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14 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Fantastic 70's action packed flick...., 26 August 2005
7/10
Author: Parmdeep Jagdev from United Kingdom

Dodgy fashions, wacky sets and simply one of the greatest Hindi film soundtracks ever. The film is an acquired taste for some. This isn't your average happy family love flick with everyone dancing around huge larger than life sets. This is more of a gritty dark painful film full of anger and betrayal. This original lost and found formula features some of RD burmans finest work ever as a music director. from the title track to "churalia hai tumnein" and the fiery "lekhar hum diwana dil". all the tracks work brilliantly with the story. The villain in story is just the biggest baddest larger than life villain you just can wait get. Dharmedra plays the role of vengeful man brilliantly. the other two lesser know hero's do a rather fantastic job. Vijay Aurora the dashing young man after sizzling Zeenat Amaan's heart and Tariq the bad ass nightclub singer with the massive 70's shades and shiny flares. Neetu Singh though brilliant in the song "lekhar hum diwana dil" does not have much of a role in the film. the heroines in this film are just the hero's love interests and don't do much else. All in all this film is very entertaining and the scene where the brothers re-unite at the night club is enough to bring anyone to tears. The dialogues are fantastic and witty something which is quite lacking in todays films. A fantastic entertainer for everyone to watch.

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7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Vintage Classic, 5 March 2006
Author: Mr_Siyah from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Yaadon Ki Baaraat

Vintage Bollywood classic…probably RD Burman's second best ever soundtrack (after 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'), and my favourite Nasir Hussain film. It combines excellent music, great on screen chemistry and witty dialogue.

The story is pretty routine; A saintly family are separated after the dad witnesses a crime and needs to be silenced by the bad-ass villain Shakkal, who I will get to later. The typical 'lost-found, song re-unites family' type movie. This time it's three brothers ie. Shankar(Dharmenra) , Vijay (Vijay Arora) and Rattan (Tariq); the youngest of whom is played by a young Amir khan during the opening of the movie (fun fact).

After the brothers watch their parents being killed, they all go their separate ways, and end up leading very different lives. Shankar becomes a petty criminal (naturally), Vijay is rescued by a caretaker for a rich guy, and Rattan (the coolest brother) becomes a pop star.

While the plot offers very little, it is the wacky costumes, set designs, chemistry between characters and music that really keeps this film afloat. Much of the film revolves around Shankars quest to find the guy who killed his parents, and Vijay trying to woo Sunita (played deliciously by Zeenat aman). Rattan unfortunately isn't really given much screen time or development, apart from the fact that he is one cool kid. He is by far the dorkiest pop star I've ever seen, and is brilliant for that! It really is a shame he doesn't get much of a role in the film, and is only really an excuse for musical numbers.

The villain 'Shakkal' is very good throughout. He's very stylish and cares as much about looking fashionable, as he does about killing people and stealing their money; and of course separating families leading to all sorts of traumatization. In his first scene he's wearing a Stetson and cowboy boots ('very cool' I hear you utter), well it just gets cooler. He loses the cowboy look and goes a little up-market, he starts wearing sunglasses with gloves, juxtaposed with a typical 70s hideout.

The music is the films biggest strength; With an absolute classic 'Chura liya' and its iconic picturisation of Zeenat with a guitar and the white bell-bottoms. To the incredibly funky 'Lekar Hum Deewana Dil', and 'Aap ke Kamre', at the end of which Zeenat aman reprises 'Dum Maro Dum' (which she made a classic two years before this film).The film needs to be seen for the music alone. It defines an era, and takes you back to a time where everything just seemed fun….

Flirting with Zeenat aman = FUN, Swaying to 'Churaliya' = FUN Jumping on the roof of trains because you're too cool to ride inside = FUN, Stealing the food off two fat brothers as they skinny dip, raising all sorts of questions of incest = FUN, Killing the parents of a vulnerable family and separating them = FUN.

All in all, Yaadon Ki Baaraat is a fun film. It has all the elements you'd expect from a 70s Masala film. Romance, action, comedy (which is actually funny), wacky dance moves, brilliant music, funky costumes and crazy sets. It really lives up to its cult-classic status, and has a little something for everyone.

P.S Look out for the background dancers in the song 'Lekar Hum Deewana Dil', I'm convinced they're drag queens!

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
The Best Bollywood Movie I Ever Seen, 6 May 2007
8/10
Author: M. J. Correia from UK

Let us start, in accordance with Indian priorities, with the music. RD Burman's soundtrack is terribly good, not only in itself but also because it seems to interact wonderfully with the script and the general ambiance intended by the director: psychedelic rock'n'roll coupled with lovely ballads set the tone to a movie which is, first of all, about society, education and their influence on the individual (a very common theme in Indian cinema). The music is also, in a very literal sense, the driving force of the movie. The first scene presents us with an idyllic family reunion in which all members sing a delightful song (Yaadon Ki Bharat) which is but a prelude to the massacre that follows. The three brothers see their parents being killed, run away and part; they grow up in very distinct social contexts and will be reunited only at the end of the movie, in a very emotional scene, when one of them sings the tune and thus discloses his origin. In the meantime, the fact that this same character sings and plays at a fancy hotel allows for the introduction of some of the best guitar-driven and experimental music Bollywood has ever heard. The movie focuses on the two other brothers. One of them is a thief and a bitter drunkard (with a good heart, of course, and a heroic nature), while the other one is some sort of a happy-go-lucky boy who just wants to get the best out of life. He falls in love with a beautiful, high-class Bombay girl, in a relationship that unsurprisingly raises some issues on class difference. Everything ends up in a happy tone, of course, leaving you with the desire to listen to those songs over and over again.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Shahkaal says - RD is the King!, 21 July 2005
10/10
Author: shahkaal from San Francisco

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Yaadon ki Baraat is one of the best formula Hindi films of the 1970s in which director Nasir Hussain perfected his formula - Lost brothers meet up and destroy the smuggler who killed their father - a formula that was copied by many imitators thru the 70s and 80s. It is graced by some great acting, dialog and killer soundtrack by RD Burman inspired by Santana and Afro-pop. Additionally, it has a swimsuit clad young Zeenat Aman featured in the film and on the album cover which is also a major plus.

The film has many memorable scenes - the juxtaposition of running train jump by Dharam cut to from the separation of the brothers by another running train - an elaborate and innocent mise en scene. Tariq (a young Aamir Khan look alike), Vijay Arora, chubby Neetu Singh, smashing Zeenat Aman all dance and romance to RD's spectacular music. Dharam flares his nostrils at the wicked and dominant Ajit - who steals the show as the wicked villain - Shahkaal.

This is Ajit at his thespian peak - the handsome hero of the 50's, the wicked dacoit of the 60's, the massage-acquiring smuggler of the 70's, the lost memory of the 80's, the caricature of the perverse 90's - save for his stunning turn as the geriatric rapist beholden to Man-Friday Joginder - in Dev Anand's 90's shocker "Gangster" - but that is another review.

All this is hunky dory but where does this leave Shahkaal? The people want the truth - how does the Shahkaal of this film fit in with the one in Shaan? At long last, the truth can now be told...

So who really was Shahkaal - 70's gold smuggler or 80's super villain bent on world domination, shoe size issue or nervous tics, woolen suit or white tights with epaulets, Octon style antiseptic island citadel or smoky smuggler's den, train track victim or island explosion victim - will the real Shahkaal please stand up? Maybe it is time to confess that the suave and scheming, bewigged Shahkaal and the bald and sniveling Shahkaal of Shaan are one and the same - fictionalized depictions of the exploits of the real Shahkaal.

As the lost sequel to Shaan - "Shahkaal vs Gabbar" explains - Shahkaal escaped the oncoming goods train with some judicious and last minute use of a handy shoe horn in YKB and lived to pursue world domination in Shaan. He merely dropped the blond wig and went in for the trendy bald look - very 80's. Shahkaal is now in retirement in Navi Mumbai with Mona and her sisters - just another harmless pensioner... or so he would like you to believe. There's more about him in his review of Shaan. Until next time, don't be silly. This is not a "dhamki", just a "waarning" ....

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
One of the Best Bollywood Movies Ever!, 27 April 2011
9/10
Author: Deepa Thejendra

It's a Typical Bollywood movie with a Beautiful Storyline and The BEST Soundtrack Ever! RD Burman is at his Musical Best with songs such as "Chura Liya Hai Tumne" and "Yaadon Ki Baaraat". Nasir Hussain's Films are known for their Beautiful Storyline and music. This is also Aamir Khan's Debut Film where he plays the young Ratan. - Fun fact

The Story is about a typical Indian Family. The three brothers whose parents get killed in their childhood grow up separately in different circumstances without knowing anything about each others whereabouts. Shankar turns into a thief and sets out to find who his parents' killer was. Vijay was adopted by a rich man's care-keeper and Ratan starts a band and becomes a singer in a hotel. Much of the film revolves around Shankar's quest to find the guy who killed his parents and get revenge and Vijay trying to woo Sunita, played by the Beautiful Zeenat Aman. Zeenat Aman (My Favorite Actress) plays the daughter of the rich man, who is being wooed by Vijay, the middle brother and later eventually falls for him. Vijay (a total happy-go-lucky boy) at his Handsome best is a total prankster, trying to get the sympathy of Sunita by making her believe he has cancer :D, puncturing tires, and stealing food of two fat men. Vijay's Flirting with Sunita is to be mentioned.

The music is the main driving force of the movie. The first scene is family reunion in which all members sing a family song - Yaadon Ki Baarat… which is kept close to the brothers' hearts but all this is just a prelude to the real element of the story, the murder of the parents.

Shakaal, The Parents' murderer is at his villainous best. He's very haughty and stylish and cares a lot about being fashionable, as he does about stealing and selling the stolen goods to foreigners. He later appoints Shankar as a thief for various petty thefts; later on both of them recognize the other.

Well, after all this, it would be really bad not to describe the dashing and groovy song "Chura Liya". The song picturised on Zeenat Aman(Sunita) and Vijay Arora(Vijay) won the hearts of millions, it is beautifully picturised on her strumming a guitar trying to woo Vijay. The other Song "Meri Soni Meri Tamanna" is a song in which Vijay Apologizes to Sunita for all the petty pranks.

In all, Yaadon Ki Baaraat is a fun-filled film. It has all the things you'd expect from a Typical 70s film. OUTSTANDING music, Romance, Action, comedy, Crazy and Wacky dance moves and especially its funky costumes. It really lives up to mark of a cult-classic film, and has a little something for everyone. The dialogues are impressive and witty. A fantastic entertainer for everyone to watch. For Everything else, you Guys have to Watch the movie! This movie is on my Top 10 forever!!

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Typical story but good movie, 30 March 2009
6/10
Author: silvan-desouza from India

The story is as simple as ever but the film is well handled

The separation of the brothers at the start(don't forget to catch Aamir as a kid here playing younger role of his cousin TARIQ) is well handled

The scenes between late Vijay Kumar and Jeenat are well handled and entertaining but they take away from the main story

Yet the meeting of all 3 brothers at the end is well handled Plus the sequence of events till the end keep you involved

The last fight scene though is tad too filmy but worked in it's time

Naseer Hussain did a good job Music is a big hit of it's times, all the songs are fantastic

Dharmendra excels in his role, in his inimitable style though his diction distracts Vijay Arora is likable, Tariq is okay Jeenat Aman is good Ajit is as usual Satyen Kapoo is good

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
The charming tale, 3 October 2011
Author: Cristi_Ciopron from CGSM, Soseaua Nationala 49

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I have seen twice this movie: when I was perhaps 10, and then when I was 26, and I enjoyed it very much both times, and would see it again. It ranks as the best Bollywood melodrama that I know of, and it is, on a par with 'Ashoka' (I believe it was 'Ashoka'; a fairly musical epic about a legendary Indian warrior and king, or prince), my favorite Indian outing. The best thing is has is, of course, that song, heartwarming and heartrending. It is a family tale, about three brothers, separated then reunited. It has sweep.

There are other Indias in cinema: that of Ray, that of Renoir, etc..

Don't judge people as people by the things they enjoy as entertainment, especially if they're not critics or connoisseurs, but living people who happen to really enjoy something. Good taste tends to be merciless, ruthless and contemptuous, dismissive. Kindness in people has absolutely no relation with artistic taste and knowledge—none at all.

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5 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Mediocre film with funky 70's fashion and a superb soundtrack., 1 January 2006
7/10
Author: veracious_lies

This is a film you see for the soundtrack. I know I did. Okay, I also like Dharmendra a lot but this is not his best role ever so don't expect any miracles.

The story is that of three brothers whose parents get killed in their childhood. The brothers then part ways due to circumstances and grow up separately without knowing anything about each other's whereabouts.

You know the story and its ending after watching the film for 20 minutes so I suppose it's useless to mention what happens later. The good things about this film is of course the amazing R. Burman soundtrack, an appearance by Aamir Khan as a child artiste and its funky 70's fashion in clothes and overall style. The romantic subplot is quite silly and unnecessary, though it gives the unforgettable song Chura Liya.

With a worse soundtrack I'd give it 6/10, now it's a 7/10. General advice: buy the soundtrack, not the DVD!

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6 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Good songs ... shame about the film!, 26 November 1999
Author: Bal

All I can say is that I recommend everyone buys the soundtrack. It's a 70's classic.

Cant say much for the film though - lets say it's an acquired taste!

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