Karma

I was really looking forward to this movie. I'd seen the poster in an old French textbook (don't ask why) and it looked quite awesome. I'd never seen an Indian film before, and I figured an Indian action movie from the 1980s could be great. So last month I purchased the Karma DVD online.

Two words: big disappointment.

I don't know if all Indian movies are like this, but the photography was terrible, the acting was cheesy, the songs are incredibly generic (they all sound the same to my western ears), and the action is TERRIBLE. The movie has a few good explosions, and lots of guys get gunned down, but the stunts are third rate (at best!). The director doesn't handle the story or the action with any sort of style or exuberance. The movie has only one redeeming quality, and that's the actor with the black beard. He's a real badass, and he nearly pulls this movie from the brink with his incredible Bronson/Eastwood-esque performance.

If the Indians want to make movies like Hollywood, they need to trim their scripts down and learn how to direct. I still want to see Sholay, but if that's as bad as this movie then I won't be putting any more Indian films at the top of my list.

There have been many remakes of Sholay,Karma,Farishtay, Mela,Chinagate,Army and many more I were so forgettable I can't even remember them at the moment. Out of all of these the remake that stands out is Subhash Ghai's Karma. The reason for that is that it is the only decent remake of Sholay. The plot involves Policeman(Dilip Kumar) whose family is gunned down by Dr Deng(Anupum Kher). Dilip Kumar enlists the help of the three heroes(Naseer Uddin Shah,Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff)to help kill Dr Deng. Whilst Dilip Kumar is no match for the great Sanjeev Kumar he does portray his role very well, it's a shame that the same cannot be said for Anupum Kher who I thought was rather bad. The songs,as per usual in a Ghai production were fantastic, in particular Dil diya hai jaan bhi jenge. Another thing I also liked was the unexpected death to one of the heroes(I won't say which one, find out for yourself). The only real complaint I have of Karma is that it is slightly uneven, throughout most of the movie there is hardly any action then in the last thirty minutes it becomes an absolute bloodbath. Karma was made in 1986 at a time where Subhash Ghai could do no wrong,Meri Jung,Hero,Karz, he even went on to make movies like Ram Lakhan and Saudgar. After that he seems to have lost his touch,Pardes I thought was average,Taal I think is rather overrated, Yaadein was trash,Kisna was a real bore. I have not mentioned his latest Yuvraaj because after Kisna I have completely given up on him ever making a decent movie again and therefore didn't see it but from the comments I have read about it I can only assume it is rather bad. Please Mr Ghai prove me wrong and give me a masterpiece with your next movie and reestablish your status as a genius of Bollywood movies.

I first saw this film when I was 8. I loved it then and I love it even more now. The main aspect of this film you have to realise is that, whilst it may not be up to the usual standards of the sophisticated pallette belonging to your average everyday hollywood filmgoer, Karma was a huge leap in filmmaking within India. Its brilliance lies not within the meagre budget it was made with (meagre compared to Hollywood standards) but with the dedication applied by its cast, crew and of course its most prized asset...the director.

Karma is a film that, admittedly, does not have the sophistication of a Lethal Weapon or Die Hard. You may think im making excuses for a poor film. On the contrary its with these obstacles in mind that Karma has become a GREAT film. The quality of acting talent within the film is awesome, including the great Dilip Kumar and Naseeruddin Shah. The story itself has won several awards and the most important part of the film is the directors style of filmaking which is so unique and stylised that, although this film has been made on a budget and some of the effects may leave a little to be desired, karma is beautiful to watch. The flowing camera movements never let you sit still, the music, though may sound the same, is emotive and used sparingly in the right places to create the perfect effect as a great wine does with your evening meal.

Subhash Ghai is an awesome filmmaker as he never bows to the traditional method of filmmaking. He is an innovator in the art of Indian movie making who tackles the strongest issues and social weakness in India and indeed humanity itself. Be it the recruiment of children into crime and terrorism as displayed so eloquently by the three young protagonists, the strength of family values which can overcome even the hardened minds displayed by Dilip Kumar or just the need for unity in the country and the world against oppression. Karma is an ideological film, based on the idea that all humans are inherently good and that life itself creates the difference between an officer and a criminal. Therefore no matter which god you believe in, what country you are from, in life your actions define who you really are

Discount comments by existenz-6: He merely wanted to see an exact replication of Hollywood cinema, and he's disappointed the *Indian* film had any roots other than his own. If you're used to conventional western cinema, and that's all you want to see, you simply aren't going to like this movie! If you fall into that category, and yet (for some inexplicable reason) you still want to see a bollywood flick you're going to want to check out the more recent ones (something by Ram Gopal Varma, perhaps). They're much more "westernized". That said, Karma is one of the greats of the 80's. It has comedy, action, tragedy, and excellent acting. Dillip Kumar, as usual, plays his role well. A. Kheir steals the show as Dr. Deng, there was something so morbidly dark about the look on his face when Dillip Kumar's character slaps him, he suddenly transforms from a comical amusement into a character to be taken dead seriously. He remains so for the rest of the movie. As cinema in the 80s was, there are a few shoddy moments in transference from humor to tragedy. If you can deal with that roller-coaster, and the fact that bollywood flicks don't pack budgets comparable to Hollywood, you may want to give this movie a peak!

Subhash Ghai always manages to blend cheesy dialogs in what could otherwise be a solid movie.

While I agree with other reviewer who commented on the limited stunts, there is a deep-rooted soul in this movie that is hard to ignore.

The cast contributes well but so many famous actors would normally mean some roles will have that negative what-are-you-doing-here value-add to the overall story line.

To my dear Western friends, I can only add that I hear your complaints when you compare this to a Hollywood action movie. But this is not a traditional action movie. There are strong emotional overtones in all Indian movies, without which the story will invariably lack any punch.

And to the friend who is hesitant in watching Sholay, I can assure you it is one of, if not the, greatest Hindi action movies. You probably may want to talk to an Indian fan of Sholay to set the context for the story, as you may not be able to relate to the characters if you focus only on action.

I would be very happy to tell you how Sholay is a unique movie from so many perspectives. But most important of all, it has some of the greatest performers from India cinema - Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Amjad Khan - what a first performance ! His character strikes fear and I would venture to say his role of brutal, take-no-prisoners mindset is a major departure from traditional Indian villains.

To others who liked this movie, please do check out "Kaala Pathar", "Deewar".

Good luck.