Rajkumar Santoshi's best films prove that few Bollywood filmmakers could mix hard-hitting drama, action, comedy and sheer masala madness quite like him.
Key Points
- Rajkumar Santoshi is set to release Batwara 1947, reuniting with Sunny Deol after 30 years.
- His film Andaz Apna Apna is celebrated as one of Bollywood's best comedies, achieving cult status despite its initial box office performance.
- Ghayal marked Santoshi's explosive directorial debut, earning Sunny Deol a National Award for his performance in the gritty revenge drama.
With Batwara 1947 coming on August 14, fans of '90s Bollywood potboilers would be hoping that one of the most prolific filmmakers of that era would regain his golden touch.
We are, of course, talking about Rajkumar Santoshi, who gave us some incredible potboilers across the '90s and 2000s that defined the era. He is also responsible for Sunny Deol getting two of his National Awards, and Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgn one each.
He is a filmmaker who doesn't like to stick to one genre, even as he splashes commercial elements of Bollywood masala entertainers copiously. He made action potboilers like Ghayal and Ghatak. He made a madcap comedy like Andaz Apna Apna.
He made a hard-hitting courtroom drama about sexual assault in Damini. He made a western in China Gate. He has also made a historical drama in The Legend of Bhagat Singh and a romcom in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
It's like being a Jack of All Genres. Save for horror, Santoshi should try that next.
The director, since the success of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, has been in a creative slump, with some of his announced projects failing to launch, like Power, and those that did failing to impress audiences, like his last movie, Bad Boy.
With Batwara 1947, which is an adaptation of Asghar Wajahat's novel Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamya E Nai, we hope to see Rajkumar Santoshi bring back his mojo to the big screen and not be a Gadar wannabe that the trailer seems to be promising.
With that hope in mind, Sreeju Sudhakaran recalls what he believes are the 10 best works of Rajkumar Santoshi and ranks them from ajab to ghazab!
10. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009)
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
There is a sense of wannabeness in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani that doesn't sit well with someone who has grown up on Rajkumar Santoshi movies.
It wants to be hip for the younger fans of Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif at the time. It wants to be a screw-loose comedy like Andaz Apna Apna. The point is, it wants to be but doesn't truly go there.
Yet, there are some strengths. Ranbir is too good in an out-and-out comedy role, and his chemistry with Katrina was quite superb. The songs were really good, with Kaise Batayen still winning hearts.
Salman Khan drops in for an absolutely scene-stealing meta cameo that feels pretty ironic when you watch it now, considering what all happened afterwards, with those three actors in that scene.
9. Lajja (2001)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, JioHotstar, Eros Now, MX Player
Lajja is a movie that is powerful in parts, but as a whole, it needs some serious editing.
Basically, it wants to drive the point about how India celebrates its women as goddesses, but that doesn't translate to reality, where women are subjected to all forms of abuse. It does so in strong doses, with some meandering gaps in between.
There are moments that stay with you over the years, like Janki's fierce moral standoff with her gutless fiancé during the Ramleela sequence, Mythili giving a verbal showdown to her boyfriend's family or Ramdulari's gut-wrenching assault scene.
The ensemble cast is enticing, with particularly standout performances from Madhuri Dixit, Rekha and Ajay Devgn.
Yet the first act set in the USA is shaky in trying to establish Vaidehi's troubled married life, and the comedy track involving Johnny Lever and Razak Khan doesn't fit into the movie's serious scheme of things.
8. Ghayal (1990)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, Z5
Rajkumar Santoshi made an explosive start with his first film as a director, a tough-as-nails revenge drama with a National Award-winning performance from Sunny Deol (Special Mention).
The tale is as redundant as it comes, with Deol playing an avenging young man out to take down the villain, played memorably by Amrish Puri, for what he has done to his brother and his family.
But what works for the movie is the gritty treatment, the fiery showdowns between the hero and the villain and the thrills, particularly that prison escape scene.
The last aspect also inspired a similar breakout scene in Gupt, this time centred on Sunny's younger brother Bobby, and in both cases, the police officer sent to capture them was played by Om Puri!
Ghayal came out at a time when it was cool for the hero to show his anger at the crumbling system, and it effectively does so through Sunny Deol's roaring form.
26 years later, a sequel, Ghayal Once Again, was made with Deol returning as the lead. However, it was he who directed the movie after allegedly having a fallout with Santoshi.
7. Pukar (2000)
Where To Watch: Z5, MX Player
For most part of it, Pukar is a well-made thriller with superb technical values, excellent performances and strong writing.
The action sequences are mounted with ambitious finesse, particularly the opening sequence where the hero, Major Jaidev (Anil Kapoor, who won his first National Award for Best Actor), captures the villain, the terrorist head Abrush (Danny Denzongpa), in a daring operation.
From there, it incorporates a love triangle with sinister repercussions, features a strong grey-shaded performance from Madhuri Dixit, and has some very captivating twists and turns.
The only major shaky part is the climax, which feels weak in its execution. Pukar also features an incredible soundtrack from A R Rahman with bangers like Sunta Hai Mera Khuda, Kismat Se Tum and Kay Sera Sera.
6. Damini (1993)
Where To Watch: YouTube
With a plot that is inspired by the 1985 film Silent Witness, the movie revolves around a woman's fight for justice for a rape victim, with one of the accused belonging to her husband's family.
Damini begins as this breezy romantic drama focusing on the chemistry between Meenakshi Seshadri and Rishi Kapoor. While these portions are mellow and passable, it is with that disturbing Holi sequence that Damini really hooks you in.
It does a fabulous job of setting up the protagonist's righteous mindset and her stand against her own family.
The entry of Sunny Deol as the lion-hearted lawyer and his powerful sparring with Amrish Puri's rival lawyer in court are too good to be missed. Even if it ends up compromising on the movie's attempt at being women-empowering, with Deol basically being the knight in a lawyer's robes.
Of course, Damini also gave us the eternally prevalent quote, 'Tarikh par tarikh, tarikh par tarikh, tarikh par tarikh, tarikh par tarikh milti rahi hai... lekin insaaf nahi mila my Lord, insaaf nahi mila.'
Not to mention, we finally knew the weight of Sunny Deol's fists.
5. China Gate (1998)
Where To Watch: YouTube
Like Damini, China Gate is also inspired by an American film, in this case, the classic The Magnificent Seven. It is not the first Hindi film to do so, with Sholay and Khottey Sikkay being other examples.
I could bring up the actual original, Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, Seven Samurai, but let's just say, not even Hollywood could dare to replicate its complex themes of a dying class system in Japan, and the survival of heroism in a bitter battle against hunger. Instead, The Magnificent Seven was more pulpy in nature, and that pulpiness is what attracted the several Bollywood remakes.
What I particularly like about China Gate is how it makes its band of protagonists into former war veterans and their mission to catch a dangerous dacoit as means to regain their lost honour.
The lack of star power in the cast definitely dented its box office performance then, but the inclusion of powerhouse actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Danny Denzongpa and Amrish Puri increased its mettle.
Mukesh Tiwari made a scintillating debut as the dreaded Jageera, who has some err... interesting catchphrases like 'Mere man ko bhaya main kutta kat ke khaya', and Paresh Rawal also stood out as the corrupt policeman.
I am not a fan of the film including a young lead, Samir Soni in his debut, and the romantic track involving him and Mamta Kulkarni, as it kind of negates the significance of the lead casting it was aiming for. Otherwise, China Gate is still an entertaining guilty-pleasure westerner with good drama, action and performances.
4. Ghatak (1996)
Where To Watch: YouTube
Ghatak is the kind of potboiler that lives up to its tagline, 'Lethal'.
A solid actioner with Sunny Deol in supreme form, Ghatak, like Ghayal, is a well-made revenge drama about one man who takes on an entire evil syndicate empowered by the system.
The manner in which Santoshi builds up the tyranny of Katya and his six brothers and how that impacts the life of Kashi Nath, a mere visitor to the city, is told in the most enthralling way.
Ghatak is '90s masala at its best, with the action being raw and unbridled without going too overboard, and some very intense sequences.
And for a change, after tyrannically harassing Deol's character in Ghayal and Damini, Amrish Puri harassed him here in a more endearing manner as his adoptive father, with Danny Denzongpa taking on the impactful negative role.
Despite taking on a positive role this time, Amrish Puri went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
3. Khakee (2004)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, MX Player and JioHotstar
I still believe that Khakee has one of the best opening scenes in Hindi cinema from this century, in how it executed the attack on Ansari's police convoy.
A thrilling drama about a group of cops trying to escort an alleged terrorist to Mumbai, Khakee benefits from its well-knit screenplay with some effective punches, face-offs, monologues and surprise twists and turns.
The ensemble cast also puts its best foot forward. Leading from the front is Amitabh Bachchan, who is scintillating as the veteran cop leading a shaky team into unknown danger.
It is hard to believe that it took nearly 14 years for Santoshi to direct Bachchan, apart from his cameo in Ghatak, though their next collaboration, Family: Ties of Blood (2006), was disappointing.
Elsewhere, Ajay Devgn impressed as the antagonist. Akshay Kumar shines with his comic support and Aishwarya Rai's U-turn is something fans can't still forget.
Atul Kulkarni is fantastic in that heartbreaking monologue about his predicament. Even Tusshar Kapoor doesn't disappoint, in fact getting the best kick-ass scene of his career in the climax.
2. The Legend Of Bhagat Singh (2002)
Where To Watch: Prime Video and MX Player
It took Santoshi and Deol 30 years to work with each other again, and the reason for that is this movie. As you might be aware, both Santoshi and Sunny made their own films on the revolutionary Bhagat Singh and both were released on the same date, and both failed.
However, it was Santoshi who came up with a better biopic, a rousing dramatic retelling of one of India's most forward-thinking revolutionaries, whose life was cruelly cut short by the British.
Ajay Devgn, while a little older to play the freedom fighter who died at the age of 23, still delivered one of his best performances in the film, and duly received his second National Award for Best Actor.
The supporting cast, including Sushant Singh, D Santosh, Akhilendra Mishra, Raj Babbar and Farida Jalal, all stood out. Santoshi's masterful treatment benefited many scenes like the Kakori train raid and the prison hunger strike.
Of course, how can I not mention A R Rahman's rousing score that elevated this biopic and made it truly 'legend'?
1. Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Where To Watch: Prime Video, JioHotstar, MX Player
It is a huge shame that two of Santoshi's best films, IMO, were not appreciated at the box office, but grew on the audience thanks to their cable runs.
I don't really need to tell you the cultural significance of a film like Andaz Apna Apna, a timeless comedy that ranks among the best from Bollywood in the genre, if not the best.
The antics of Amar-Prem, the cult status of its characters like Robert, Teja, Bhalla and Crime Master Gogo, and the snappy dialogues have immersed themselves completely into evergreen nerd culture.
Andaz Apna Apna is a film that keeps rewarding you with interesting details with its rewatches, or makes you appreciate the film even more, be it the performances, the clever meta jokes, the cameos of Juhi Chawla and Govinda or its hilarious madcap writing. Even the songs were so fun.
You just want to look at every aspect of the movie and say, like Amar does, 'Shabash mere cheete... shabash!'
While fans are still clamouring for Aamir Khan and Salman Khan to reunite for another AAA film, it is better to let things go and enjoy what we have by rewatching Andaz Apna Apna once more!
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
