Starcast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, Jaya Prada, Anupam Kher, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Dalip Tahil, Bharat Kapoor, Om Shiv Puri and Viju Kho...
Starcast:
Amitabh Bachchan, Sridevi, Jaya Prada, Anupam Kher, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Dalip
Tahil, Bharat Kapoor, Om Shiv Puri and Viju Khote
Direction:
K Bhagyaraj
Music:
Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Aakhree
Raasta written and directed by K Bhagyaraj was a remake of the 1985 Tamil hit
"Oru Kaidhiyin Diary" starring Kamal Hassan, Revathi and Radha, which
was also written by Bhagyaraj but directed by Bharathiraja.
Acclaimed
for the Big B's superb performance in his double role as father and son, the
vigilante action drama which hit the theatres on June 6, 1986 was a
critical and commercial success at the box office, the lilting music adding to
its popularity.
It's
1962. David D'Costa (Amitabh) lives a simple but happy life with his pregnant
wife Mary (Jaya Prada) and best friend Mahesh Shandilya (Anupam Kher) in
Madras. He hero worships the local MP Balwant Chaturvedi (Sadashiv Amrapurkar)
and is ready to do anything for him. When his child is born they name him
James. One day David gets arrested for obstructing rail traffic. When he comes
out he find out that Mary has hung herself, blaming Chaturvedi for raping her
in her suicide note. When the devastated David goes to confront Chaturvedi he
is stopped by Inspector Roop Kumar Sahay (Dalip Tahil) and Dr Verma (Bharat
Kapoor). The three burn Mary's note and frame David for her death. He is
sentenced to 24 years in prison. In his absence Mahesh raises James as his own
son Vijay.
Twenty-four
years pass. When David comes out of prison he is shocked to find out that
Mahesh has become very wealthy and that his son James now named Vijay (Amitabh)
is a police officer who is deadly against criminals. David reveals that he now
intends to kill all the three men who were responsible for destroying his
life.
Vijay's
lady love is Vinita (Sridevi) the daughter of DIG Bhatnagar (Om Shiv
Puri). Vijay has believed all along that he is Mahesh's son. When he comes to
know the truth behind his parentage he is stunned.
After
making a confession to a priest in church, David goes about planning his
revenge to systematically eliminate his three enemies one by one with Vijay hot
on his trail. Does David succeed in his mission and do the father and son
reconcile forms the rest of the film.
With
the Big B in double role, it was double the delight for all Big B
fans. The film belonged to Amitabh right from the first frame to the last.
The legendary actor was superb both as the grieving David out on his murderous
mission and as Vijay the upright police officer struggling with his emotions
and his sense of duty to protect the very man who had raped his mother and
framed his father.
Jaya
Prada looked gorgeous in a special appearance, Sridevi did her best to make her
presence felt in this Big B ensemble and succeeded to some extend.
Some
scenes stand out. David's confession in a church, the meticulous way he goes
about committing the three murders, the scene where Vijay comes to know that he
is David's son James and the confrontational scenes between the two Bachchans.
On a lighter note check out the scenes between the David and Mahesh and David
and Vinita whom he kidnaps only to find out that she is his son's lady love.
The
music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal was another plus point: the melancholic and
recurring 'Tune mera doodh piya hai', the flirty 'Gori ka saajan saajan ki gori' to 'Pehle padaaye phir pyar hoga', people still remember 'Gori ka saajan' with great
affection.
The
film was earlier titled "Qaidi Ki Diary". Incidentally Rekha dubbed
the voice for Sridevi in the film.
Anupam Kher was first offered
Chaturvedi's role. He refused, preferring to do Mahesh's role as he felt, and
rightly so, that the friend's role was more powerful. Sadashiv Amrapurkar
finally did the role with his usual villianous panache. This was also Anupam
Kher and Amitabh's first film together. They would go on to work together later
in more films.
This was also Big B's last film
release before he took a break from acting in the 1980s.
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