Thakshak

By 1995,I had read and heard a lot about the great movies Govind Nihalani had made but I had seen none of them. One afternoon while watching a weekly programme India This Week on DD-Metro I saw the preview of his then forthcoming movie-Drohkaal. Alongwith the preview there was series of behind the camera scenes and interviews about the movie which had wooed audience in film-festivals even before its release. From what I saw I realised that Drohkaal was a hard-hitting movie. At that time I was a fan of Ajay Devgan stunts but his carrier was on a low phase. I just dreamt that if ever Govind made a commercial film with Ajay Devgan as its hero what will be like.4 years later when Thakshak was released I smiled pleasantly on seeing that the dream was realised. However the flopping of the film made me feel that it is not good. Then one of my friends called it a damp-squib as he had a big hang-over of Vaastav-on similar lines and released around the same time. In all this I almost missed watching Thakshak. However when one of my other hostel-mate gave me rave review about it and said that it is a must watch for intense movie buffs we brought the VCD to hostel and I still remember that we watched it and loved it.

The story of Thakshak is brilliant. Although the concept of land-shark was shown in Mahesh Bhatt's Kabzaa-1986 as well but in Thakshak it is shown in a really complex way. The police-crime-politics nexus is also shown brilliantly. The movie shows a complexity in almost every character and it is portrayed in a good way. Like all famous Nihalani movies-Ardh Satya,Aakrosh and Drohkaal,Thakshak has a strong undercurrent of violence.

Ajay Devgan gives a brilliant performance as Ishan. Although the movie did not do wonders for him still he got acclaim for his portrayal of a man caught in a web of crime. It is totally different from his performance in Company-2002. Tabu as Suman is excellent. She gives new dimension to the role and proves that even heroines can make a solid impact in violent male oriented movies. The mature romantic scenes between the couple are very well executed and one cannot believe that this is the same pair which acted in potboilers liek Vjaypath and Haqeeqat. Amrish Puri is alsobrilliant. A regular of Nihalani Puri again proves his mettle as an actor. However the performance which haunts you the most is that of Rahul Bose.

The plot is quite simple. Ajay Devgan is part of the Bombay mafia - he meets Tabu - falls in love - and wants to get out of the underworld and start a decent life. The difference was the direction, screenplay and the music.

Govind Nihalani has made a really slow paced movie - but it is never boring. With a lot of slow motion scenes interweaved with the actual storyline the movie moves at anything but a fast pace. However no bit of the movie is boring, superfluous or unnecessary (apart from a couple of songs at the end - but someones got to please the masses).

All the characters put in a great performance - not the least being Tabu and Ajay. There were some good songs but by the end of the movie they seemed out of place.

All in all Thakshak is a different action movie. Not too much gruesome violence but with a lot more intensity and power in the dialogues and in the acting. I would easily give it a 9/10.

Yes, it's refreshing to see a bollywood film that isn't solely a romance - there are too few original ideas these days. This film is about the Bombay mafia, and in particular the son of a Bombay don who gets crazed with power and loses control and respect for human life. There is the obligatory romantic angle between Ajay Devgan and Tabu, but this is thankfully kept to a minimum. The trouble is the film just doesn't carry. A weak storyline and poor acting from the main villain contribute the the film's failure to get the audience involved in the plot. Although Ajay and Tabu are brilliant at acting, their talents are wasted in this film. The music for the film - by A. R. Rehman -is really good, but the songs are intrusive and do not fit in with the feel of the movie. Overall, it is not surprising this film has flopped.

hey guys, i say, 2 thumbs up for Govind Nilhani, this is one of the finest films i have ever seen about the underworld, and the intricate relations of dons and political leaders. this movie shows the actual way a gun is used by underworld don's. it does try to preach something to these people from ajay devgan's role too. rahul bose is at his best, an awesome performance by him. also ajay devgan, gives is acting career a boost using his eyes to convey his feelings.

the story line is simple and the usual one used and reused by all directors and producers, but what makes it different is its handling. it keeps on the edge of ur seat, till the end. it makes u think and analyze what u r seeing. every thing looks perfect, logical and to the point. this has made the pace of the film little slow, but that doesn't deny credit to all those who strived to make this movie the way we see it.

i would recommend u to watch this movie......i believe that bollywood too can give movies of great quality and substance to talk about.

rahul

Ajay Devgn subtle and Rahul Boses stunning villain portrayal was the highlight of the movie...Tabu was average and Amrish Puri was also amazing but there was one flaw which was the addition of songs which spoils the flow and a fact cannot be denied that it was the era of 90s where no film can work without songs... This films didn't require any song as it focussed on underworld in the form of real estate mafia...Direction was perfect and dialogues were also nice...For me it's a highly recommended film just because of the performances and some good direction...No where close to COMPANY, VAASTAV and leave SATYA behind which I consider the best gangster film as well as of bollywood too but has its moments. Nobody would be disappointed.