Taqdeer

Taqdeer is a rather enjoyable masala film. The film is partly a lost-and-found melodrama, partly a romance, partly an action flick, partly a social, and it is a hidden family treasure that carries the narrative forward. The story is very complicated and interesting, and the sequences involving the characters of Mithun Chakraborty and Zeenat Aman are particularly entertaining.

The movie stars Shatrughan Sinha as Shiva, a young lonely man who lost his father and sister when he was a kid and now seeks revenge. Sinha is quite good in this role. Hema Malini plays his love interest, a graceful and kind-hearted courtesan who was herself lost as a child and adopted by a brothel owner.

Mithun Chakraborty is excellent as the silly and stylish rich guy who cares for nothing but enjoying life, drinking, chasing women and spending money. The one who steals the show is actually Zeenat Aman who delivers a wonderful comic performance as the sexy, sophisticated, carefree, yet kindhearted conwoman. Some of her scenes are of the film's best and funniest and her chemistry with Chakraborty is great.

Towards the end, Taqdeer starts losing its great spirit of joy and becomes very sentimental. I still liked the ending and the way the story was concluded. Taqdeer is not a great film, but it has its moments and it flows well with its nice songs and the unexpected proceedings. As a masala film of its sort, it is successful and enjoyable and deserves to be seen with the family.

Widower Pratap Singh lives a wealthy lifestyle along with two married sons, Randhir and Ranvir. While Ranvir's wife continues to be childless, Randhir has a daughter, and his wife is expecting a second child. Pratap wants Randhir to invest the family's gold and jewelry, which are hidden underneath the Mandir, in a foreign country, but Randhir refuses, arguments ensue, Randhir moves out, and starts his own business, a coal mine. Shortly thereafter, there is an accident in the mines, over 300 miners are killed. The Police arrest Randhir, he is tried in Court, found guilty, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. After his term ends, he is discharged and will soon find out that his wife and father are dead, his second child is missing believed to be dead, a prostitute has taken over the identity of his daughter, and a hoodlum, Shiva, is waiting to kill him.

As the previous poster said, Taqdeer is partly a lost and found film, partly a social film and an action film peppered with the masala style, however I feel there's a certain freshness to the story and how the characters are played out. Certainly the hidden treasure angle makes this film even enticing.

Shatrughan Sinha, Mithun, Hema, Zeenat Aman and Ranjeet ( the villain of course) do very well, though the acting honours go to Ramesh Deo and Ashok Kumar (guest appearance).

Taqdeer is a well-made, fast-paced masala film with plenty to offer. Also the plot flows so well which sucks you into its masala vortex.