Starcast :- Amjad Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Mithun Chakraborty, Vijayendra Ghatge, Purnima, Neeta Mehta, Padmini Kapila, Ranjeeta, Kajal Kiran ...
Starcast :- Amjad Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Mithun Chakraborty, Vijayendra Ghatge, Purnima, Neeta Mehta, Padmini Kapila, Ranjeeta, Kajal Kiran and Ranjeet
Music :- Raamlaxman
Direction:- Deepak Bahry
Hindi cinema of the early 1980s had a charm of its own. Emotion often mattered more than logic, melodrama was preferred over realism, and sometimes the ‘masala’ was bigger than the characters themselves. But if we judge these films entirely by today's standards of logic and realism, we tend to miss what made them so enjoyable in the first place. Humse Badhkar Kaun (1981), directed by Deepak Bahry, is very much that kind of film—an uncomplicated commercial entertainer that brings together separated brothers, revenge, hidden treasure, crime, the police, romance, comedy and, eventually, a family reunion. The film was released on 3 July 1981 and has a runtime of approximately 139 minutes.
The story begins with four brothers—Chandan, Raju, Bablu and Pappu—who are separated from one another under tragic circumstances. Their father is murdered, their mother Radha loses her children, and the four brothers grow up in completely different environments. As adults, one becomes a simple and innocent milkman named Bholaram, another becomes a dutiful police officer named Vijay, the third turns into a thief named Johnny, while the youngest, Pappu, grows up to become a masked criminal known as Tony. In other words, four people sharing the same blood are forced by circumstances to walk four completely different paths in life.
And that is where the film's basic appeal lies. The lost-and-found formula was certainly not new at the time, with films such as Yaadon Ki Baaraat and Amar Akbar Anthony having already explored similar territory. But what makes Humse Badhkar Kaun interesting is the fact that the four brothers grow up with four distinctly different personalities. As their paths gradually begin to cross, the audience becomes curious about who will recognise whom, who will misunderstand whom, and ultimately how their blood relationship will overcome the barriers between crime, morality and duty.
Of course, the screenplay contains plenty of convenient coincidences. The four separate keys, the treasure left behind by their father and villain Lalchand's obsession with acquiring that treasure make the story so improbable at times that a modern viewer may actually find it amusing. But realism was never the film's objective. This was the era of cinema when audiences entered the darkness of a theatre hoping to forget real life for a couple of hours. Viewed from that perspective, the film does its job reasonably well.
Deepak Bahry's direction does not display any particularly distinctive stylistic flourish. His primary concern is to keep the story moving while giving the four protagonists enough space to establish their individual screen presence. Inevitably, the narrative becomes somewhat scattered because there are so many major characters. At times, the film feels almost like four different movies stitched together. Yet, in the context of 1980s commercial Hindi cinema, even that becomes part of its charm.
When it comes to performances, Amjad Khan deserves special mention. After playing an iconic character like Gabbar Singh, watching him portray someone as simple, comic and slightly foolish as Bholaram is a delightful change of pace. He completely makes the character his own. His comic timing and distinctive dialogue delivery help lift several weaker portions of the film. His romantic track with Kammo, in particular, has a certain warmth and humour.
Mithun Chakraborty, as Tony/Pappu, displays the energy of his younger years. His ease with action sequences and dancing gives the character an additional appeal. Danny Denzongpa, as Johnny/Raju, is naturally more restrained and intense. His screen presence is powerful to begin with, and that cold, controlled attitude works well for his criminal persona. Vijayendra Ghatge, meanwhile, plays Vijay as the most disciplined and conventional of the four brothers. This helps create a reasonably clear contrast between their personalities. The principal cast also includes Ranjeeta, Kajal Kiran, Neeta Mehta and Padmini Kapila.
That said, the film is overwhelmingly male-centric. The four female characters are not given much depth and are largely confined to romantic tracks and specific subplots. From a contemporary perspective, this remains one of the film's limitations.
The music was composed by Raamlaxman, with lyrics by Ravinder Rawal. The soundtrack features an impressive line-up of singers, including Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi, Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Kapoor, Usha Mangeshkar, Shailendra Singh and Sapan Chakraborty.
Among the songs, “Deva Ho Deva, Ganpati Deva” is undoubtedly the most memorable. Sung by Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi, Bhupinder Singh, Shailendra Singh and Sapan Chakraborty, the song remains one of the highlights of the soundtrack. By combining the Ganesh celebration with the presence of the four brothers, the sequence becomes more than just a musical interlude; it also plays an important role in the narrative.
Songs such as “Dekho Logon Yeh Kaisa Zamana,” “Masti Ka Main Jaam Hoon,” “Sapnon Ka Gharonda Toota” and “Kammoji” follow the familiar musical template of commercial Hindi cinema of the period. Not every song is equally memorable, but the soundtrack rarely feels like it brings the film's momentum to a complete halt.
The villain, Ranjeet's Lalchand, is not particularly innovative either. A greedy, ruthless and power-hungry antagonist was an extremely familiar archetype in 1980s Hindi cinema. However, Ranjeet's distinctive acting style gives the character enough personality to remain watchable.
Overall, Humse Badhkar Kaun is certainly not an extraordinary film. Its screenplay has loopholes, the story relies heavily on coincidences, the female characters are underdeveloped, and the technical departments offer little that can be called exceptional. But when viewed as a commercial entertainer from its own era, it is difficult to deny the film's charm.
This is the kind of movie where four brothers, four different identities, four keys and a villain chasing after hidden treasure ultimately converge into the familiar Bollywood emotions of family and blood ties. It may not qualify as a masterpiece by today's standards, but if you want to experience the unfiltered entertainment value of 1980s masala cinema, Humse Badhkar Kaun remains an enjoyable timepass.
By Ayushmaan Mitra
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