Izzat

Saw the movie today, and felt compelled to write about it. I took up the movie mainly because Jayalalitha's death made me curious to know how she acted in her only full-fledged Hindi film. Also, I am a big fan of Dharmendra and love most of his movies.

The plot is about dark-skinned Shekhar who returns to his village after studies to find out from the local missionary that he is an illegitimate child born out of rape. He is enraged at his mother's maltreatment at the hand of the rapist, the local landlord (Thakur) played by Balraj Sahni, and goes to seek revenge. His quest for revenge soon brings him the love of a sister, brother and sweetheart and finally...you have to see the rest to know.

Direction by T Prakash Rao is excellent, and events unfold in quick succession leaving you hooked to the drama until the end. Dharmendra is superb in his roles, and rocks the screen. There is a twist to his role that is unveiled sometime around the 25th minute. He plays his part with aplomb, and is ably supported by Jayalalitha and Tanuja - both of whom perform really well, and Balraj Sahni (my favorite actor), Mehmood and Mukri. The climax is fine and satisfactory.

Two songs stand out - Kya Miliye Aise Logon Se by Rafi and Yeh Dil Tum Bin Kahin Lagta Nahin by Rafi and Lata. Other songs could have been better. There are no fights, but well-handled drama will not make you miss its absence. Go watch it, highly recommended.