Kabzaa (1988)

Ranjit Verma (Raj Babbar) is the lawyer and legal counsel for a criminal named Veljibhai Soda (Paresh Rawal). Due to this association, Ranjit's brother, Ravi (Sanjay Dutt) also get involved... See full summary »

Director:

Mahesh Bhatt

Writers:

Salim Khan (dialogue), Salim Khan (screenplay),

Stars:

Raj Babbar, Sanjay Dutt, Amrita Singh

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Raj Babbar	...	Ranjit Varma
Sanjay Dutt	...	Ravi Varma (as Sunjay Dutt)
Amrita Singh	...	Rita
Alok Nath	...	Ustad Ali Mohammed
Paresh Rawal	...	Veljibhai Soda
Nilu Phule	...	Mandar Bhagawat (as Neelu Phule)
Mahesh Anand	...	Dagha's assistant
Mushtaq Khan	...	Tiwari
Kamal Chopra
Anupam Kher	...	Dagha Sahab
Dimple Kapadia	...	Doctor Smita
Akash Khurana	...	Arun Date (as Aakash Khurana)
Tiku Talsania	...	Drunk man in the restaurant
Disco Shanti	...	Dancer
Rajeev

Storyline

Ranjit Verma (Raj Babbar) is the lawyer and legal counsel for a criminal named Veljibhai Soda (Paresh Rawal). Due to this association, Ranjit's brother, Ravi (Sanjay Dutt) also get involved with Veljibhai. Veljibhai trusts Ravi and asks him to intimidate Ustad Ali Mohammed (Aloknath), so that he can take possession of his property, but Ustad Ali is not intimidated by Ravi or by Veljibhai, his men, and a corrupt police inspector (Avtar Gill) and refuses to let go of this property. Ravi feels sympathy for Ustad Ali and becomes his follower. This angers Velji, and Ranjit as well, and they try to talk to Ravi, but to no avail. Veljibhai then takes matters into his own hands and must not only get rid of Ustad Ali, but also Ravi, and Ranjit as well. Will Veljibhai succeed?

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

20 May 1988 (India)

Also Known As:

The Capture

Filming Locations:

India

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vishesh Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Ravi Varma, Rita: Tumse miley bin chain nahin aahta main kya karun, mujhey to ye bhi kahena bhi nahin aahta main kya karun... I am restless without meeting you, what to do, I don't even know how to say this, what to do...

User Reviews

Decent remake of "On the Waterfront"

Kabzaa is a Bollywood movie from the 1980s, so don't expect subtlety, carefully elaborated characters, ambitious plots, interesting subplots, or highly consistent storytelling. But then, who said we can't enjoy a movie with a simple, straightforward story, cardboard heroes and a villain who is really BAD, if the actors manage to entertain? The movie begins with a young Sanjay Dutt (still known as "Sunjay" in those days) covered with blood, with four bullets in his chest and one in his head, trying to save himself. The rest of the movie lives up to the expectations raised by its catchy prelude.

Ravi (Sanjay Dutt) and Ranjit (Raj Babbar) are brothers. Ravi is a good-for-nothing without a job and without a purpose in life, Ranjit is a successful lawyer who works for the local don, Velji Bhai (Paresh Rawal). Velji Bhai wants to purchase a piece of land owned by Ustad Ali Mohammed (Alok Nath) at any cost, but the latter intends to use it for building a children's park instead, and thus refuses. When Ravi is sent out by Velji Bhai to persuade Ali Mohammed with violence, he is so impressed by the man's kindheartedness that he starts protecting him instead. Velji Bhai, of course, is furious...

The story is very similar to that of another movie, Ghulam, made ten years later by Mahesh Bhatt's nephew Vikram Bhatt. Both movies are based on (let's avoid the word "remake") Marlon Brando's all-time classic "On the Waterfront". Whatever one may think of Bollywood-style remakes, it means at least that we can't complain about a bad story. And indeed, unlike many other Bollywood movies from the same period, Kabzaa is a movie one can watch without ever getting bored: the tempo is decent, drama and action sequences follow each other quickly enough to keep one's thoughts from drifting away. Fortunately, Bhatt refrained from inserting obnoxious comedy elements, and the obligatory love stories are kept to a minimum. Still, it is the actors that make this movie worth watching. Sanjay Dutt, Raj Babbar, Paresh Rawal and Alok Nath all give fine performances. The two female roles, played by Amrita Singh and Dimple Kapadia, add little of value, but at least they don't spoil the movie, which is already an achievement in itself.