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Afterthoughts
I find myself typing this sentiment a lot - "You might think from my comments that I didn't like this movie." Well again I did enjoy it. My negative remarks about these movies are not meant to condemn them.
In a relatively short span of time, I've developed a sincere love for these movies, and as such these nit-picky recaps should not be looked at as scathing criticisms. Much like family members or our own loved ones, they all have their flaws. Yet we love them just the same. Again, like our most precious people, they also have their shining moments and qualities. I've yet to see a Bollywood movie that I genuinely disliked. For every misfired stunt, for every botched special effect, for every completely unreasonable expectation there have also been truly outstanding musical performances (both dancing and singing), there have been truly touching moments that made me think, there have been wonderful new discoveries about a country that up until recently I knew very little about.
I was thinking about this the other day while watching yet another one of these movies. There is a common quality in all of the Bollywood movies I've seen. Under all the stories, songs, and spectacles is a pure unbridled enthusiasm. The folks involved in these movies simply love making movies. It's almost like it doesn't matter that there were problems with the one they just finished, they just can't wait to make another completely new movie. Perhaps I'm over-analyzing again, but I can see it as plain as the nose on your face in each effort. For me, it's invigorating and energizing.
Sorry for the rambling there, but I wanted to make sure that was said at some point before people started thinking, "Why does he write page after page on these things if he has so many complaints?!" Now you know.
So for the specifics on Khal Nayak.
Madhuri Dixit did not disappoint. She is incredibly beautiful, very charming, and one hell of a dancer. I've seen her in two other movies so far, and she's been brilliant in all of them.
Sanjay Dutt is another guy that just looks fun to be around. Sure he can do the menacing look, but when he's doing his musical numbers I think it's closer to what he's like personally. In the other films I've seen him in, he was consistent in all of them. An enjoyable performance.
Jackie Shroff hasn't let me down yet. While his characters might not always think things through, he's always been up to the job of portraying them well. We've got lots more Jackie in the queue, so keep an eye out.
Negatives:
The police are once again portrayed as inept and violent. In particular the fight scene in the courtyard seemed a bit much to me.
The likelihood of Ballu's grandstand show in the court at the end actually getting Ganga out of trouble also seems a bit slim.
The editing was sketchy. The fight at the end was a prime example of this, but throughout the movie there were obvious chops and major marks on the film where it was hastily spliced.
For the first time, I found myself not enjoying as many of the songs as in some of the others. "Palki Mein Hoke Sawar" and "Choli Ke Peechhe" were great, but the others didn't quite catch me as much as these two did.
Positives:
The movie strikes a good balance between the violent and tragic aspects and the lighthearted and playful parts. It didn't seem too silly nor too dark despite the violent content.
While the bulk of the soundtrack didn't catch my ear, the two songs that did were very good.
The scene where the men did their own version of "Choli Ke Peechhe" was very funny and well done.
Madhuri Dixit. I can't really say enough about this extraordinary actress. She can go from silly to angry to sweet effortlessly. Also, I'm no dance expert but even I can tell she's definitely at the top of her game in this arena.
For this film I have no choice but to use "Panting Kitties" as my unit of measurement.
Khal Nayak (1993)
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