Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989) User Reviews

The film is about a young Muslim boy in Bombay. He is uneducated so driven to the life of crime.

[gypsydreams · 9/10 · 28 November 2005]

The DVD of this film has just been released in India. I wish the film was re-released in the theaters. The film and the character of Pavan Malhotra(Salim) grows on you. By the time you reach the middle of the movie, almost everything that Salim feels you feel it with him.

The film explores the psyche of the minority community in a city/country. Salim is uneducated, his father could only afford to educate his eldest son, who dies of a shock while working as an electrician. Salim, the younger son is uneducated so falls into bad company and is almost on the verge of getting integrated into the Bombay underworld. Some events make him realise that he must change and earn an honest living... his quest to earn clean, white money is poignant. He is so enmeshed in this bad world that getting out of it is going to be difficult. His pain becomes almost palpable.

Beautifully made... I wish more of these came out on DVDs. We mistakenly say that Indians make no movies without song and dance, and films on serious issues. We make them, they just don't become as famous for lack of big heroes in them.

I hope to see "Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai" released on DVD soon!

A strong human document.

[ankitverma-78534 · 8/10 · 23 June 2017]

This 1989 flick was one of the few films in the otherwise dismal 80s era of Hindi films. It was way ahead of its time. A human thinking about the other, a religion in question the existentialism of Salim superbly portrayed by Pavan and aptly supported by talented artists like Makrand Deshpande,Ashutosh Gowarikar, Surekha etc. It makes for a compelling watch. The character of Salim and his mind is cut open to the audiences. We go through the same journey.The social humour of arresting tension in a minority is captured in a contemporary lens. It fits for the modern Indian political scenario. The pace is bit slow in places. The movie grows on you so it can be overlooked.

8/10 👍

A good movie with a strong message

[sameermulekar · 9/10 · 13 May 2010]

Well,I would say 1980-90 has been the best decade for the Indian Cinema. Parallel Cinema came to rise n flourished. Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro comes under that category. The central character Saleem is an uneducated chap who fills his pocket by doing petty crimes. He dreams of settling down by doing something big.

The characters are the strongest point of this film. Actually had a doubt over Pawan Malhotra for this major role but he has been excellent.

The film depicts the thinking of the uneducated Muslims.The gradual development in Saleem is beautifully shown.He begins to question his integrity his existence.

Kudos to the director for not inserting any unnecessary vulgar scene.

His unemployed father, his mother,his friends,his courtesan girlfriend the somewhat gypsy,the hotel owner all leave their mark.

Recommend watching!

Great Great Masterpiece

[killerboy_jam1999 · 9/10 · 30 July 2021]

I recently got introduced to the filmography of Mirza Saeed Akhtar, and i dont know why i didnt watch this film before. It has a great cast, pawan malhotra is perfect as an angry muslim youth facing the difficulties and dillemas of being a minority. Everything is beautifully potrayed. Do watch this.

Movie Worth to Watch

[v_isha_ljain · 8/10 · 4 September 2011]

Movie based on a Gangster who belongs to Muslim community, runs in slow pace with its own realistic characteristics and acting.

Saleem Bhai, who is a gangster, indulge in various criminal activities but due to some precedent events his heart starts changing. He start taking care of his family and starts enjoying the common man life. There were instances when he used to show knife to people and take some money away from them, now there were instances when he thinks of providing better education to his sister's children.

Movie remains into real human, instead showing the protagonist as superhuman.

Movie, build around Bombay Riots, suggests an outlook and points to the political advantage behind communal riots. It tries to expose people behind such riots which effects common people most.

Nice but slow flick to watch.

Awesome

[silvan-desouza · 7/10 · 24 August 2014]

Saeed Akhtar Mirza who gave us Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho and many good films, gives yet another good film The film has a good plot and it's well handled. It narrates a story of A tapori and his life and it's brilliantly handled. In it's short length of 1 hr 45 minutes it brings you a wonderful journey of a poor tapori and also throws light on goons.etc

Direction is good The film doesn't have many songs and there are okay

Pavan Malhotra is fantastic as Salim Langda, Vikram Gokhake is fab, Makrand Deshpande and Ashutosh Gowareikar are fab, Neelima Azim is fab Vikram Gokhale is apt, rest are all good

Another era gone by , another life is lost.

[devanshu257 · 8/10 · 9 May 2020]

"Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro" is a story of Salim a muslim gangster and the tensions of communal riots around him and how the ideology of Salim has changed when he met Aslam. It's a movie crafted with beauty and mood of an era gone by. It need to be watched for its realism, good acting and top notch direction.

Hidden Gem

[sameershm · 10/10 · 20 August 2023]

Some gem always remain buried underneath somewhere which only gets its value once unearthed; "Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro" is surely one shuch gem of art. I have seen some movies from 50s,60s,70s and so on in different languages. Amongst them some were those which I called ahead of their time and still relevant today and some were film which were just released yester years but still lagging in time and there were others which doesn't even matter. It's the first time I have watched a movie which I can say is for all the time. It's immortal in my views. And it's indeed necessary to unearth such films and bring it forward to the audience which deserves it.