BAAZIGAR
1993
/ produced by Ganesh Jain / directed by Abbas-Mastan / starring
Shahrukh Khan, Kajol & Shilpa Shetty / music by Anu Malik
/ lyrics by Rani Malik, Gauhar Kanpuri, Dev Kohli, Nawab Arzoo
& Zameer Kazmi
It
is apparent to every fan of Bollywood that the main fare of
the industry is formulaic romances. Heck, that’s what we
expect! However, there does come a time when the tried and true
becomes a bit stale, and it’s time to turn a new leaf.
Baazigar, a psychological thriller, is one such movie. Filled
with suspense and intrigue, Baazigar casts aside the usual sweet
and innocent hero for something a bit darker. In so doing, the
usual Bollywood conventions are torn asunder, leaving the audience
unprepared for the twists and turns before them. The audience
is placed in a world where people are not what they seem, and
situations are not what they appear. Such is Baazigar (The Magician).
Seema, played by the beautiful Shilpa Shetty,
is rich, young, and in love. Her father, a wealthy industrialist,
takes joy in building companies and lovingly naming them for
his daughter. Priya, played by Kajol, is Seema’s elder
sister and the rougher of the two. Though definitely a loving
family, it becomes clear early on that the father spends more
time in the office than at home, leaving the girls somewhat
to their own devices.
Seema’s lover Ajay, played by Shahrukh
Khan, wears coke-bottle thick glasses and is the sweet, bookish
sort. Combined with a vacuous mother who seems mentally ill,
as well as allusions to a tragedy in the family history, Ajay
is a man with a mysterious past. Unfortunately, he is not well
to do and finances become the biggest obstacle in his path to
wedded bliss. Ajay urges Seema to wait until he is more established
before bringing their relationship to her father, who is naturally
unaware of what’s going on. A marriage proposal arrives
for Seema, and she is left agonising over what to do as her
father begins to arrange her marriage.
Even as the family is looking at suitors for
Seema, Priya meets a handsome race car driver named Vicky Malhotra,
also played by Shahrukh Khan. His good looks and personality
win Priya over immediately, and Priya is confronted with the
reality that she is in love with Vicky. The timing for Priya
could not be more auspicious, for tragedy looms on the horizon
and Vicky soon becomes her sole comfort.
Though beginning with a very simple romance,
what follows is anything but what is expected. The excitement
is greatly added to by the music, which is very well done. "Yeh
kaali kaali aankhen" was a smash hit in its day, and is
still snappy and enjoyable to watch. The by now famous onscreen
chemistry between Shahrukh Khan and Kajol was first noticed
here, and makes watching this movie a delight. Shilpa Shetty
plays a convincing college girl, and makes the audience empathize
with her character by playing such a sweet and sincere person.
The last thing this movie suffers from is a dearth of talent!
Even Johnny Lever’s comedy is honed and put to good use,
without being over-the-top. The storyline is focused and cohesive
throughout the film, and details are important, so it’s
in the best interest of the audience to pay attention (not that
they’ll have to work at it). Some criticism is due for
the way Priya is portrayed as behaving when all secrets are
revealed, though that is surely a minor point.
Since it is rare for the actor who plays the
villain to become a hero, Baazigar was the unexpected vehicle
by which Shahrukh Khan had his meteoric rise to fame. His versatility
as an actor is so rarely displayed to such an extent all in
one film. So one thing is certain: if you’re looking for
a movie that has an unpredictable ending and is refreshingly
different from the average bollywood flick, then this movie
is for you. Enjoy.
-
reviewed by James
