Zindagi Na Milegi Dobra | Seize The Moment, Dude | The Critique

Rating: 3/5

ZNMD... The title of the movie says it all. The USP of this movie from the day one were the three guys on the road trip. The promise they made to each other when they were still studying and had no idea what life had in store for them. Five minutes into the movie and you can see yourself on screen... moments when you were drunk and promised your friends that no matter what happen, you all will meet sometime ten years after college and go somewhere just to revive some old good memories.

The story of ZNMD is a one liner... friends meeting after ages to do some adventure that can freak them out. However there is much beyond the 'adventures' they take up to get rid of their fears. Infact, the real fear that freaks them out has nothing to do with these adventures. They get cured but not due to these tasks but due to the journey en-route. The movie is beyond the road trip in Spain. It’s about their trip with in their soul. Each of them wants someone tell him what he wants from life.

Abhay Deol is a business scion who proposes Kalki for marriage. Then he plans his pending 'road trip' with school friends Hrithik and Farhaan who had a small spat last time they planned the trip. Now in Spain they have surprise adventure for each other. Amidst one of these they meet Katrina whose angelic beauty grabbed attention of the two singles-Farhaan and Hrithik. And what happens on such trips usually remain a secret...

Acting: There is a brilliant cameo by someone whose name if spilled might ruin the entire thrill. Farhaan as an actor has evolved by leaps and bounds. He got the best character to play and he did justice to it. Any other actor (except for a certain Aamir Khan) would have been a misfit. Abhay Deol maintained his standard and Hrithik gave a 'pretty' convincing performance. Though at times he looked uncomfortable. Pardonable. Katrina gave a fine performance. She had a straight and simple role which she lived beautifully. Kalki... really nice in a 'chudail' kind of role.

Cinematography... Plus one. Really impressive. However I have this feeling that they went too conventional. A bit of more creative input could have done wonders. Music was good... just good. Script, dialogues and poetry... Respect is the word. And Zoya... keep directing. You have an amazing sense of story and presentation. This is a kind of movie which could have gone wrong very easily. Zoya and entire team just saved it.

PS: Don't miss the climax. It defines everything.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Don 2 Is Here... | Editor's Pen

Don of 70s was a stylish retro movie that deservingly attained the cult status. When SRK decided to work in Farhan's remake, we all were skeptical about this move. Many liked it and many dismissed it. Some preferred to just ignore it. However hype and SRK charm was enough to make it a blockbuster. It was a fair attempt to remake a cult movie with certain changes keeping in mind the expectations.

Don is back. Excels have opened their cards with a first look on Don 2. The promo looks really sleek and crisp... SRK look is more meaner and fitter. Priyanka is looking great. Boman mischievous. BG Score is actually impressive. But will the movie match the quality of trailer. Lately we have seen movies which were big duds despite of having great promos. Lets see...

Rishabh is one of our frequent contributors and usually prefer to write about music. He is our music guy. When I asked him to start his column, he was more than ready... He was jumping and pumping. So presenting Rishabh's Unplugged... Please welcome him with comments...

Love

Sujoy

PS: Uttkrishtt will be back :)

Thor Movie Review | The Critique

Rating- 2.5 stars

Thor released few months ago. It had reviews much better than i had expected. So I added it to my to-watch-once list. Last night i had the chance of watching it. Well people I am not disgusted, nor elated after watching, I am just underwhelmed.

It is not a bad film by any stretch but is not in exciting in the least.I am told plot structure is based on Shakespeare’s King Lear. Well if that is the case it doesn’t do to well in drama department. Performances on the other hand are decent, with actor doing what script required off them. Chris Hemsworth looks the part of Thor. Natalie Portman plays one of the weakest Superhero love interest in quite a while. Anthony Hopkins is majestic as Odin.

Fight with the Iron giant is very ordinary. For me, when Avenger movie comes this Thor will serve as a backstory and nothing else.Thin plotline is the undoing for this film. Talking of Avengers, there is an appearance of Colonel Nick Fury did make me curious for Avengers film. It sure has to live up to all the build-up from all the movies.

Give me Del Toro’s Hell Boy 2, any day and i will watch it again. Why do I compare it to Hell Boy, you might ask; It is because villainous side in Hell Boy 2 had a similar setting to Thor and it was far more dramatic and action packed.

There is a sequel in pipe line for Thor, I don’t have much hope, let’s see…

Written by ‘Ali Naqvi’.

The Music Of Bollywood | RS Unplugged

The massiveness of music can be, in a way, traced by the number of genres it can be categorized into. In our world itself we have innumerable genres, however today I am taking on a genre which has been significantly making its mark in the world’s music. Filmi, described as ‘of/from films’ (from Bollywood). The word is often used in daily-life for everything related to our movies. However, it actually has been declared as a genre of music.

Filmi songs are composed as an integral part of the Bollywood feature films, which show actors dancing on them, and aid to the narrative of the film. Often the soundtrack is more popular than the movie, or a movie will become a hit just because it has good music! (However, it’s not the case anymore; a bad movie cannot be saved even by good music!). Lately, a new trend has also begun where a few songs don’t appear in the movie, but just act as “audience-grabbers”.

Now, what does filmi music comprise of?? ...

Well, it has a vast, yet a simple answer … anything to everything!!

Yes, that is the reason why when we think about it, we don’t think about rock or jazz or blues or pop or anything else, but just ‘filmi’ music, because it has them all. Varying from Qawwalis to rock, from classical Indian music to the grooviest remixes, it encompasses everything. It can infact be considered as the fusion of all the other genres, but keeping that filmi touch intact in it. And courtesy to some of our finest composers (read that as Pritam, Anu Malik, & even R.D.Burman, & many more), we get to hear music from all over the world. ;)

The major reason why filmi music is reaching out to the world today is because of the tremendous increase in the popularity of Bollywood. We can also see many English artists doing fusion with Indian composers, (Not to forget that Akon is singing a song in hinglish in RaOne!) & with Mr.A.R. Rehman winning the Oscar, landmark has already been set.

Infact, this is just the beginning. Bollywood classics are still unexplored by the world. With a plethora of colors and variety that it holds, filmi music is surely a big bang in the world music.

Written By: Rishabh Shukla

Fight Club | The Critique

Rating- 3.5 Stars

Fight Club as a movie falls into many categories:

Firstly it is what is considered ‘cool’ as in it is rebellious, like when your friends tell you, ‘dude have you seen this movie’, ‘freaking awesome man!’.

Secondly, its also a movie that did not work commercially in its time which i think adds to the ‘cult’ status.

Finally, it is also one of the films for which movie buffs normally head-over to imdb.com to get the underlying themes.It is engaging as film even if you don’t look into its themes.

It features Edward Norton as a guy who is affected by Insomnia (or is he?). He discovers that going to support groups, give him release. But then he meets Marla Singer and Tyler Durden, and this changes everything.

Having a psychological aspect it does not go to level of just an individuals psychology like Memento, but instead it captures psychology of a whole generation. It understands current obsession of consumer goods and the cycle of wanting for goods and buying them. This is what makes it profound for me as a viewer.

Only thing i am concerned is, with all the fighting and blood in the movie, it might be taken at face value by many of the viewers

As an after thought, I do not think Farhan Akhtar’s movie Karthik Calling Karthik a ‘copy’ of Fight Club. The idea sure was similar, but films are pretty different.

Written by- ‘Ali Naqvi.

Star Bestsellers - Part 2 | Witness | Under Lens

Episode: Witness

By: Imtiaz Ali

Plot: It’s a classic Fyodor Dostoevsky's White Nights plot where a damsel in distress meets a smart and sensitive guy whose work is to earn by becoming witness in court marriage. She is waiting for her beloved who doesn't turn up for their marriage. Now, our hero arranges a roof for this girl and gradually falls for her. The girl also starts feeling for him. They decide to marry and in the climax, the lover of the girl appears from nowhere. Hero realises taht the girl doesn't love him... she still longs for her lover only. He lets her go.

Legacy: Imtiaz Ali reworked on the story and with some little tweaks presented it as Ahista Ahista, Shivam Nair's Directorial debut. Ahista Ahista had a promising casting of Abhay Deol and Soha Ali Khan in the lead roles with Jhankar Beats and Jessica Lall Murder case fame Shyan Munshi in a small role of Soha's boyfriend. Music of Himesh Reshammiya was one of the strong points of the movie.

Note: Imtiaz retained the basic plot and names of the characters in his screenplay. The telefilm was a worthy 45 minutes of entertainment. The chemistry between leads brings smile on your face. Cameo by Akshay Anand (a big TV Star then) was a bit over the top though.

Seven Years In Tibet And The Dragon | Hammers High

China is notorious for being too harsh on censorship guidelines and is often accused for having double standards for Chinese and Non Chinese movies. Anything off the government stand can face the wrath of the censor board and the movie can lose a market of 1.3 billion viewers. A similar thing happened in case of Brad Pitt's Seven Years In Tibet.

The movie is a story of Austrian Heinrich Harrer who escapes from British during Second World War and finds himself safe in Lhasa (Tibet). There he meets a young Dalai Lama. The story is about seven years of ordeal far from home and family. The movie is critical of capitalist intentions and the purpose of war. Movie also raised eyebrows on the way Tibet is being treated by China. These two things ensured a ban on the movie.

Chinese Government objected to the way Military personnel were depicted. They were shown as if they have no empathy with civilians. Apart from that the positive depiction of Dalai Lama was also against Chinese tolerance. The occupation of Tibet by China is also (allegedly) shown in very dubious way. The movie appeared to be a 'Free Tibet' propaganda rather than a realistic piece of art.

Lead actors Brad Pitt and David Thewlis were prohibited from entering China... forever.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

The Cult Classic Of Indian Cinema - GUNDA | Candid Krishnan

Mithun Chakraborty, Mohan Joshi, Mukesh Rishi, Harish Patel and Shakti Kapoor… At one point or other, each of them have done some good real good work… something that can give any A-listers a run for their money. Gunda by showman Kanti Shah is one such proud work. A  movie that has charmed the movie buffs since the day it was screened. It became a blockbuster in Hindi belt and over the years attained a special place in heart of college going students. Cult… it is. Classic… a few decades down the line, it will be.

Gunda has a classic mix of ‘I-Stand-Against-Wrong’ and ‘I-Take-Revenge’ plot. Mithun plays the hero who fights against the villains, who are powerful and perverts. They molest his sister and after that point, the struggle of a righteous person becomes the struggle of a righteous brother. The story is obscure, stupid to the extent of being outrageous and dude… predictable is an understatement.

Every imaginable cliché right from early 50s to late 90s adore the story. Dialogues are like a never ending ballad. Each sentence rhymes to the extent where you feel like biting a pillow to stop your laughter just to avoid a stomach hemorrhage. Acting performances seemed to be heavily doped with performance enhancing drugs. They are so over the top that you might feel that Deepika and Imran gave Oscar winning performances in Break Ke Baad. From acting… coming to Action: You have seen MI, Matrix… You have seen Rajini, Chiranjeevi… Now you have seen Mithun. His one punch has the strength of 100 elephants trained on steroids. You might get the feel why they don’t have WADA for movies…

If you think you are a critic… watch TOP IMDB movies… then dude… It’s time for some reality check: It has a current IMDB rating of 7.6.

 Written By: Candy Krishnan

Hrishi Da Special

The Legend Called Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Editor's Pen

When I talk to my Mom about cinema, we don’t talk about Mel Gibson or Scorsese or Satyajit Ray or Guru Dutt. Our discussions usually revolve around Basu Chatterjee’s and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films. Their movies talk about common man and their small little problems. Their characters are real and believable. The plot of stories are not much intricate and each scene has a story in itself. I relished many movies on SET Max and Zee Classic… Anand, Naram Garam and Choti Si Baat top the list.

Hrishi Da movies had a very strong impact on people of that time. It was a time when nuclear families were becoming a fashion. Personal needs were getting priority over Family needs. Joint families were facing wrecks. Hrishi Da movies resisted these changes. My uncles still remember that his movies had such an impact on people that there was a strong air against nuclear families. Even those who left their families for personal space, bonded well with them.

His movies were contemporary and delightful… both at the same time. Not many directors achieved such a distinction. As a tribute to the legendary director, TheReelMag family is proud to present a special edition. This little tribute is a sincere effort to remember all those lovely entertaining family movies which made ’70 a memorable era of Hindi Cinema.

Love…

Sujoy Ghosh

Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Cinema of Life | Statesmen

Very few people have championed the art of realistic cinema the way Hrishi Da did. When today we envision a realistic movie, we see dark movies with feel of gloom, pain and sometimes even gore. Real world is not always gloomy. Real people try to handle things in very simple ways. Hypocrisy is not so common as shown by some of the directors today. Circumstances are not always so bad. It has become quite a trend to rip off an non-hindi movie, put the protagonist in slums and add some double meaning sleaze, and pass it off as realistic cinema.

Hrishi Da interpretation of people and their sensibilities can be attributed to his humble upbringing in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He also worked as a teacher for some time. His middle class life and experiences as a teacher reflects in his work. His education of cinema got the patronage of B.N. Sircar, Subodh Mitter and Bimal Roy. Bimal Roy had a strong influence on his though process and cinematic works. He was a part of crew of Do Bigha Zameen and Devdas. Under mentorship of Roy, Hrishi Da started his career ad director with movie Musafir. It was not a success. However his second movie Anari gathered lots of acclaim and attention.

People appreciated the sensitive treatment of his stories woven around simple characters and ordinary circumstances. Be it emotional attachment of doctor and patient (Anand), relationship between Industrialist and employee friends (Namak Haraam), falling relationship between successful wife and no-longer-successful husband (Abhimaan) or a man trying hard to remain honest in a corrupt world (Satyakam), he presented each of them in a very honest way. Subtle spurts of comedy was his specialty. Those little doses were very prominent in even his serious works and were actually his USP to some extent.

Among the people born in 80s and 90s, his comedy movies were more popular than those with a serious vein. Gol Maal, Naram Garam, Bawarchi, Kisi Se Na Kehna, Chupke Chupke etc. are still loved by masses. These movie had a simple plot with a small innocent deceit as a ploy. The circumstances would lead to situations where natural reactions would evoke comedy. Noted director Basu Chatterjee also adopted this style very well.

Hrishi Da is remembered as one of the most respected movie maker of Indian cinema and his contribution will keep on bringing smiles on the face of his viewers

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Ladki Kyon Na Jaane Kyon Ladko Si Nahin Hoti ?? | Under Lens

Want to know answer to this question, just check out, Guddi / Mili / Khoobsurat, and the vibrant central characters of these movies, will show you.

The movies came at approx a gap of 5 years to each other ……but a...a...a...an…. they are not sequels, as this was not in fashion that time, but they could have very well been. First came Guddi, a joyous young school girl who can bring a smile to anyone’s face, lives in a fantasy of her own, but soon realizes the drastic reality of the world. Then came sweet Mili, who spreads happiness and make people live life to fullest, but has a harsh truth to herself, she is about to die!! Then there is Meenu, who though knows the way is tough, but sets out to break free people from rules and tensions. And, one thing if you have not noted, if they had been sequels, public could have got a chance to see Jaya, Amitabh and Rekha in one, quite before Silsila!!

Ok, come on, let’s leave apart, the money making idea with sequels and prequels, and get back to, what makes these movies special. First thing, Hrishikesh Mukherjee (after all the edition is on him [;)]). Second, the central characters are ladies (that’s why I chose them [:)]). Third, they are unique in themselves (oops!! contradictory to previous para [:O]).

Jaya Bacchan has given fantastic performance as playing someone even younger than she really was in Guddi. And she outperforms herself in Mili again, with awesome support by Amitabh, acting as a person fed up of life. Mili is a superb example of the saying ‘opposites attract’. And what to say about Khoobsurat, I am yet not sure, if the name of the movie was describing Rekha or the movie in itself. Just to mention, all the supporting actors of these movies also have tremendous contribution in their success. Music for all are too good and have given some unforgettable songs. The vibrant characters, subtle and comical dialogues, situations approximate to reality, make you to have a joy ride and at the same time wish you could have someone so full of life around you, so as you can forget all your tensions and could enjoy your life too.

So all you men out there,

Jeena Ka Tumko Dhang Sikhlati Hai

Tumhe Jaanwar Se Insaan Banaati Hai

Uske Bina Ek Pal Reh Na Sakhoge Tum

Usko Pata Hai Yeh Keh Na Sakhoge Tum

Iss Liye Ladkiya Ladko Si Nahin Hoti

Written By: Neha Jain

Chupke-Chupke | The Critique

Hrishikesh Mukherjee is one of the finest directors Bollywood has had, and his comedies are certified timeless classics. You will find his audience in each and every segment of the society. Also, it’s possible for all the age groups to sit together and enjoy the flick. You might not hold your stomach laughing at each and every scene, but you will always hold a smile on your face, and that is what is special about  Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s style of cinema. I must describe it as a completely different genre of comedy. His comedies are always heartwarming, and never compromise on entertainment. Chupke-Chupke being one of my favorites.

The story is simple and straight. A newly wedded husband plays a practical joke on his wife's family with full support from his wife and friends. The husband (played by Dharmendra) is sick of praises of his JIJAJI (played by Om Prakash) by her wife (played by Sharmila Tagore). So he plans to deceive JIJAJI’s intellect & prove his wife wrong. What follows is a lie behind another. 

Mr. Amitabh Bachchan as husband’s friend is phenomenal, who is made to present himself as the biology professor (as the fake husband), although he is into English. His nervousness, anxiety & the efforts that he makes to fake Jaya (and rest of the family) are the funniest moments in the movie. Jaya Bhaduri, Asrani, Keshto Mukherjee and many others deserve equal applause and credit for the justice they did to their role.

The characters, and the situations in which they fall, make you laugh, uninterruptedly. The dialogues are hilarious, especially the ones dealing with botany & pure Hindi. The performance of the actors and the wonderful music, by legendary S.D.Burman complements the movie brilliantly. Sholay was another movie which was released in the same year that showcased Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Jaya Bhaduri together. You can proudly witness the versatility of these actors. It’s a must watch for every cinema fan!

Written By: Rishabh Shukla

Abhimaan | The AB-Jaya Story | The Critique

When Amitabh Bachchan married Jaya Bhaduri in early seventies, it was a big news. While the bride was an established actress having the respect of both classes and the groom was a struggling actor who impressed the critics but his movies were not working. In 1973, a movie came that gave a déjà vu feel to this scenario. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Abhimaan starring the very two actors- Amitabh and Jaya. However despite of similarities, this story was not based on AB-Jaya story and Jaya’s decision to stay away from cinema ensured that anything of this sort won’t affect their matrimony. This story was loosely based on the life of Kishore Kumar and his wife Ruma Ghosh and took little cues from many other estranged couples of Industry.

Subeer is a singer who is scaling new heights in his career. Marriage is not on cards however, this changes when he meets Uma. Uma is a beautiful girl with golden vocals. Subeer falls in love with her and both marry. Uma also starts singing professionally and her career starts blooming. Unfortunately, Subeer falls prey to destiny’s spell. His career sees a downfall and just like another man, his ego is not able to adjust to his falling popularity while his wife is getting all the appreciations.

This movie boasts of some of the best works in music by S.D. Burman. Songs by Kishore, Rafi and Lata on lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri ruled the charts for some time.  Remember ‘Tere Mere Milan Ki Yeh Raina’ and ‘Teri Bindiya Re’? Camerawork was commendable. Subtlety is a difficult thing afterall. Sensibility and sanctity of story was maintained beautifully.  Handling a difficult subject with such objectivity and controlling actors and their personal chemistry is a tough nut to crack Hrishi Da did exactly what was expected…

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Kissi Se Na Kehna | The Critique

KSNK is another gem for those who have eyes for light hearted simple comedies, something Hrishikesh Mukherjee was famous for. As the name says, it’s a story about hiding a small truth from people. The onus of the movie lies on the gravity of consequences on revelation of the truth and on the fact it’s a truth that can’t be kept under wraps for long. Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval, Utpal Dutt and Saeed Jaffrey… Do I need to say anything else?

Elderly Kailashpati (typical Utpal Dutt) is worried about his son Ramesh (Farooq) who is a bachelor. After meeting a few prospective brides, he is convinced that English education ruins character of girls and they tend to forget their culture. Blinded by his obstinate thought he decides to find an illiterate girl for his son. Saeed Jaffrey as a friend Lalaji arranges such a match. Interestingly, the girl Ramola (Naval) is actually well educated but cultured and both Ramola and Ramesh are very much in love. They hide this fact to fix the match but how long can this fact hide?

This movie doesn’t have anything extra-ordinary. Performances are subtle. Even Ramesh’s obsession with broken gadgets looks very natural. Utpal Dutt is such a delight on screen. Deepti Naval is so natural as an actress. Saeed Jaffrey conveys so much of romance of the paternal kind. Things are so perfect but humble that you fail to notice the excellence behind the simplicity. The dialogs are simple and thoughtful. Scenes are shot with such an ease. That’s the beauty of this film. You never feel like switching the TV off. It’s like a Wordsworth poem.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Gol Maal And The Sham | Hammers High

Everyone who has a taste for good Hindi films must have seen this 1979 film made by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and it will be a singular case where somebody might come up saying that he did not liked it. From 80s to 8, everybody appreciated this amazing comedy movie. Only a Jane Bhi Do Yaron and Andaaz Apna Apna came close to it in sense of popularity among masses and critics. Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt in roles of manipulating employee and stern and strict employer were simply too good.

Cut to 2006, promising Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgan, an actor known for his serious roles, teamed up along with actors like Arshad Warsi, promising Sharman Joshi and Tussar Kapoor and veteran like Paresh Rawal to make a laughter riot. That was not one of the heydays for any of them. So, the team came up with a name good enough to bring people into theatre… Golmaal. Movie did well, thanks to good p-jokes and festive season when even duds make money. However, nostalgic souls felt hurt.

Gol Maal was a more of a family movie which can be enjoyed with everyone. Dialogues were more meaningful and language was a beauty. Movie relied more on plot than jokes. The namesake was not one which can be seen with family. Story was amiss and jokes were either stale or double-meaning. In former bad habits were seen with disdain, later seemed to have glorified the same. For those who love Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s comedies, this biennial franchisee leaves behind a bad taste in mouth.

PS: Little Bird just hummed that Golmaal-4 will be an official remake of Gol Maal of ’79. Lets see.

Bawarchi | The Story Of A Cook | Critique

Hrishi Da has always been known for his neat and clean comedies. Bawarchi is yet another classic from this genius which explores the moral values that one should imbibe & displays how well families can live united.

The story revolves around the Sharma family, who has had hard time finding a cook for them. Each time they hire one, he or she escapes away because of the rude treatment by the people living in the house. This continues until a cook named Raghu (played by Rajesh Khanna) comes in. He not only absorbs the bad behavior of the people living in that house but also unites them, thereby winning their hearts. However, he has a past of his own, which adds to the mystery factor. I won’t disclose it & take the fun away!

One of the most striking feature of this movie is that almost whole of the movie is shot inside a single house. But never do you feel the need to go outside it. The simplicity of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s direction just spells bounds you & you just keep on watching this masterpiece of comedy. Also there is a sweet suspense which gradually unfolds by the end of the movie.

The movie is inspired by a Bengali movie ‘Galpa Holeo Satyi’ (1966) by Tapan Sinha. Rajesh Khanna is brilliant as the central character & is very well complemented by all the other actors. The characters are very well defined and the superb dialogues just add up to it. The screenplay in itself is a classic. Music by Madan-Mohan is nothing special but goes well with the movie.

You will also find hints of this movie in certain Bollywood flicks like Hero No.1 and Khoobsurat, but there is no competition to this classic. It’s definitely a must watch for everyone. You will surely engulf yourself in a mixture of emotions.

Written By: Rishabh Shukla

Satyakam | Dharam At His Best | Critique

Dharmendra played many memorable roles in Hindi Cinema and carved a niche for himself as an actor. Once he was asked to speak about his favorite movie and of all his movies, he chose Satyakam… a Hrishikesh Mukherjee marvel. Starring Sharmila Tagore and Ashok Kumar along with Dharmendra, laced with music by Lakshmikant Pyarelal, over the years Satyakam has attained a cult status among cine-aficionados.

Satyakam is story of a person who makes a grave mistake and tries hard to resurrect it… A young Satyapriya has aspirations of a better world. He is trying hard to be idealist. When he has the opportunity to save a girl from sexual advances of his employer, he buckles down. However after initial fall, he realizes his mistake and marries the girl. Hesitant to give in to laws of corrupt society, he has to change jobs. Does corruption changes him? Dharmendra as Satyapriya and Sharmila as his wife gave simply amazing performances. The scenes depiction tensions between Dharmendra and rest of the world exudes a sense of discomfort, justifying everything.

Based on story by Narayan Sanyal, screenplay of Bimal Dutta and dialogues by R.S. Bedi, Satyakam is a movie that will be remembered for fine performances and remarkable treatment of a contemporary subject. The backdrop of the story is so identifiable. Corruption and poverty in a country trying hard to stick together after being robbed by British for almost two centuries and plagued by feudalism. It is one of the movies which define careers of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Dharmendra, two icons of that era.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh