Kaalia

Kaalia review:

As a kid, I just loved the poster of Kaalia which had an angry looking Amitabh Bachchan with handcuffs on. I used to persuade my dear late grandfather to take me to Badal Cinema, Matunga every evening just to see the huge hoarding there.

Kaalia, released at peak of Bachchan's superstardom, relied totally on the actor's solid charisma and swag. A simpleton weakling Kallu (Amitabh) is framed by his brother's (Kader Khan in a superb cameo) rich employer Shaani Seth (Amjad Khan) and sentenced to nine months jail. The moment where Bachchan steps out of prison as an angry young man with new identity Kaalia is simply clap-worthy. How he teaches Shaani Seth a lesson forms the rest of the movie..

The charming Parveen Babi was cast as Kaalia's love interest while legendary Pran Saahab was super effective as the tough jailor who likes to mock Kaalia at every instance. Amjad Khan as the villainous Shaani Seth, set new standard for the sophisticated baddie. Amitabh destroying Jagdeep's brand new car was lifted from Feroz Khan's Qurbani (1980).

R. D. Burman's music was another positive factor. 'Jahan teri yeh nazar hai..' has Amitabh swinging to the beats so effortlessly that it later became his signature dance step!

Kaalia is ever memorable for Amitabh's punchline "Hum jahan khade hote hai...line wahin se shuru hoti hai". It was oft repeated by many others through '80s and '90s Bollywood. But none could match Bachchan!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.