Raaste Kaa Patthar

Raaste Kaa Pathar review :

One of Amitabh Bachchan pre-Zanjeer flops; Raaste Kaa Pathar had an interesting and oh-so-bold concept for the '70s. Amitabh played an executive in a modelling agency who lets his boss hire out his flat for their private affairs in order to further his career. One day, his super boss (Prem Chopra) asks for the keys to his house. Only Bachchan doesn't know that Chopra intends to take his lady love (Neeta Khayani) there..

There was a parallel track of Amitabh's jobless writer friend played by Shatrughan Sinha whose wife (Laxmi Chhaya) is forced to sell herself for a living in order to run the house.

Of the cast, Amitabh Bachchan had the central role and he nailed it. The sexy Laxmi Chhaya outshone the lead Neeta Khayani even in a smaller role. Shatrughan didn't suit the loser character he played. Prem Chopra was his usual. Satyen Kappu's wig was hideous to say the least..

At concept level, Raaste Kaa Pathar was too bold for the '70s which was the prime reason the film fared miserably at the box office. However, the same plot wowed the millennium audience when director Anurag Basu borrowed it for Life In A Metro (2007). A classic example of oft repeated filmi adage that what doesnt work today may work tomorrow!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.