| Deewaar | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Yash Chopra |
| Written by | Salim–Javed |
| Produced by | Gulshan Rai |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kay Gee Koregaonkar |
| Edited by | T. R. Mangeshkar Pran Mehra |
| Music by | R. D. Burman |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 176 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi[1][2] |
Deewaar (transl.The Wall) is a 1975 Indianaction crime film written bySalim–Javed and directed byYash Chopra.[3][4] The film starsShashi Kapoor andAmitabh Bachchan, alongside anensemble cast ofNeetu Singh,Nirupa Roy,Parveen Babi,Iftekhar,Madan Puri,Satyen Kappu andManmohan Krishna.[5][6][7] The music was composed byR. D. Burman, while cinematography and editing were handled by Kay Gee Koregaonkar and T. R. Mangeshkar-Pran Mehra. In the film, two impoverished brothers struggle to survive in theslums ofMumbai and eventually find themselves on opposing sides of the law. The film's title signifies the wall that springs up between the two brothers, drawn apart by fate and circumstances in a time ofsocio-political turmoil.[8][9][10][11][12]
Deewaar was released worldwide on 24 January 1975 to critical acclaim and praise for its story, script, music cast performances (especially Bachchan, Kapoor and Roy). The film was commercially successful and is considered a ground-breaking cinematic masterpiece, withIndia Times rankingDeewaar amongst theTop 25 Must See Bollywood Films. It is also one of three Hindi-language films to be included on the list of1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.[13]
The film had a significant impact not only on Indian cinema but also onIndian society; itsanti-establishment themes and Bachchan'santi-herovigilante character resonated with audiences. Bachchan's character is often regarded as one of the most memorable onscreen character inIndian cinema, the movie cemented his image as the 'Angry young man' ofBollywood cinema.[14][15][16]Forbes India included Bachchan's performance in the film on its list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".[17] The film also cemented the success of Salim–Javed, who went on to write more blockbuster films; their value skyrocketed and they were being paid as well as the leading actors of the time.[18]Deewaar's influence also extends toworld cinema, influencing films fromHong Kong[19] andBritish cinema.[11][20]
Anand Verma resides in a modest home with his wife Sumitra and their two young sons Vijay and Ravi. He is a principled and well-respectedtrade union leader, who leads strugglinglabourers on astrike as they are depending on him to better their lives with concessions from their owner Badri Prasad. However, Prasad retaliates by kidnapping Anand's family and forcing him to sign a contract giving away the labourers' rights, in order to save his family's lives. When the striking labourers learn about Anand's actions, they all curse him and thrash him nearly to death, unaware that Anand was blackmailed to do so. The labourers even persecute Anand's family, and some of them drunkenly capture Vijay and tattoo his left arm with theHindi words "मेरा बाप चोर है" (English: "My father is a thief). Unable to bear the humiliation, Anand escapes from the town and decides to spend his remaining life aimlessly traveling in trains, abandoning his family for whom he had abandoned his principles and ideals. In desperation, Sumitra brings Vijay and Ravi to Mumbai and resorts to low-wagemanual labour to raise her sons as asingle mother. Their home is on thefootpath under a huge bridge that is home to millions ofhomeless urban poor.
As Vijay and Ravi grow up in theslums of Mumbai, Vijay has an acute awareness of his father's humiliation, for he has been victimized for his father's supposed misdeeds, and is reminded of his past by the ever-present tattoo on his arm. He also refuses to enter atemple, stating that he wishes to chart his own destiny and not beg for it from the deities. Vijay starts out as ashoeshiner and later becomes ashipyard labourer in his youth, sacrificing his own education in order to enable Ravi to study. On the other hand, Ravi is a perfect citizen and is unwavering in his commitment to law and righteousness. Although all his attempts at receiving a job are in vain, Ravi romances Veera, the daughter ofDCP Narang, by whom he is sent forpolice training and soon earns the rank ofSub-Inspector. In the process of fighting for his rights, Vijay refuses to pay the weeklyextortion to thehenchmen of the shipyard owner Samant, who is a mercilesscrime lord. Vijay proceeds to thrash several of Samant's henchmen, and a disappointed Sumitra berates him due to this. Vijay sarcastically asks her whether she expects him "also" to escape like a coward, implying that he criticises his father's actions, causing a perturbed Sumitra to slap Vijay and half-heartedly defend Anand. However, this event influences one of Samant's rivals, Mulk Raj Daavar, to hire Vijay to protect hissmuggledgold bullion that has been thrice hijacked by Samant. Vijay sells the information to Samant to help him hijack the gold bullion, takes the money from Samant, then captures the gold bullion from hiswarehouse and hands it over to Daavar, who rewards Vijay with a huge sum of money, allowing him to purchase a palatial home for his family.
Meanwhile, DCP Narang provides Ravi his first assignment to apprehend and arrest some of the hardcore criminals and smugglers in Mumbai, which also include Daavar and Vijay. Ravi is shocked for having never associated his brother with criminal activities, and must now decide between apprehending Vijay and quitting the police force. Later, Ravi shoots an impoverished boy Chander in the leg non-fatally in an attempt to arrest him for committing theft, only to find out that Chander had stolen only some bread for his family. After admitting Chander to a hospital under police custody, a remorseful Ravi visits his home, offering his family some food and confessing his action, but Chander's enraged mother berates Ravi and accuses him of colluding with the state in protecting those who store goods in warehouses, and hunting down petty thieves trying to feed their starving families. However, Chander's father, who is a retiredschoolteacher, forgives Ravi and justifies the shooting by stating that the stealing no matter of alakh or of apenny is a crime, and that all criminals should be treated equally and it would lead toanarchy if all the poor and needy resort to the same life. After hearing both sides from Chander's parents, Ravi, who was initially reluctant to act against his own brother, is finally motivated to agree to take his case from DCP Narang.
When Ravi investigates that Vijay has acquired wealth overnight by crime, he confronts Vijay and orders him to surrender himself to the police. However, Vijay refuses to do so, citing all the injustice caused to him and his family. Nevertheless, Ravi decides to leave the house purchased by him and go to live in hispolice quarters. Sumitra too is disgusted with Vijay and chooses to live with Ravi, even refusing to accept Vijay's gift of the high-riseapartment where she had once worked as a manual labourer. Ravi then completes his task assigned by DCP Narang and arrests many henchmen from the gangs of Samant, Davaar and Vijay (including Daavar himself), causing afeud to develop between Vijay and Ravi. Shouldering past the loss of his mother and brother and many of his associates, Vijay enters into an intimate relationship with Anita, aprostitute whom he meets at abar. Around the same time, Anand'sdead body is discovered inside a train and hisfuneral is performed by Vijay. Anita advises Vijay to erase the tattoo on his arm throughplastic surgery, but Vijay states that doing so cannot erase the words on the tattoo from his heart and soul. Meanwhile, Sumitra fallsterminally ill and Vijay is also unable to visit her at thehospital due to the police appointed by Ravi to arrest him. A furious Vijay enters the temple for the first time, and confronts the deity for punishing him at the cost of his faithful mother. As a result, Sumitra miraculously recovers from her terminal illness, much to Ravi and Veera's happiness.
Later, Vijay learns that Anita ispregnant with hisillegitimate child and decides to abandon his life in theunderworld, so that he can marry Anita, surrender himself to the police and seek forgiveness from Sumitra and Ravi, not wanting their unborn son to be scarred the way he was. He also calls Sumitra and asks her to arrive at the temple to give him blessings. Despite this, things take a drastic turn when Samant and his remaining henchmen arrive and thrash Anita to death in revenge. After an emotional moment, Anita dies in the arms of Vijay, who retaliates by brutally murdering Samant and his remaining henchmen, thus branding himself a criminal forever. Ravi learns about the deaths of Samant and his henchmen, and when the two brothers meet for a final clash at thecrime scene, Ravi pleads with Vijay to stop running and surrender himself, and ends up shooting him in the arm and heart fatally. After getting hit by thegunshot, a gravely injured and dying Vijay uses a car to escape from Ravi and crashes it into the wall of the temple, where he reunites with Sumitra and pleads forgiveness. Vijay Verma then dies in Sumitra's arms, leaving her extremely shattered, just as Ravi arrives at the temple and is completely distraught over what he did to Vijay. The film ends with a scene of DCP Narang and the policeawarding Ravi, along with Veera and Sumitra for his successful pursuit of justice, though Ravi is still filled with remorse for killing Vijay Verma.
The film's screenplay, story and dialogues were written bySalim–Javed (Salim Khan andJaved Akhtar). The main inspiration for the plot was the filmGunga Jumna (1961), starringDilip Kumar, which had a similar premise of two brothers on opposing sides of the law, with the elder criminal brother as the main character.[21][22]Deewaar is thus considered to be a spiritual successor toGunga Jumna.[23] Salim–Javed creditedGunga Jumna as well asMehboob Khan'sMother India (1957) as the main inspirations forDeewaar, which they described as a "more urban, much more contemporary" take on their themes; whileMother India andGunga Jumna took place in a rural context, Salim–Javed reinterpreted their themes in a contemporary urban context withDeewaar.[24]
Amitabh Bachchan's character, Vijay, was loosely inspired by the real-lifeMumbai underworld gangsterHaji Mastan.[11][12] Vijay's story arc in the film parallels that of Mastan's life, such as the rise from a humbledockyardporter to a powerfulsmuggler,[12][25] and Mastan's rivalry with smuggler Sukkur Narayan Bakhia is similar to Vijay's rivalry with Samant (Madan Puri).[12]
Salim–Javed's screenplay had dynamic dialogues and incorporated a number of symbolicmotifs. For example, the scene where the two brothers meet as adults takes place under a bridge, symbolizing a bridge forming between the brothers.[14] Set in theDharavislums ofMumbai, the film's story ofgangsters in Dharavi was a critique ofsocio-political inequality andinjustice in Mumbai.[20] The characterisations of the two brothers aresociologically contextualised to represent a form of urban conflict and drama, aimed at presenting a causal explanation for the sequence of events and Vijay'ssocial alienation, with the narrative explaining his every action and decision, grounded in his memories and experiences.[10]
The script generally has an atmosphere ofsecularism, while incorporating subtle religious motifs.[14] The mother Sumitra (Nirupa Roy) and police brother Ravi (Shashi Kapoor) are religiousHindus, whereas the criminal brother Vijay (Bachchan) is generallynot religious and "upset with God", yet he carries a badge numbered786 which hisMuslimco-worker, Rahim Chacha (Yunus Parvez), points out to be a number of religious significance inIslam[14] (representingBismillah) and has its ownsubplot.[19] The 786 badge plays a powerful and symbolic role in several scenes,[14] saving Vijay at key moments[26] and signifying somethingominous when he loses it.[14]
Salim–Javed initially showed the script to Bachchan, whom they had in mind for Vijay's role after having worked with him onZanjeer (1973). At the time, Bachchan was working on another film withYash Chopra, and told him about the script. After some initial scepticism, Chopra was eventually convinced to direct the film after Salim–Javed narrated the storyline to him.[14]
Bachchan's "angry young man" performance as Vijay in the film was inspired by Dilip Kumar's intense performance as Gunga inGunga Jumna, which Bachchan sharpened and reinterpreted in a contemporary urban context reflecting the changing socio-political climate of 1970s India.[27][28]
Salim–Javed "felt only Bachchan could do justice to Vijay's role." According to Akhtar, they "saw his talent, which most makers didn't. He was exceptional, a genius actor who was in films that weren't good." At Salim–Javed's insistence, Bachchan was cast in the role.[14] DirectorYash Chopra's first choices for Vijay and Ravi's roles wereDev Anand andRajesh Khanna respectively. After Anand rejected the script, casting plans changed and Khanna was to play Vijay andNavin Nischol was considered for Ravi. However, Salim–Javed had Amitabh Bachchan andShatrughan Sinha in mind when they wrote the script; Sinha turned down the film when he heard Khanna was initially cast in the lead, due to a fallout between the two.Nirupa Roy's role as Sumitra Devi was also first offered toVyjayanthimala; Nischol and Vyjayanthimala turned down the film after they found out Khanna would no longer be involved.Shashi Kapoor was subsequently cast as Ravi, and Nirupa Roy as Sumitra Devi.[29]
In 2014, Bachchan revealed that his iconic look in the film – a "denim blue shirt worn with khakee pants and a rope dangling over the shoulder" – was the result of a mistake by the tailor. He said, "The knotted shirt and rope on the shoulder in [Deewaar] was an adjustment for an error in stitching, shirt too long so knotted it".[30] In certain scenes, Bachchan had some input on Chopra's direction, such as the father's funeral scene where Bachchan, instead of lighting the pyre with his right hand, suggests to use his left hand to show off the tattoo, "Mera baap chor hai" ("My father is a thief").[14] The film was shot mostly at night because Bachchan was shooting forRamesh Sippy'sSholay at that time.[31]
The film contains a fight scene[32] that involves Bachchanperforming martial arts inspired byHong Kong martial arts cinema, whichDeewaar was one of the first to do in Indian cinema.[33][34] Rather than following the Hollywood model, it follows the Hong Kong model, with an emphasis on acrobatics andstunts. The style of fighting seen inDeewaar combinedkung fu (as it was perceived by Indians) withIndian martial arts (particularlyIndian wrestling).[35]
| Deewaar | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album toDeewaar by | |
| Released | 1975 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Language | Hindustani |
| Label | Universal |
| Producer | R. D. Burman |
The soundtrack of the movie was composed byR. D. Burman, and the lyrics were penned bySahir Ludhianvi. The soundtrack received praise.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kehdoon Tumhe, Ya Chup Rahun" | Kishore Kumar,Asha Bhosle | 4:09 |
| 2. | "Maine Tujhe Maanga, Tujhe Paaya Hai" | Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle | 4:29 |
| 3. | "Koi Mar Jaaye" | Asha Bhosle,Usha Mangeshkar | 5:37 |
| 4. | "Deewaron Ka Jungle" | Manna Dey | 5:06 |
| 5. | "Idhar Ka Mal Udhar" | Bhupinder Singh | 3:23 |
| 6. | "I Am Falling in Love with a Stranger" | Ursula Vaz | 5:15 |
| Total length: | 27:19 | ||
At the Indian box office, the film grossed₹75 million[36] ($9 million).[a] InMumbai alone, the film grossed₹10 million.[38] In terms offootfalls, the film sold an estimated31 million tickets at an average 1975 price of₹2.40 per ticket.[39]Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to an estimated₹4.17 billion ($64 million) at an average 2017 price of₹134.38 per ticket.[40]
Upon release,Deewaar was ablockbuster, ranking as thefourth-highest-grossingBollywood film of 1975, and received critical acclaim, with critics praising the story, dialogue and screenplay, as well as the performances of the cast, particularly those of Bachchan, Kapoor and Roy.[41]Indiatimes ranksDeewaar amongst theTop 25 Must See Bollywood Films.[13] It is one of the threeHindi films featured in the 2017 edition of the book1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the others beingMother India (1957) andDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995).[42]
It was perceived by audiences to beanti-establishment, while Amitabh Bachchan's character Vijay was seen as avigilante angry hero, establishing Bachchan's image as the "angry young man" of Indian cinema.[14] With the unprecedented growth ofslums across India at the time, Vijay was seen as a new kind of hero, with his suppressed rage giving a voice to the angst of the urban poor.[10][20]Deewaar is also remembered for its iconic dialogues written by Salim–Javed. The most famous example is when Shashi Kapoor delivers the line, "Mere paas maa hai" ("I have mother"), a line that is widely known in India and has become part of Indian popular culture.[43][44] The filmLoins of Punjab Presents (2007) mocked how the line is sometimes wrongly attributed to Amitabh Bachchan.[45] It also established Parveen Babi as the "new Bollywood woman".[46]
The film cemented the success of the writing duo Salim–Javed, who went on to write many more blockbuster films. After the success of this film, the value of film writers skyrocketed thanks to Salim–Javed, and they soon were being paid as highly as some actors at the time.[18] Amitabh Bachchan described Salim–Javed's screenplay forDeewaar as "the perfect script"[14] and "the best screenplay ever" in Indian cinema.[8]Deewaar, one of the first Indian films with anaction sequence modelled afterHong Kong martial arts cinema, popularised the use of martial arts sequences in Bollywood films from the 1970s to the 1990s.[33] The style of fighting popularised byDeewaar, with acrobatics andstunts, and combining Chinesekung fu (as it was perceived by Indians, based on 1970s Hong Kong films) with Indianpehlwani wrestling, became the standard model for Bollywood action scenes up until the 1990s.[35]
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The film was later remade inTelugu asMagaadu (1976), inTamil asThee (1981), inMalayalam asNathi Muthal Nathi Vare (1983), in Persian asKoose-ye Jonoob (1978), and in Turkish asAcıların Çocuğu (1985). Another remake ofDeewaar was the 1994 Bollywood filmAatish: Feel the Fire, starringSanjay Dutt as the older criminal brother,Atul Agnihotri as the younger police brother, andTanuja as the mother.[47] Despite the Telugu remake, the film was remade in Telugu again asRailway Coolie (2001).[48]
Deewaar had an influence onHong Kong cinema and in turnHollywood cinema, by playing a key role in the creation of theheroic bloodshed crime genre of 1980sHong Kong action cinema.[49] Hong Kong'sShaw Brothers studio remadeDeewaar asThe Brothers (1979),[19] which in turn inspiredJohn Woo's internationally acclaimed breakthroughA Better Tomorrow (1986).[49]The Brothers also starred a Hong Kong actor that would later be known for heroic bloodshed films,Danny Lee (playing Shashi Kapoor's character), with a police officer persona later seen in Hong Kong crime films such as Woo'sThe Killer (1989).[19]Deewaar, along with several later 1970s "angry young man" epics it inspired, such asAmar Akbar Anthony (1977), had similarities to elements later seen in 1980s Hong Kong heroic bloodshed films.[50]
British directorDanny Boyle describedDeewaar as being "absolutely key to Indian cinema" and cited the film as an influence on hisAcademy Award winning filmSlumdog Millionaire (2008).[11] The film's co-directorLoveleen Tandan noted that "Simon Beaufoy studied Salim–Javed's kind of cinema minutely."[51] ActorAnil Kapoor noted that some scenes ofSlumdog Millionaire "are likeDeewaar, the story of two brothers of whom one is completely after money while the younger one is honest and not interested in money."[52]Slumdog Millionaire, which pays homage to Amitabh Bachchan, has a similar narrative structure toDeewaar. ComposerA. R. Rahman referenced the film in his Oscar acceptance speech.[45]
Deewaar received theFilmfare Best Movie Award of 1976, and also won six moreFilmfare Awards forBest Screenplay,Best Dialogue,Best Director,Best Sound,Best Story, andBest Supporting Actor (Kapoor), and received two other nominations forBest Actor (Bachchan) andBest Supporting Actress (Roy).[53]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Filmfare Awards | Best Film | Gulshan Rai | Won | [54] |
| Best Director | Yash Chopra | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Amitabh Bachchan | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Shashi Kapoor | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Nirupa Roy | Nominated | |||
| Best Story | Salim–Javed | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||||
| Best Dialogue | Won | ||||
| Best Sound | M. A. Shaikh | Won |
JA: I write dialogue in Urdu, but the action and descriptions are in English. Then an assistant transcribes the Urdu dialogue into Devnagari because most people read Hindi. But I write in Urdu.
