If a movie is capable of making some nobody like Amitabh Bachchan to a megastar that he still is today, that movie is something special. Back when it came out Bollywood was dominated by romantic films. It was a breath of fresh air, whose formula, unfortunately, has been so overused by this date that it's a cliche now. Definitely, some part this review is going to be in retrospect and I am definitely going to share some opinions about why this movie is still as good as it was 47 years ago.
Just imagine, you have been watching romantic films constantly, and all of a sudden you get a surprisingly good revenge drama. Definitely you're going to dig it. That's what happened back then, and it was an overnight success. Obviously, if you try to watch a movie keeping yourself in the period when it came out, you'll definitely like it more, but not every movie was good back then, and definitely are not going to be good in retrospect. Zanjeer is not that kind of movie. If you have watched a whole lot of Bollywood films, then you can definitely name at least a thousand different movies which follows the same formula as that of Zanjeer. But the thing that makes Zanjeer better than all of them, apart from being one of the earliest of its kind is that it knew how to make things not look cheesy for most parts. Prakash Mehra does a very good job of directing the movie, making all the action and drama really intense while always making sure that the intensity isn't overdone or insufficiently done. Romantic scenes are there, which are cherishing, but not at all reminds of a generic romance prevalent in the cinema of India back then. So, even the mandatory romance in the film doesn't seem forced.
The pacing is quite good. It's more than two and a half hours long, but doesn't feel like one. Even the songs are awesome and do not slow down the pace. They contribute at least something to the story. And speaking of story, oh boy, haven't there been such an aggressive hero in the Bollywood films prior to this. He looks as if he will definitely kill you if you mess with him. Bachchan does a really great job in his first role as the angry young man. He was best in Deewaar and Kaala Patthar as the angry young man, but this one is a very close second. Although his performance is terrific, if you have seen his later works, you can see the rooms for improvement. Pran as Sher Khan is a great supporting character, equally aggressive as our hero but a little naive in nature. The two would've been worth seeing, even if the movie was absolute garbage. Jaya Bhaduri doesn't have much screen time, but in whatever she has been given, she does an amazing job. The other one in the list is Om Prakash. He does a great job of playing a kinda mysterious character whose plotline merges absolutely perfectly with the main story. All the others have done a fine job too.
All these are the reasons why it was so popular then, and is still as good as the people say it is (and also why it is better than every other movie of this kind which came later). But, I think, the main reason for that would be that we can feel what the hero is feeling. For the most of the movie he has the aggression inside of him. We feel that when we watch that movie. And, when he is in relief, we feel that, and that's something not all the movies of its kind have. If you are into old Bollywood films, it's a must watch. If you are not, you can watch it once and I am sure you won't be bored at all.
Rating : absolute 10/10; golden A+
Just imagine, you have been watching romantic films constantly, and all of a sudden you get a surprisingly good revenge drama. Definitely you're going to dig it. That's what happened back then, and it was an overnight success. Obviously, if you try to watch a movie keeping yourself in the period when it came out, you'll definitely like it more, but not every movie was good back then, and definitely are not going to be good in retrospect. Zanjeer is not that kind of movie. If you have watched a whole lot of Bollywood films, then you can definitely name at least a thousand different movies which follows the same formula as that of Zanjeer. But the thing that makes Zanjeer better than all of them, apart from being one of the earliest of its kind is that it knew how to make things not look cheesy for most parts. Prakash Mehra does a very good job of directing the movie, making all the action and drama really intense while always making sure that the intensity isn't overdone or insufficiently done. Romantic scenes are there, which are cherishing, but not at all reminds of a generic romance prevalent in the cinema of India back then. So, even the mandatory romance in the film doesn't seem forced.
The pacing is quite good. It's more than two and a half hours long, but doesn't feel like one. Even the songs are awesome and do not slow down the pace. They contribute at least something to the story. And speaking of story, oh boy, haven't there been such an aggressive hero in the Bollywood films prior to this. He looks as if he will definitely kill you if you mess with him. Bachchan does a really great job in his first role as the angry young man. He was best in Deewaar and Kaala Patthar as the angry young man, but this one is a very close second. Although his performance is terrific, if you have seen his later works, you can see the rooms for improvement. Pran as Sher Khan is a great supporting character, equally aggressive as our hero but a little naive in nature. The two would've been worth seeing, even if the movie was absolute garbage. Jaya Bhaduri doesn't have much screen time, but in whatever she has been given, she does an amazing job. The other one in the list is Om Prakash. He does a great job of playing a kinda mysterious character whose plotline merges absolutely perfectly with the main story. All the others have done a fine job too.
All these are the reasons why it was so popular then, and is still as good as the people say it is (and also why it is better than every other movie of this kind which came later). But, I think, the main reason for that would be that we can feel what the hero is feeling. For the most of the movie he has the aggression inside of him. We feel that when we watch that movie. And, when he is in relief, we feel that, and that's something not all the movies of its kind have. If you are into old Bollywood films, it's a must watch. If you are not, you can watch it once and I am sure you won't be bored at all.
Rating : absolute 10/10; golden A+