Magroor

Rich boy poor girl. Rich girl poor boy. Conceited boy getting smitten by a simple girl or vice versa. We have seen so many stories in Indian movies. Such a hackneyed plot can also entertain when well-developed and skilfully presented on the screen. Magroor(1979) is one such movie only which is quite entertaining. It stars Shatrughan Sinha and Vidya Sinha in lead roles.

Magroor(conceited / haughty) is the story of Ranjeet(Shatrughan Sinha) who is a rich businessman as well as a rich brat considering every girl as a sex-object and available against generous consideration. He is not having parents and in his house, he is surrounded by many relatives who are having no affection for him and are only greedy of his wealth. When a hotel receptionist Anju(Vidya Sinha) hurts his ego, he gets her expelled from her job. Still when she is not ready to bow before the might of his wealth, then he decides to get her through a scheme. Entering into a bet with his good-for-nothing friends in this regard, he approaches Anju under the fake identity of a motor-mechanic Raaju and starts wooing her while working as the assistant of his inefficient motor-mechanic brother Raakesh(Paintal). Gradually he is not only able to win Anju's heart but loses his own heart also to her. Now he is no longer after her body but wants to make her his life partner. However Anju who has never seen Ranjeet in his true self, still hates him for getting her expelled from the job. Ranjeet alias Raaju also comes to know that due to his mistake only, the little sister of Anju and Raakesh had lost her voice. Pent-up by his guilty conscience, now he wants to bring the voice of the little girl back as his penitence. However by this time, already a large conspiracy has started against him in his home for the sake of his wealth. Ranjeet is aware of the conspiracy but not the mastermind behind that. Everything is set right in the climax.

The story of Magroor has been written nicely and despite lifting many things from different Bollywood movies, it renders a feeling of novelty also when its rom-com track takes off. The romantic track of Anju and Raaju(Ranjeet in disguise) is hilarious as well as touching. This part of the movie has a repeat value also. However the writer(K.K. Shukla) and director(Brij) could not resist the temptation of giving the final reels of the movie the form of a suspense-thriller. This part though interesting and intriguing(because of the suspense regarding the identity of the mastermind of the conspiracy against the hero) spoils the pleasure of watching a good rom-com.

Many characters of the movie(who are the greedy relatives of the rich hero) have been introduced in the opening but their roles get activated much later in the movie which is a flaw of the screenplay. The entry scene of the hero is good. And the ending scene showing the union of the hero and the heroine, deserves a lot of applause.

By the time of this movie, Shatrughan Sinha who used to do negative roles in the initial few years of his acting career, has established himself as a hero in Bollywood. In a scene, this fact has been highlighted through his dialogs only that he's no longer a villain and turned into a hero. I found it as ridiculous but his admirers may find it hilarious.

Technically the movie is okay. Due to poor quality film used for the movie, the colours of the prints now available for watching have faded a lot. Laxmikant Pyarelaal have composed ordinary music for the movie.

Shatrughan Sinha has done well in the title role with his mannerismic performance which had become the trademark of his personality during his heyday making him immensely popular in the Indian movie buffs. Vidya Sinha was the perfect girl next door in the Bollywood movies during the seventies. She was a good actress who seldom disappointed in the role of a simple, middle class girl. Here also she fits the bill. Paintal has done good comedy. Great actress Naadira is simple brilliant in the emotional role of the Christian landlady of the heroine and her brother. All others are routine. Dr. Shreeraam Laagoo is a cut above the rest in the supporting cast.

All in all, Magroor is an interesting flick which will be liked by both the romantic movie buffs as well as the crime-thriller fans. Overall it's a one time watch but, as said earlier also, the reels devoted to the rom-com portion can be watched and enjoyed more than once.

Magroor ( haughty/ conceited) refers to Shatrughan Sinha's Ranjeet character, a rich man who gets everything he wants: girls and fast cars, but he's unable to woo Anju, a telephone operator, and after she jilts him, he accepts a challenge from his friends to make Anju fall in love with him, and takes up the identity of a mechanic to woo her.

But things get complicated when he actually falls in love with her - and also a member amongst his avarice family members plot to have him killed - and that by using his twin to do the dirty job.

The most unique aspect of this good entertainer is the fact that the much used double-role aspect is given a twist, and that occurs in the latter half of the film, which follows a romantic comedy angle between Vidya and Shatrughan Sinha. That portion is great, but the suspense-thriller portion gives this film a shot in the arm. It's quite a nail-biter, making you think how the hero will get out of this predicament, and more importantly lure the family member who want him dead so he can usurp his wealth. That mastermind's identity comes as a surprise, and the finale is quite exciting.

Additionally there are good performances from Prem Nath, Nadia, Deven Verma, Vidya Sinha, and the family members are really hilarious with their particular traits. Loved the scene in the courtroom when they get up and take the blame of Ranjeet's murder because of a clause that says that anyone kills Ranjeet gets all his money!!!