Zanjeer (1973) User Reviews

A belated revenge

[Peter_Young · 8/10 · 6 February 2010]

As a kid, little Vijay, while hiding in a wardrobe, witnessed his parents' assassination by Teja, a man who was a member of a mafia group Vijay's father was a part of and retired. Vijay was adopted by a police officer and as he grew up, he himself became a hot-blooded policeman. Vijay does not remember Teja. He only vaguely remembers the murderer's golden chain with a white horse hanging on it.

That's the story of Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer, an action-packed drama and one of the first films which shot the leading actor Amitabh Bachchan to fame. Zanjeer is an entertaining movie, and the story is interesting and well told. The direction is also pretty good. The characters are well-written. Bachchan's character is that of a very serious and uncompromising young man who takes crime as a personal affront and is thus often put in trouble with his superiors.

The film has several actors supporting Bachchan, including Jaya Bhaduri, his real-life future-wife, who plays the sassy and lovely Mala. The chemistry between the two is wonderful as always. Pran, also an actor who frequently collaborated with Bachchan, plays Sher Khan, a kind-hearted, brave and smart man who befriends Vijay in some unusual circumstances and supports him in every step throughout the film. Om Prakash also appears in a small but important role of a drunkard who is also Vijay's informant.

Bachchan is excellent as Vijay. It's easy to see why this was a star-turning performance for this towering actor. He is restrained and inhibited and brilliantly displays his character's internal turmoil and fear. Jaya Bhaduri is absolutely charming and natural as Mala, and it's nice to see her transform so convincingly from a vivacious girl to a mature and supportive wife. Pran is brilliant in his rather unusual role. Om Prakash is good in his role of a traumatised man. Bindu makes her usual vamp act, and Ajit is okay as Teja.

Zanjeer is an enjoyable and well-made film. It is at times a bit unsettling and disturbing but it is generally well-executed, well-narrated and well-acted. The film's music is also very nice, though the cabaret number was a bit annoying. I liked it that no songs were given to Bachchan. It only contributed to his serious image in the film. In its favour it can also be said that the film is devoid of too much melodrama, though it is not very realistic in the last portions. Anyway, this is a good, classic Hindi movie, I recommend you to watch it.

trend-setter

[simon_booth · 7/10 · 27 April 2003]

As a child, Vijay witnesses the murder of his parents by their unscrupulous employer, worried that pops will spill the beans on his "spurious injections" business. As luck would have it, Vijay was hidden in a wardrobe at the time and all he sees of the killer is his golden chain, with a cute little plastic horse dangling from it.

20 years later, Vijay has morphed into Amitabh Bachchan and is a police officer, always in trouble with his superiors because of his tendency to take crime as a personal affront and use any means available to punish its perpetrators. He's a very serious and intense young man, haunted by nightmares of his parents murder.

Prior to 1973, the name Amitabh Bachchan was not revered amongst Indian cinema goers as it has been ever since. Indeed, Amitabh was considered to be box office poison at the time, and director Prakash Mehra was thought to have gone mad for choosing him as the star in his new film Zanjeer. History appears to be on Mehra's side, for Zanjeer was a resounding success and created the "Angry Young Man" image for Amitabh Bachchan that dominated Indian cinema for the next decade.

Zanjeer follows the same pattern as many of Amitabh's films - or rather, many of his films follow the pattern of Zanjeer, I guess. Amitabh has proven himself a very versatile actor, but it is the driven intensity he brings to roles such as this that made him Bollywood's undisputed king. Driven by a rage he cannot release, he tears up the screen and the bad guys but remains vulnerable and easy to empathise with.

Bachchan is joined by some interesting characters - the larger than life good-bad guy Tiger played by Pran, and the sassy gypsy girl played by Jaya Bhaduri, who was Bachchan's love interest and later his real-life wife. Unfortunately the bad-bad guy is less charismatic and interesting than he might have been - he is cold and cruel, but not as "villainous" as he might have been.

I don't know just how original Zanjeer was at the time of its release... it seems to follow a pretty conventional formula, but the impression I get is that it largely created this formula. Perhaps similar plots were covered before, but I can't imagine anybody filling such a role as well as Amitabh. Certainly Zanjeer was a runaway success, and a profoundly influential film.

Sadly, in this case 'first' does not mean 'best'. Although it's certainly a solid film, it's not as well scripted as other films along similar lines, and Amitabh doesn't have the cocky confidence that he would quickly develop and employ so effectively in his numerous star roles. I guess everybody involved was still finding their feet a little, so it's not surprising that the elements presented here would be improved on in later films.

The conclusion I draw is that ZANJEER is not the best starting point on an Amitabh adulation path, but is definitely worth picking up once such a path has been a little trodden in.

My enjoyment of the film was doubtless hampered somewhat by the DVD presentation, which is clearly heavily cropped - most obviously at the bottom of the screen, where a good 20% must be missing. This was probably done to get rid of subtitles burnt into the print used for mastering, but unfortunately you lose a lot along with the subs - people's mouths during close-ups, for instance. I think it was also cropped at the sides, possibly to preserve aspect ratio. It may even have been a 4:3 film originally though, cropped to more than 1.85:1. Whilst this cropping (and general print wear and tear) do not ruin the film, it's definitely an impediment to full appreciation.

Birth of the angry young man!!

[nadkarnisumeet · 8/10 · 29 October 2020]

Zanjeer review :

"Jab tak baithne ko na kaha jaye, sharaafat se khade raho. Yeh Police station hai, tumhare BAAP ka ghar nahi"

When Pran Saahab's Sher Khan had to eat humble pie to a lanky police officer whose eyes spoke volumes, a super star was born.

Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer gave India its first angry young man. Playing an upright cop who is battling his troubled childhood memory, Amitabh Bachchan was just the kind of the hero the aam junta of that time was looking to celebrate. After all, he epitomised their frustrations and angst against the system.

Salim Javed's script may seem tailor made for Bachchan today but Zanjeer was a film rejected by many reigning superstars from Rajkumar to Dev Anand before landing in Amitabh's lap.

Ajit played the sophisticated Teja whose Mona darling jokes are still popular. I am particularly fond of the restaurant scene where Amitabh goes to meet Teja and Mona (Bindu) having their dinner.

"Khana khate waqt cigarette peena bahut buri baat hai"

Punchy dialogues, perfect plot and an angry Amitabh. Thats the immortal Zanjeer!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Amitabh bachan, what an awesome screen presence n way of delivering serious dialogues man.

[Fella_shibby · 10/10 · 5 November 2013]

My dad made me see this when i was a kid. Obviously it is outdated but some of the 70's era clothes n hairstyles are hilarious. The zoom shots to an actor's face is funny and the editing is lousy. It is slow at times but hang in there. Bachan is excellent. His angry n serious facial expressions, dialogue delivery n above all his screen presence is awesome. Bachan displayed the character's internal turmoil very well. The action choreography is again lousy. Also noteworthy is Pran, another magnificent character actor. He was solid as the fearless Pathan n his song about friendship is memorable. The villain, Ajith was good too.

Thrilling, carefully crafted art that is essential viewing

[philban65 · 10/10 · 10 February 2005]

Zanjeer (The Chain) is the film where Amitabh Bachchan made the breakthrough from being an established actor to superstardom, and where the trend was set towards the revenge film in Indian cinema. Amitabh's Angry Young Man character was born in this film in his brilliant portrayal of the brooding, temperamental Vijay who is haunted by a recurrent nightmare. Indeed, his performance as a disturbed, vengeful young man propelled him to new heights, such that he was at the top of many directors' wanted list for at least a decade afterwards. Interestingly, the role was rejected by several stars of the early 70s before being offered to Amitabh, illustrating how luck can play a part in a career's success or failure. Who knows what different turns Bachchan's career would have taken had he not had the chance to play Vijay, the young man with chips on both shoulders. Surely his talent would have found an outlet somewhere, but would he have made such a ground breaking impact in any other role?

Zanjeer is certainly not all about one actor, and a strong cast showcase their talents to the full. The greatest character actor of all time in Indian cinema, Pran, gives a very enjoyable performance as Vijay's loyal friend, Sher Khan. As ever, Pran's attention to detail and willingness to 'live the character' is immediately obvious and doubtless he will have researched the Pathan dialects to deliver a richly authentic performance. Jaya Badhuri cleverly plays the sassy knife sharpener with great depth and sensitivity. Ajit is no conventional villain: not the hothead that is seen in so many Indian movies; instead he is cold and cruel but nevertheless, quintessentially evil. Even Iftekhar's cameo as Vijay's boss, the Police Commissioner is worthy of praise.

This classic thriller is tightly scripted by Javed Akhtar, and never loses its pace thanks to Salim Khan's screenplay and Prakash Mehra's clever direction and the richly talented cast. It has a high octane tension which is sustained throughout. An example of this is in Vijay's visit to the party when the gangster's moll (played by Bindu) seeks to seduce Vijay in the raunchy number Dil Jalon Ka. The posturing of the unimpressed Vijay and Teja (Ajit), the cool, calculating tycoon and his cronies with the backdrop of the gyrating Bindu and superb musical score are captured expertly by a circling camera team. Mehra achieves all this without being overly melodramatic, something that might not be said of one of his other big hits, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, and that is very much to Zanjeer's benefit.

There are several haunting, dark moments in this film which last long in the memory. The initial murder scene against the backdrop of the firecrackers of the Diwali celebrations, as well as Vijay's nightmare of the black hooded rider atop a galloping white horse are enduring images which immediately spring to mind. The film is essentially dark in mood and many of the images - the inner city back streets and railway sidings give it a real gritty feel - and yet in contrast, many of the scenes are shot in bright daylight. Mehra's attention to detail influences all aspects of the film, giving it a rich texture, quite literally in some cases! Vijay's costumes are very early 70s Western chic, without going over the top, and the Pathan, Sher Khan (Pran), wears authentic cultural dress.

The enjoyment of this film is slightly detracted from in a couple of scenes, as the cropping of the edges of the film mean that facial expressions of the leading characters are missed. This does not detract from the fact that Zanjeer is pure, carefully crafted art and that this seminal film is essential viewing for anyone with an interest in Indian cinema.

Tigers in a radical game of justice and esoterica

[avisolo · 27 September 2002]

This hard-hitting film is my favourite for many reasons: -powerful performance by amitabh (laughs twice in the movie) -train murder scene which deserves putting Prakash Mehra up there with the all time director greats. Also Mehra has a penchant for location shooting and you get to see some of the dark sides of the mumbai locale. -esoteric motifs and hints strewn all over the movie('Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool') -Teja the bad guy is convincingly portrayed by Ajit -The unending quest for justice and it's bittersweet resolutions -The theme of love vs. revenge All these were amplified in Mehra's second classic 'Muqaddar ka Sikandar' In short it is rewarding viewing!

Fun 70's Treat

[shark-43 · 7/10 · 26 January 2008]

This movie is lots of fun. It has EVERYthing in it - car chases, dance numbers, action, crime, revenge - like many Bollywood films - there's something for everyone. The film cant help but be dated - some of the 70's era clothes are hilarious. Some of the cliché zoom shots to an actor's face and yes, the movie is long - 145 minutes - it is slow at times but hang in there - it is worth it. The fact that Bachchan became a huge superstar after this also makes it a must-see. He supposedly found the seeds here to start his "angry young man" act. And the gypsy knife sharpener girl became his future wife in real life. I loved her first dance number where she gets customers to come out of their homes and bring her their knives to be sharpened. One thing about the copy we watched on DVD - it was subtitled but the SONGS WERE NOT. Frustrating.

A good movie

[hypergurlgowri89 · 10/10 · 25 November 2003]

This is a unique movie (well, until every director started to copy the theme).

I don't think I need to comment on the story, it's good though. This is Amitabh's first hit, and he's been on top of the movie industry since then, and did an excellent job as usual. Everyone played their roles very well, and acting wise nothing is wrong. The only thing is if you're like me, you'll think there's a little bit too much violence. Actually, Amitabh got hurt during the shooting and when he was asked he acted like nothing had happened. But later Prakash Mehra felt his head and there was a large bump on it...AB is very dedicated obviously.

But excellent songs! KA are wonderful music directors! An entertaining movie, a must see, and you just have to listen to the superbly composed title music.

Unbelieveable!

Incredibly good, even 47 years later

[NpFilmJunkie · 10/10 · 26 September 2020]

If a movie is capable of making some nobody like Amitabh Bachchan to a megastar that he still is today, that movie is something special. Back when it came out Bollywood was dominated by romantic films. It was a breath of fresh air, whose formula, unfortunately, has been so overused by this date that it's a cliche now. Definitely, some part this review is going to be in retrospect and I am definitely going to share some opinions about why this movie is still as good as it was 47 years ago.

Just imagine, you have been watching romantic films constantly, and all of a sudden you get a surprisingly good revenge drama. Definitely you're going to dig it. That's what happened back then, and it was an overnight success. Obviously, if you try to watch a movie keeping yourself in the period when it came out, you'll definitely like it more, but not every movie was good back then, and definitely are not going to be good in retrospect. Zanjeer is not that kind of movie. If you have watched a whole lot of Bollywood films, then you can definitely name at least a thousand different movies which follows the same formula as that of Zanjeer. But the thing that makes Zanjeer better than all of them, apart from being one of the earliest of its kind is that it knew how to make things not look cheesy for most parts. Prakash Mehra does a very good job of directing the movie, making all the action and drama really intense while always making sure that the intensity isn't overdone or insufficiently done. Romantic scenes are there, which are cherishing, but not at all reminds of a generic romance prevalent in the cinema of India back then. So, even the mandatory romance in the film doesn't seem forced.

The pacing is quite good. It's more than two and a half hours long, but doesn't feel like one. Even the songs are awesome and do not slow down the pace. They contribute at least something to the story. And speaking of story, oh boy, haven't there been such an aggressive hero in the Bollywood films prior to this. He looks as if he will definitely kill you if you mess with him. Bachchan does a really great job in his first role as the angry young man. He was best in Deewaar and Kaala Patthar as the angry young man, but this one is a very close second. Although his performance is terrific, if you have seen his later works, you can see the rooms for improvement. Pran as Sher Khan is a great supporting character, equally aggressive as our hero but a little naive in nature. The two would've been worth seeing, even if the movie was absolute garbage. Jaya Bhaduri doesn't have much screen time, but in whatever she has been given, she does an amazing job. The other one in the list is Om Prakash. He does a great job of playing a kinda mysterious character whose plotline merges absolutely perfectly with the main story. All the others have done a fine job too.

All these are the reasons why it was so popular then, and is still as good as the people say it is (and also why it is better than every other movie of this kind which came later). But, I think, the main reason for that would be that we can feel what the hero is feeling. For the most of the movie he has the aggression inside of him. We feel that when we watch that movie. And, when he is in relief, we feel that, and that's something not all the movies of its kind have. If you are into old Bollywood films, it's a must watch. If you are not, you can watch it once and I am sure you won't be bored at all.

Rating : absolute 10/10; golden A+

Great film; had a little of everything

[dewdrops-chantelle · 8/10 · 18 April 2014]

Zanjeer is a film that entertains throughout. The cast did a good job in their own role. Amitabh Bachchan gave us an intense performance which his extreme discomfort and anger. Jaya Bachchan portrayed a shy,innocent and young girl well. Pran did well as a loyal friend. The villains did their part. Although this was a serious movie, there were some lighter parts; I especially liked the part where Jaya Bachchan (Mala) learns words from that family and tries using it. In one scene, when Amitabh Bachchan (Vijay) was leaving she called him and said "bye bye"; he laughs and taps her with the police baton as she looks shyly at him - cute scene between them. A nice film which is worth a watch and is recommended.

Good movie, but Amitabh has done better

[hprill · 5/10 · 19 April 2004]

Despite a taut script and lots of action, both of which make sure that this film never gets boring, this movie is a bit too caught up in clichés and stereotypes to ever transgress the "obsessed good guy tracks down fundamentally evil bad guy" scheme, which is a bit of a pity. Nevertheless, it managed to establish Amitabh Bachchan as the "angry young man" of 1970s Indian cinema.

Sadly, the talent of Jaya Bhaduri is totally wasted except for her entry scene and a split second at the end - surely a knife-sharpening girl could have been put to better use in an action movie?

Overall, my disappointment over what could have been made out of this prevails over the fact that it's a solid action movie.

Foothold for Bachan

[badlanilalit · 15 March 2022]

Music,Acting, Mona darling dialogue excellent, Ajit, Bindu, Prakash Mehra direction all superb, seen this movie many times, but, never felt bored, Pran character of pathan specially after Upkaar was very good.

Brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aqsabutt · 9/10 · 6 June 2016]

One of the best Bollywood movies of all time.This movie is full of action,drama and revenge. Zanjeer starts when Amithab is still a child and he witnesses his parents being shot by a masked man,the only thing Vijay (amithab) manages to see is a Zanjeer ( chain) on the killers hand.He is then taken in by a police officer and later when he grows up he to will become a police inspector,but now he is looking for revenge.this movie shows Amithab Bachan at his best and is well accompanied by actors like Pran who in the film is called Sher khan is at first enemies with Vijay but lather both Sher khan and Vijay understand how loyal each of them are and become friends.Vijay then meets Mala (Jaya Bachan)who he firsts saves from a goon and then gives her refuge in his house,Vijay and Mala soon start to fall in love with each other.Vijay then realizes that a businessman called Teja (Ajt khan) is the killer of his parents. Teja makes bottles of poisonous alcohol and medicines, when Vijay tries to stop Teja he is accused of committing a crime and is sent to jail. when Vijay comes out he will stop at nothing to get his revenge on Teja .OVERALL I WOULD RATE THIS MOVIE A 9/10

Really bad movie

[gruuvyman · 5/10 · 3 February 2014]

I managed to watch this entire movie (TCM - 4 stars!) because I kept hoping that it would get better...but it never did. There is so much that's bad about this movie that I don't know where to begin!

The fight scenes: disjointed and senseless with terrible sound effects. The fight with Sher Khan at the beginning of the movie was really bad, no one got hurt but they both got filthy with oily dirt! It was more like adult men having a slap & tickle!

The camera work: Moving camera work was jerky and made my brain hurt. The delivery truck barreling down the road was so contrived, like a bad 'Clutch Cargo' cartoon! And when it runs into the school kids...SCTV did better on their worst days!

Weird camera shots, I remember the camera panning left and showing just the heads & shoulders of people on the ground and a group standing on a ramshackle raised patio - only their legs and feet! Or was the point of the shot the ramshackleness of the construction? Strange quick shots of characters displaying unreadable expressions on their faces occur frequently...

The murder on the train? Some shifty-eyed thug butts out a cigarette on the guy's hand and he falls off the train (the only laugh I got all movie!)

The solo singing number by Mala - no idea what she was singing about! The subtitles didn't make any sense - she was obviously lamenting about something to do with love, but the tears on her face told me that! No subtitles would've been better than what was displayed.

The lighting in the Inspector's "apartment" - really bad during a critical fight scene. The fight scene near the end when Vijay gets thrown off the bridge onto the tracks below...more slap & tickle, but the fall from the bridge would've killed him certainly.

Then out of seemingly nowhere deadly knives are thrown by Mala - who knew?!

Maybe I'm spoiled (well...actually I'm sure I'm spoiled) but I've watched a lot of foreign films over the years and I'm more than willing to overlook minor errors - but this movie is just one big stew of nonsensical plot-chunks! 5 stars because of the dance numbers, the dance number with Sher Khan on the occasion of his birthday is a classic. "Friendship is my Religion; my Friend is my Life!"

((Interesting side note, the lead actor 'Vijay' and the knife-girl 'Mala' were married in real life after this movie and have remained married for 40 years))