Let’s jump start this labor of love
with one of Mr. Bachchan’s “big daddy” movies, from 1988, directed by Tinnu Anand, we have Shahenshah, which
means either “emperor” or “king of kings”, depending on who you ask!
When attempting to give a fair
description of this movie, I usually end up introducing it as the Hindi version
of Batman…Batman with some Indian spice thrown into the mix.
The movie revolves around a man who
takes on the guise of a bribe-taking, corrupt, incompetent police inspector by
day, and the shining beacon of justice and hope and lawfulness, the mythical
hero, Shahenshah. It’s a classic superhero movie, with the Shahenshah aptly
dressed in a disguise, complete with a chainmail arm and he carries the noose
that his father hung himself with.
 |
| Vijay Kumar Shrivastav |
The Vijay persona of this movie
really cinched it as one of my favorite performances from Mr. Bachchan. The
first time I saw this movie, I was a little…unsettled by the paan-chewing Vijay
but once I realized the sacrifice he was making to restore order to the city
overrun by corruption and crime, I got comfortable enough with Vijay to
appreciate his…aloofness. In contrast the Shahenshah, dressed in all black with
strikingly silver hair, with Mr. Bachchan’s rich baritone made even richer by
the majesty of the dialogue, this champion of justice really does command all
the attention on screen. I don’t blame the famed Mukhtar Singh for quickly
shutting down his gambling den and going back to being a dairy farmer after his
first encounter with the Shahenshah. He is quite imposing.
Again, Mr. Bachchan brings on the
duality of two different characters, and he does so seamlessly. You never
really confuse Vijay the bumbling cop with Shahenshah, costume’s
notwithstanding.
Amrish Puri, as always, delivers the
delicious evilness throughout the movie, makes J.K. worthy of your contempt.
And Pran, seamless and perfect as always.
The songs in this movie are
fabulous. I’ve been known to break out into a heart-wrenching rendition of “Oh
Behna” every now and then, chasing my sister around…But one of the greatest
memories I have of this movie is the first time I saw it, recognizing “jaane de
mujhe jaana hai” performed by Mohammad Aziz and Lata Mangeshkar, from my
childhood sometime before I was 8 in Iran.
This movie is a treasure trove for
one liners and bits of dialogue that make you either want to dole out justice
or fall out of your chair laughing.
Example of the former: “Rishtey mein
toh hum tumhara baap hote hain, naam hai Shahenshah”, literal translation “in relation
consider me your father, my name is Shahenshah”. Or in simple, slang translation
“who’s your daddy? Shahenshah!” The line is spoken every time the villains ask
Shahenshah who he is, and that’s the spine-tingling reply. An example of the
former, the laughing part of the dialogue, I think I can just cite all of Vijay’s
lines. “Kyon. Kyon…kyooooon?” when faced with Mukhtar Singh is a personal
favorite, especially when one combines Mr. Bachchan’s facial expression with
the line.
But I’m especially partial to the
line “dunya kile Shahenshah, magaar tumhara gholam” written to Shalu by Shahenshah…as
I’m sure most of the ladies watching this movie are.
Overall, this is one of the jewels
in the 180+ movies which Mr. Bachchan has given us over the years. It’s
amazingly written, amazingly performed. Even the “cheese” factors in the movie,
like the Darth Vader style breathing of the Shahenshah, disappear in the face
of the overall movie. The transformation of Vijay the inspector is amazing to
watch, the way Mr. Bachchan melds the two characters together. The movie’s so
awesome that I was even able to ignore Kader Khan….haha!
The message of the movie is not to
be downplayed at all. Unlike some movies which get so caught up in the action
or the majesty of the superhero’s story, the true meaning of the movie gets
lost. But it cannot be denied in this one, that the message of the Shahenshah
is loud and clear, highlighted during the powerful court scene that is the
climax.
Speak OUT against injustice.
The movie becomes even better, for
me at least, when one considers the “behind the scenes” stories that have
emerged concerning this film. For example, the movie was Mr. Bachchan’s return
to film after his brief venture into politics, and the fact that the chainmail
arm was about 31 pounds...not too bad, unless you consider the muscular disease
Mr. Bachchan was dealing with at the time.
So enjoy this movie!
Let me just say how freeing it is to
be back writing this little blog of mine! Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch up,
and get a hold of the 33 movies left on my list!
With
love & Respect,
Ishtar
hii
ReplyDelete