chatterjee shines in a brief role. Rishi Kapoor is unconvincing. Sonam is terrible and her wardrobe is among the worst ever in cinema. Meenakshi Sheshadri is vivacious. The best performances were by Saeed Jaffrey and Anil Kapoor. Even though Kapoor tends to go a bit over the top Saeed Jaffrey steals the show with a balanced portrayal of a once loyal employee struggling to pursue his dream.

Overall, this isn't the best campy masala entertainment of the 80s but with access to the fast forward button, it won't be boring and has its appealing moments in the form of eye candy (Moushumi Chatterjee and Meenakshi Sheshadri) and comedy.

80s tried to devour box-office through face values of the stars, and Yash Chopra was no exception to it with his attempt on multi-starrers including Faasle (wasn't that bad), Vijay and Parampara, which all bombed at the box-office. Until the story is good or logical, the stars aren't able to save a movie, that's what all these flops showed us.

Vijay has an ensemble of top stars, but it still doesn't work. The first reason is the implausibility of the story, which feels illogical at several instances. The second reason is the casting with Anupam Kher miscast as an aged business tycoon, who looks much younger on screen to Rishi Kapoor cast as his grandson or to Rajesh Khanna cast as his son-in-law. (though he won the Filmfare award for the role, how???). The film should have left its impact had the role given to Dilip Kumar or Sunil Dutt (who both appeared in Yash Chopra's earlier films). The third reason is obviously the clichés over Yash Chopra's fabulous direction, which don't work either, may that be the cheaper villains, the songs, or the romantic interludes which all are a misfit in the film. The result is the film fails to grip despite few taut scenes in between and remains one of the forgettable films of Yash Chopra. But that doesn't matter, as he bounced back with "Chandni," "Lamhe,' and "Darr," which returned his essence on the screen.

Rating: 1 star out of 4.

The film seems to be a remake of TRISHUL (1988) and was later copied into an even worser PARAMPARA (1991)

The film seems to have the same business tenders, a family member so selfish and cruel, the mother of the lead hero dying and the lead hero avenging his mother's death

Most of the film is like TRISHUL so no point wasting time talking. I found so many flaws but still I enjoyed the film

Anil Kapoor is the best with his hard hitting dialogs Rajesh Khanna was OK Anuphem Kher was good Rishi Kapoor was OK Hema Malini played Kher's daughter which was a surprise as she is older than him Sonam tried to impress in her red bikini Meenakshi Shedarshi is elite class Saaed Jaffrey shows potential as a lowly employee with dreams of a hotel

Vijay review :

Yash Chopra remade his own blockbuster Trishul (1978) with Rishi as Shashi Kapoor and Anil Kapoor as Amitabh Bachchan. Anupam Kher played Sanjeev Kumars role. Rajesh Khanna was totally wasted. So was Hema Malini in a grey shaded role which didnt suit her at all. Newbie Sonam was presented in two piece bikini and gave some bold kissing scenes with Rishi Kapoor.

Overall, Vijay belongs to Yashraj's downward phase in mid 80s. It flopped at the box office but Yash Chopra bounced back with super hit Chandni in 1989 and then didnt look back. Released at the Metro cinema, Mumbai.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni

Yash Chopra who became famous because Rajesh Khanna the SuperStar acted in his two movies-Itefaq and Daag subsequently switched loyalties and made movies with Amitabh and others directed this movie which could not do well as the focus of the movie was wrong and he chose a wrong actor for the central character and did not develop the characters well. The story of the movie is more meant for a TV serial or soap opera rather than a movie. The characters in the movie could have been made more stronger by deleting some songs. Rajesh Khanna puts in the best performance among other characters. The movie lacks the Yash Chopra touch. The music is just average.