An underrated Firoz Khan classic, Yalgaar takes inter-family animosity to a whole new level. Amidst a gamut of memorable performances, it is Sanjay Dutt's portrayal that packs the strongest punch. During the early '90s, Dutt was in his prime and it shows. Riding high on the success of Saajan and Sadak, he barely misses a note in a performance that is as physical (with martial arts moves a la Bruce Lee) as it is tender.
Along with its central theme of revenge, Yalgaar also touches upon the ideals of duty and love. It also succeeds in highlighting the tenderness and pain that is universally associated with the relationship between a father and a son. The action and dance sequences in the movie serve as major trendsetters for Hindi cinema. While Firoz Khan's direction is superb, some casting choices seem a bit incongruous: i) him playing Mukesh Khanna's son despite the noticeable age difference with Khanna being 20 years younger, and ii) Vicky Arora in the role of Vicky Singhaal's as the part was quite meaty and certainly deserved a better actor.
Kabir Bedi was born to play roles like Raj Pratap Singhal--an international smuggler and a mafia kingpin. There are few actors alive who can match his screen presence. The scenes which Bedi shares with Dutt are solid as a rock. Despite looking a bit old for his part, Firoz Khan brings a lot of intensity to the movie with his performance of a tough albeit emotional cop. One is reminded of earlier films like Dharmatma and Qurbani. He too shares some very high intensity scenes with Dutt. A young Manisha Koirala (although she merely appears to be reprising her role from Saudagar) is charming to watch, especially during the movie's highly memorable dance sequences (she brings the best of Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi) she shares with Vicky Arora who certainly seemed a better dancer than an actor. Yalgaar is a must watch for lovers of Hindi cinema!
For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".
Along with its central theme of revenge, Yalgaar also touches upon the ideals of duty and love. It also succeeds in highlighting the tenderness and pain that is universally associated with the relationship between a father and a son. The action and dance sequences in the movie serve as major trendsetters for Hindi cinema. While Firoz Khan's direction is superb, some casting choices seem a bit incongruous: i) him playing Mukesh Khanna's son despite the noticeable age difference with Khanna being 20 years younger, and ii) Vicky Arora in the role of Vicky Singhaal's as the part was quite meaty and certainly deserved a better actor.
Kabir Bedi was born to play roles like Raj Pratap Singhal--an international smuggler and a mafia kingpin. There are few actors alive who can match his screen presence. The scenes which Bedi shares with Dutt are solid as a rock. Despite looking a bit old for his part, Firoz Khan brings a lot of intensity to the movie with his performance of a tough albeit emotional cop. One is reminded of earlier films like Dharmatma and Qurbani. He too shares some very high intensity scenes with Dutt. A young Manisha Koirala (although she merely appears to be reprising her role from Saudagar) is charming to watch, especially during the movie's highly memorable dance sequences (she brings the best of Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi) she shares with Vicky Arora who certainly seemed a better dancer than an actor. Yalgaar is a must watch for lovers of Hindi cinema!
For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".