Starcast :- Mithun Chakraborty, Smita Patil, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Arun Govil, Aruna Irani, Sarika, Supriya Pathak, Gulshan Grover, Bandini M...
Starcast :- Mithun Chakraborty, Smita Patil, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Arun Govil, Aruna Irani, Sarika, Supriya Pathak, Gulshan Grover, Bandini Mishra, Shakti Kapoor, Suresh Oberoi and Pran
Directed by: K. Murali Mohana Rao
Music: Bappi Lahiri
If you're in the mood for that classic 80s
Bollywood masala thriller vibe – the kind with family drama, courtroom scenes,
a bit of action, some romance, and villains who are cartoonishly evil – then Dilwaala hits the spot. Directed by K. Murali Mohan Rao (who remade a Telugu
hit called Kathanayakudu), this one came out 0n 7th February '86 and starred
Mithun Chakraborty in full-on angry-young-man mode, alongside Smita Patil,
Meenakshi Sheshadri, and a bunch of solid supporting actors like Shakti Kapoor,
Pran, Arun Govil, Gulshan Grover, Suresh Oberoi, and even Supriya Pathak in
smaller parts.
The story kicks off with Ravi Kumar (Mithun), this
street-smart, justice-obsessed guy who's basically living by his own rules.
He's got a major rift with his elder sister Sumitra Devi (Smita Patil), who's a
no-nonsense judge. They don't see eye to eye on anything – he thinks the system
is too slow and soft on the rich and powerful, while she's all about following
the law to the letter. Their family tension is the emotional backbone here.
Enter the bad guys: MP Raj Shekhar (Pran) and his
spoiled son Raghu (Gulshan Grover in a menacing avatar). Raghu marries this
poor girl Kamla under pressure from dad, but he hates her, tortures her, and
eventually kills her. Ravi gets involved somehow and he goes all out to get
justice for her. But since the culprits are politically connected, the case
gets messy. Ravi tries to push his sister to help from the bench, but their
ideological clash makes everything explode. Throw in some romance – Mithun's character
gets paired with Padma (Meenakshi Sheshadri), who's sweet and supportive – and
you've got the full package.
What makes Dilwaala fun is how unapologetically
80s it is. Mithun is in his element here – dancing, fighting goons, delivering
those intense dialogues about right and wrong. He's not doing disco moves every
scene, but there's enough energy to keep you hooked. The action bits are
typical – slow-mo punches, over-the-top villains getting their comeuppance –
but they work because Mithun sells it with that brooding intensity he had back
then. Smita Patil as the judge is fantastic; she brings real gravitas to the
role, and the sibling conflict feels genuine, not forced. It's one of those
films where the family angle actually lands emotionally amid all the masala.
Meenakshi Sheshadri looks gorgeous and plays the
romantic interest with charm – nothing groundbreaking, but she fits perfectly.
The supporting cast is stacked: Pran as the scheming MLA, Shakti doing villain
duties (his dialogue khunnam khoon lallam laal was quite popular), Kader Khan
probably cracking some comedy, Aruna Irani somewhere in the mix. It's that
classic ensemble where everyone gets their moment.
Now, the music – Bappi Lahiri was on fire in the
80s. No two ways about it.
The soundtrack has some solid tracks.
"Saath Saath Rehna Mere Saari Zindagi" (Kishore and Asha) is a sweet
romantic duet that Mithun and Meenakshi groove to nicely. There's "Duniya
Dushman Bane" by Kishore, which has that "chhed- chhad" vibe.
And yeah, the infamous "Tonight Pyar Karo" by Nazia and Zoheb Hassan
comes up – it's got that synth-heavy 80s pop feel that screams the era. Not
every song is a classic, but they keep the pace going and give you those mandatory
dance breaks.
Pacing is sometimes an issue though. It's a bit
long at around 2 hours 40 minutes, and some courtroom scenes drag if you're not
into legal drama. But overall, it moves well for a masala film – builds
tension, throws in twists, delivers the expected payoff with the bad guys
getting thrashed and justice served. It was a hit back in the day , and you can
see why: it has heart, drama, and enough thrills without taking itself too
seriously.
Rewatching it now, it's pure nostalgia. The fashion
(those striped blazers and perms), the dramatic zooms, the way villains laugh
evilly – it's all there. It's certainly not a masterpiece like some Smita Patil
arthouse stuff, but as a commercial entertainer? It delivers. If you grew up on
80s Hindi cinema or just want to see Mithun in a solid action-drama with family
feels, give Dilwaala a watch. It's not gonna change your life, but it'll
definitely give you a fun couple of hours.
By Ayushmaan Mitra
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