Baazigar

'Baazigar' is probably the first commercial Hindi film that centres around the anti-hero. It 'loosely' rips off 'A Kiss Before Dying'. It's not a scene by scene copy and the director duo did smartly Indianize it (unfortunately a lot of it is too Bollywood e.g. the 'dishum dishum' fight sequences). To an extent, as a film, it is better than 'A Kiss Before Dying' as the twists are changed to appeal to the Indian audience. The songs are pleasant but some of the tunes are ripped off too. The whole comedy track featuring Johnny Lever and co deserve to be fast-forwarded. What mainly makes 'Baazigar' more watchable than it's 'original' source is its performances. The film belongs to Shahrukh Khan who does his first anti-hero act and blows the audience away with a strong balanced performance of a multi-layered character. Kajol is lovably hyper in the beginning but she shows her character's gradual maturity with grace. Shilpa Shetty gives a stunning debut act. Rakhee plays the typical distressed mother again. Johnny Lever is irritating as always. The rest of the cast do not impress much either. Technically the film could have used a lot of improvement but one should keep in mind that this is a film of the early 1990s. The end sequence is a disappointment and it sadly brings the film down by a notch but on the whole, 'Baazigar' is enjoyable to watch. In spite of the plentiful plot holes, there are some fine moments like the scenes where Ajay manipulates Seema, Priya discovering the truth about her sister, Priya confronting Ajay...Even though one knows what happens in the end, there's something about the film that makes you sit through it.

Films like Mother India, Sholay and Lagaan may be the greatest Bollywood movies of all time and I agree that they are but Baazigar is also included in my list. It was the first Shah Rukh Khan film I've seen and that is how I liked him and I still do although he played a villain in the film. Baazigar is the most intelligent revenge thriller I have ever seen even comparing to any Hollywood movie because it is directed by Abbas-Mustan and no one makes better thrillers than them. They are simply one of my most favourite directors and I have always liked their films they are completely unforgettable like Daraar, Ajnabee, Humraaz, Aitraaz, 36 China Town and Naqaab.

The story is beyond fantastic about Ajay (Shah Rukh Khan) who steals the hearts of Seema (Shilpa Shetty) and Priya (Kajol) the daughters of his greatest enemy Madan Chopra (Dilip Tahil). Years ago Madan Chopra snatched away Ajay's family business and property. Now Ajay is grown up and has come back to avenge the death of his father and baby sister. But Ajay didn't plan on falling in love with one of chopra's daughters. Will he forsake all for his love? Or will he forsake his love for the sake of his family? This blockbuster hit will definitely keep you riveted to your seat. It is simply SRH's and Abbas-Mustan's best film ever. Shilpa Shetty was introduced but also SRK and Kajol have appeared for the first time together and they are a landmark couple of Bollywood. The movie also has excellent comedy mainly by Johnny Lever that is still funny. I have seen it more times than any other film and is about 15 years old and I still love it. Music is also good and the best songs are Baazigar oh Baazigar & Yeh Kali Kali Aankhen.

Baazigar review :

A huge gamble for then rising star Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) who dared to play the titular anti-hero role rejected by his peers Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar; Baazigar became an instant box office hit and catapulted SRK in to the top league.

Anu Malik's melodious score and Abbas -Mustan's slick direction deserve due credit but Baazigar was all about SRK and the fantastic way in which he portrayed the dual characters - one a scheming lover who bumps off Shilpa Shetty in an iconic scene and second, her sister Kajol's supposedly sympathetic boyfriend. The twist in the tale comes from a missing contact lens which makes for an exhilarating scene where SRK frantically searches for it in the wash basin to avoid being caught!!!

Another fave scene of mine is where he sits on the CEO chair with legs on the table after being newly appointed to lead the business conglomerate of his enemy Dalip Tahil and SRK's expressions in it are just fantastic!!

Despite playing the anti-hero, the audience sympathy goes with SRK once we get to know his tragic backstory with Rakhee playing his maa much before Karan Arjun (1995).

Baazigar not just established SRK but also started his much loved pairing with Kajol - they spell magic together in the 'Baazigar o baazigar' and 'Yeh kaali kaali aankhen' song which became chartbusters.

Released in Diwali 1993 at Dreamland Cinema, Mumbai, the film became a silver jubilee hit and paved the way for Yash Chopra's Darr (1993) another hit with SRK as the villain. Both, Baazigar and Darr, are one of SRK's finest performances and a befitting reward for taking such a huge risk at the beginning of his career. Real life Baazigar, indeed!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni

Baazigar is inspired by the Matt Dillon flick A Kiss Before Dying, which itself is a remake of the 1956 near-noir classic of the same name. The film revolves around 2 sisters, Shilpa Shetty and Kajol, and the men that come into their lives. Both men are played by Shahrukh Khan, so you can imagine the complications that will create. The first one's the typical Indian college student: perfect grades, dead father, sick mother......The second one is a race car driver (the cool one). Each has his own reasons for being with the girl and it's these motives and their repercussions that form the crux of the film. Now if you LOVE Bollywood movies, then stay away from this one. There is no happy resolution, or songs in the Swiss Alps, or Designer Clothing for the hero. In fact, the wardrobe and makeup departments seem to be on strike during this movie. But that's really a blessing because the actors' "natural" look complements the film's dark tone. Baazigar is a twisted tale of revenge with much tasteless violence, so you wouldn't want your hero cleaning blood off his GAP shirts every ten minutes (of course we wouldn't have such concerns if Salman had accepted this role). That reminds me, the acting in this movie is ...... well, it varies. The supporting cast doesn't impress: Rakhee's okay, Shetty's pretty weak (as are the two fathers), and the inspector is just sad. ON the other hand, Kajol gives a sincere performance that's a hint of things to come. She breathes life and brings restraint to a character that's usually butchered by over-the-top Indian actresses who substitute crying for acting. She's only 17 or 18 but her confidence and chemistry with the Rukhster are quite evident. But this is Shahrukh's movie. After Salman wisely turned it down, Shahrukh saw this as his big chance and capitalized. From studying for his exams and manipulating Shilpa Shetty, to racking up the body count and bringing down the house with Kaali Kaali Aankhen, the man held nothing back. He was still an actor at this point and played the dual role well. You're always able to tell which character's onscreen. This movie is like Darr - which was released a few months later - in the sense that whether you like it or not has nothing to do with the film itself and everything to do with the lead's performance. The film could have spent more time in the editing room as many portions drag, and some scenes feel flat due to the aforementioned lack of funding. In the end, Baazigar may or may not be good filmaking but it's a must for Shahrukh fans.

Definitely one of the best of Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan was always "one of my favourite" but this flick kicked the "one of the" far away. I'm not really a fan of Kajol but her work in the film is pretty good. And yes Shilpa Shetty looks ravishing in the movie. So apart from the awesome cast, the direction of the movie takes it to the next level. Then obviously comes the concept. It is based on one of the most interesting and fascinating concepts of Revenge or more appropriately... Vengeance. It is about a man seeking to avenge his destroyed family by dragging the guilty to a similar fate. Now as we know Revenge is sweet, this movie offers a lot more than what you bargain for. It is a complete Bollywood masala movie consisting of everything, from action to romance and some quite decent music. A definitely must watch for any Shahrukh or thriller fans.