Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)

Those who have seen my posts here or my tweets (I’m @ThisIsIshtar) know that I get up on my proverbial soapbox every now and then and preach about the amazing movies that Mr. Bachchan has provided us over the years that have somehow slipped the conscious memory of movie lovers. I rant and rave that movies like Alaap and particularly Inquilaab, both movies which shall have their time on the blog, go almost unnoticed when we discuss Mr. Bachchan’s movies.

But today I present to you a movie which I have been neglecting and have not necessarily appreciated nor given the movie its due, and that is Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (Conqueror of Destiny in English) from Prakash Mehra in 1978, starring Mr Bachchan as Sikandar, Vinod Khanna, Rakhee Gulzar, Rekha and of course, Amjad Khan. The movie boasts of a cast filled with supporting actors that create a more touching story, songs that touch your heart not just with the music but the very words that bare the soul of the character, and a plot that weaves its way into your heart and a lesson that cannot be easily forgotten.

The story revolves around a young man named Sikandar who grows up convinced of loyalty, friendship and endless love. The movie is his struggle with fate, with love and is a demonstration of what a really good person should be like- and how you have to accept your fate by laughing, by looking your fate in the eye and accepting it with a smile, because only then can you conquer your destiny.

One of the reasons this movie is always forgotten by me when giving a list of my favorite movies of Mr. Bachchan is because I am not a fan of Vinod Khanna nor Rakhee Gulzar. But then, when I watched this movie again recently, I realized that the rest of the cast more than makes up for what Mr. Khanna’s chin and Rakhee’s irksome voice deprive from the viewing experience.

It is one of Amjad Khan’s finer performances as a likable enough villain who turns himself in after setting people on fire. I fell in love with Rekha’s Zohra, and Mr. Bachchan’s little sister in the movie, Madhu Malini, suddenly stops being Sikandar’s sister and becomes yours as well.

And Mr. Bachchan can use this movie to show the world what a versatile actor he is. I know I say that a lot on this blog but I’ve realized that it is repeated so often because it is true. I cannot think of another actor who can convince you that is tough as nails, demonstrate that he is not to be trifled with, but also make your heart ache when he becomes speechless around his “memsahib” in the movie, played with Rakhee and her weird Princess Leiya hair. There are certain scenes where nothing but Mr. Bachchan’s soulful eyes convey any emotion, and the emotions are so clearly written in his eyes that the audience can have no doubt about what Sikandar is feeling. Just watch the song “oh sathi re” and his face will give you enough reason to rush out and watch this fantastic movie.

And as I have stated before, Hindi movies, for me at least, are made or broken by their soundtrack. And let me tell you, every single song in this movie deserves to be put on repeat for several hours. There is Kishore Kumar’s soulful “o sathi re tere bina”, “wafa jo na ki to” sung by Hemlata and brought to life by the wondrous Rekha ,as was “Salaam-e-ishq meri jaan” by Lata Mangeshar and Kishore Kumar which brought Sikandar and Zohra to each other, and the unforgettable “rote hue ate hai sab” performed by Kishore Kumar with Mr. Bachchan riding through Mumbai on a motorcycle.

The movie had me laughing and crying at the same time, and that usually doesn’t happen. When a movie I have watched a thousand times still manages to make me cry like a baby at the end, that movie deserves my respect.

But let us all please come together and agree that Vinod Khanna is annoying, and so is Rakhee. But everything else about this movie gives it the title of a cinematic classic, English or otherwise! It's a film's film...if that makes sense!

Tumhari Sathi,

I.S.