Ram Aur Shyam (1967) :
Brief Review -
Chanakya's rock-solid remake that influenced every single possibility of the entire thematic formula of twin brothers in Hindi cinema. Chanakya made Ramudu Bheemudu and then remade it in Hindi with the legendary Dilip Kumar. The actor has often spoken about the nuances in the screenplay and how well they're written when it comes to connecting with the public's emotions. Hollywood may have done many twin formula movies before us, but none of them were huge hits or highly popular films with the masses. I myself have enjoyed watching legendary actresses like Bette Davis and Olivia De Havilland in twin roles, but Hollywood was more concerned about the content and American melodrama or noir touch than an easy mass cinema. Chanakya's Ram Aur Shyam paved the way for that people's mass cinema. You can look at all the twin formula movies made over the years and easily notice how heavily Ram Aur Shyam has influenced them all. Getting Dilip Kumar in the lead must have been a risky decision since he has been keeping away from mass films after Madhumati, Naya Daur, Kohinoor, and Ganga Jamuna because other films didn't work that well. He had that tragedy-king image, which was broken by this film. Even Ganga Jamuna, which was a huge blockbuster, had that tragic ending to provide him with that particular segment to show his tragedy-king image, but Ram Aur Shyam is outrightly a comedy-action drama. It must have been a huge shock to critics and his fans when Mr. Kumar showed this new side that's loaded with wit, humor, action, romance, and enough drama (which was so easy for him). Twin formulas were still predictable, but providing a touch of "swipe" to that idea while adapting the "comedy of errors" was something difficult. Chanakya handled it very well and left an entire textbook behind so that other filmmakers could easily read and learn from it. Ever think about watching Twin Brothers masala flicks? Start from here.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
