Armaan

A rip off from Casablanca. The costumes , songs , discos , hair styles do not do justice to the period drama sadly . They are conspicuously modern . The movie is set in the 40s. Ranjeeta and Deepak are lovers and are united in their fight for freedom against the British. Deepak is deemed dead when he along with his friends try to bomb a bridge . Dejected , Ranjeeta leaves town and meets Raj ( who runs a bar) . They get close and after a few duets , when Ranjeets is all set to marry Raj , she realises that Deepak is indeed alive and has escaped death. She again aligns herself to Deepak, her first love . Hurt and sad , Raj shifts to Goa and starts another big bar . A large part of the movie is set in Goa . A lot of interaction between the British and Portugese governments and their policies is shown. Shakti Kapoor ( as a corrupt Portugese officer ) and Shammi Kapoor ( as a singer ) add a bright dash of comic touch with their squabblings. The British are looking for Deepak and keep chasing him . When Ranjeeta and Deepak try to flee , she comes in touch with Raj again who is by now totally disillusioned with love and women. She pleads with him to get them visa to leave Goa. Initially , he refuses as its his chance to get back to her .in the end , he realises his mistake and makes Shakti Kapoor give them both visa. Both escape out of the country . Shammi has a small role as Raj's friend philosopher and guide. Over all a nice movie with nice songs. The last few minutes are very poignant with a repentant Raj helping out his old love Ranjeeta and letting them fly scot free. Raj is the back bone of this movie. A tender lover, a shocked discard, a vengeful bar owner , a redeemed helper ...He shows all emotions finely . A one time watch.

Armaan review :

Adapted from Hollywood classic Casablanca (1942), Armaan is memorable for Bappi Lahiri's disco songs - Rambha Ho Ho and Mere Jaisi Haseena - picturised on the glamour doll Kalpana Iyer who elevated the tracks to different level altogether.

The firangi plot is adapted to the Indian palette. In the pre-independence era, Deepak Parashar plays a freedom fighter landing up in Goa to migrate to Japan and join Indian National Army (INA). Raj Babbar, a Goan bar owner has a grudge against him as his lady love Ranjeeta ditched him for Deepak. Shammi Kapoor plays the jovial bar staff cum piano player who loves pulling the leg of Shakti Kapoor playing the freeloading Portuguese Captain Gomes. Shammi refers to him as HK which is Holy King as well as Haraam Khor to gather a few lol moments.

The Portuguese- British diplomatic relations is interestingly woven in to the narrative. So is the fact that Portuguese were even more cruel and corrupt than the British. An antique watch is enough to entice the authorised signatory to approve a visa application.

The film also had a bold scene where it is implied Raj Babbar has had sex with Kalpana Iyer in his car and then he ditches her there and then. Kalpana's bare back is shown even as Babbar asks her to buzz off.

But most importantly, it was the Rambha Ho item number which makes Armaan immortal. The song became an anthem of sorts in the early '80s and Kalpana Iyer's dance moves attained the level of immortality. This is one movie where Kalpana stole the show over the film's lead heroine Ranjeeta Kaur.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.