Here's the case of a movie with a plot that's been used and abused several times. A good, honest and innocent person is wronged, his family suffers, the lead hero resolves to take revenge and eventually does.
However, the movie still is easily a classic. Here''s why
The songs have meaning, substance and melody. The performances are first-rate- be it Nutan, Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri, Javed Jaffery or A.K.Hangal. Dialogues evoke strong emotions. Characters have depth and the story has many layers.
Girish Karnad, a honest music professional is unfairly tried for murder and with G.D.Thakral (Amrish Puri), a cunning lawyer as public prosecutor, the former has no chance of freedom. His lawyer, A.K.Hangal even tries to convince Thakral to push for a life sentence case and not murder, but his plea is ignored.
The two children, Arun and Pinky, helpless and young, suffer silently.
Nutan, Karnad's wife goes to Thakral herself pleading for mercy but Thakral pays no heed and instead tries to take advantage.The dialogue that stands out is -Is someone who has no proof or witness necessarily not innocent? It is powerful, represents the voice of an innocent person, who is helpless in an unfair legal trial.
Nutan returns, sad and dejected and sees a glimmer of hope when the witness who gave a statement against her husband, reveals that he was indeed innocent, some minutes before his death. Nutan, strives hard to take him to the authorities to clarify her husband's innocence and does not accept defeat but unfortunately the unethical witness dies and the vehicle which Nutan took, breaks down midway. She does not lose strength and resumes her journey on foot but her husband has been executed and hanged before she reaches the jail.
What is important here is to see the extent to which a loved one, a true well-wisher will fight for you, whatever be the hurdles in the way. For someone, for whom you are important, no problem is too big and he or she will make all sacrifices, agree to fight even a losing battle, if unavoidable.
In a further blow to the family, Nutan is unable to accept the fact that her husband is no more and loses her mental stability. The children, then staying with the lawyr A K Hangal are told that perhaps her mother may have also passed away, due to a shock.
Here, another important dialogue stands out. A K Hangal tells young Arun that life, for children
of his age would be all about fun and play, but for him it is a battle, a battle he will need to fight, with the ideals of his virtuous parents.
The young children, who have played the characters of Arun and Pinky emote through their eyes. Their angst, their helplessness, their refusal to bow down to circumstances or lose hope, their resilience are all expressed very well.
Fate turns more cruel when A K Hangal's wife refuses to provide shelter to the children and they are left to fend for themselves alone in this whole, big, unfair world.
The beautiful title song plays here. ALthough it begins with the memories of good, old times when the family shared simple, sweet moments of togetherness, it soon turns more serious, where the children are shown as courageous warriors, doing odd jobs such as polishing shoes, working as an office-boy, selling newspapers etc to feed themselves.
Arun is shown to be a silent protagonist, who is fiercely determined to make his place in the world and take revenge for the injustice his family suffered. He studies law and soon becomes one of the young achievers in the field of law, using his degree to save the poor and innocent from injustice.
As a lawyer, he asks his assistant to be updated about all cases and activities of Mr. Thakral. When the assistant asks him that why was he, himself a successful lawyer, so keen to know everything about Mr. Thakral, the viewer is treated to another wonderful dialogue of the movie- Main Mr. Thakral ke ehsaano se vakil bana hu Mansukh.
The story moves forward with Anil Kapoor outwitting Thakral by taking up cases the latter refuses and winning them, defeating him in a chess tournament etc.
Anil Kapoor's love interest comes into picture as Geeta Mathur, a worried sister of Asha Mathur, a doctor who may be punished for murder, who she claims is innocent. Anil Kapoor is approached after Thakral has refused to take up the case as he sees almost no possibility of winning it. However, even Anil Kapoor initially refuses to take it up, even accusing the doctor of being corrupt. That's when the important dialogue which Nutan used when pleading to Amrish Puri plays again, this time by Meenakshi Sheshadri. This leads to a change in heart of Anil Kapoor who agrees to take up the case.
Anil Kapoor risks his life by consuming the contents of a bottle, which had poison, hoping that he would be saved before the contents mix with his blood.
From Asha Mathur's husband, Anil Kapoor comes to know that his mother is being treated in a mental hospital. He is so pained by fate's cruel events that he calls up Thakral's office and then, drunk and inebriated, goes to the venue where Thakral is giving an address. He confronts Thakral. This is also a very important scene, one of the few scenes where the otherwise strongwilled and principled Arun indulges in some ranting, reflecting the pains he has undergone all his life.
Thakral's son Vicky (Javed Jaffrey) is once, beaten up by Anil Kapoor when the former indulges in some indecent acts of eveteasing. Javed Jaffrey who was flirting with Indu, the daughter of A K Hangal now decides to befriend Anil Kapoor's sister to take revenge.
There are songs in between. Nutan regains her memory when the tile song is played by his son and his girlfriend. The story moves further when Indu, who comes to know about Vicky's flirtatious and cheap tricks tries to warn Komal, Anil Kapoor's sister who gets attracted to Vicky. Javed Jaffrey kills Indu, and is taken into police custody. This is the time when the lead protagonist and the villain come face-to-face in the court and by way of arguments, counter-arguments, accusations and defences, try to stick to their stand. Eventually, Anil Kapoor wins the case but cunning Thakral kidnaps his mother and other loved ones. What follows is a lot of action where, even though wounded, Arun bravely fights back with vigour and energy. When a fast version of the title song plays in the background, the scenes get all the more rivetting and gripping. In the fight, Thakral, tries to kill Anil Kapoor, but lands up killing his friend's son. He is then punished by the court. Revenge ends when Thakral loses mental stability.
Anil Kapoor is outstanding as Arun Verma. Amrish Puri plays the villain's role too well. Nutan's does complete justice to her character. Meenkashi Sheshadri and Parikshit Sahani contribute by way of some light moments in a movie which is mostly serious and full of emotions. Javed Jaffrey establishes himself as a good actor.
The movie has been written by Javedji. It is Javedji's solo script. It evokes emotions of pain, helplessness, hope, rock-like determination and eventually much-deserved victory.The use of strong dialogues in the chessboard tournament, which reveal amrish Puri's overconfidence and Anil Kapoor- the underdog's spirit is also a great idea. A wonderful movie from Subhash Ghai. which I can see again and again. It iis always inspiring.
