Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) :
Brief Review -
"High Noon" meets Spaghetti Western!" A dacoit drama that knows nothing but to fulfill its duties to its genre. Some films are so rooted and so honest in their themes and genres that you feel like you are living in their worlds for those 2 hours. Films like Ganga Jamuna and Mughal-E-Azam were fine examples of such filmmaking, where the locations, costumes, accent, and overall production everything looked to have immersed itself in that specific world. Mera Gaon Mera Desh is one such film that immerses itself in that dacoit's world, which we have seen many times and sometimes better, but yet it feels close to reality. Except for that introduction scene in the jail, which was needed to transfer the main character from that world to this world, the entire film is set in a village, and every single frame speaks about its volumes of filmmaking. The only problem is that the storyline is very similar to the old Hollywood western or the newly formed westerns (in the 60s), which makes it a very predictable affair. My father has seen it in a theater, and he often watches this film on TV and loves it. He sometimes skips a few scenes, but he never skips the songs and the climax. I agree too. "Kya Kehta Hai Saawan," "Apni Prem Kahaniyaan," and "Maar Diya Jaye" are super hit songs and are ageless. MGMD can be noted as one of Vinod Khanna's most impactful performances ever because the screen presence he creates as a brutal dacoit and an antagonist takes this film a notch higher. Dharmendra is a criminal turned into a savior, and he gets enough of his own scenes. The entire climax portion, which includes gunshots, chase, and that last belt treatment scene, is elevated by Dharmendra's macho image. Asha Parekh and Laxmi Chhaya both add "beauty with brain" term and make this one a glamorous affair for villagers. Regardless of a weak plot, Raj Khosla creates a massy and engaging dacoit drama that is true to its identity. Overall, a good film boosted by super hit songs.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
