Laawaris 22.5.1981

22.5.1981

Laawaris was released.

Completes 42 Years today..

There is something in May which suited Prakash Mehra and Amitabh Bachchan.

11th May Zanjeer

18th May Sharaabi

22nd May Laawaris.

Namak Halaal was also released on 30th April.

Laawaris was the first Solo film of Prakash Mehra and Amitabh Bachchan after Zanjeer.

The film starts with a Love story of Ranveer Singh( Amjad Khan) and Vidya culminating in her pregnancy. Vidya dies during child birth and the born son is disowned by his father.

Vidya's Brother a lawyer ( Satyen Kappu) gives the child to a driver Gangoo Ganpat ( Dr Shriram Lagoo) who decides to raise him.

He is named Heera after a pet dog.

Laawaris is the story of this orphan.

Gangoo keeps his liquor running with Heera's earnings.But in a state of intoxication and being rebuked he tells Heera that he is a " Gandi Naali Ka Keeda" and wouldn't share the identity of his parents.

Heera is now determined to find the identity of his lineage.

Heera leaves Gangu and proceeds to work for Mahendra Pratap Singh ( Ranjeet) son of Ranveer Singh ( his step / foster brother) now tormented by guilt for his past misdeed. 

The film takes off from there including a romantic liaison with Mohini ( Zeenat Aman)  a spoiled vixen he quickly tames, who is also (unbeknownst to him), the daughter of the very lawyer who disposed of him as an infant and who turns out to be his childhood crush.

Mahinder puts Hira in charge of his most obstreperous millhands (among whom Hira quickly establishes himself as alpha male) and also gives him special assignments like demolishing hutments and a Hanuman temple to make way for a “five star hotel.” Hira spares the temple ( after a complete riot of using all languages known his knowledge of numerous Indian languages and the characteristic mannerisms of their speakers is attributed to his younger days in an Udupi hotel ) and leads the homeless poor to the mansion of Mahinder’s girlfriend ( Padmini Kapila) where he contrives to have them accommodated while compelling Mahinder to build a “model town” for them. Eventually he runs afoul of Mahinder and earns the affection of the pious Ranvir, who disapproves of Mahinder’s misdeeds but, naturally, does nothing to check them. 

Heera himself develops a love-hate relationship with Ranvir, to whom he is strangely attracted, and Ranbir's Daughter Madhu.

He also champions the cause of a potter whose sister ( Preeti Sapru) Mahinder tried to ravish, and when the poor potter loses his arms .

Hira even does a stint of expertly shaping clay on the wheel.

There are several claptrap situations and Amitabh's character has a lot of mass appeal. His scene where he delivers a speech at a function to award Amjad Khan is superb,Another one is Amitabh and Zeenat's first meet and the confrontation after the song Kahe Paise Pe which is at interval Prakash Mehra's films always had a strong message on society too and this film too has a strong message. On the flipside the film does tend to slow down at times and several instances the story does deviate at times focusing on comedy scenes and other stuff ( The sequence where Heera saves a Temple and beats the goons in their own languages is hilarious.

The relationship between Amitabh and Suresh Oberoi is well depicted and the turn of events are well handled, Amitabh being accused and threatening to take revenge on Amjad Khan is superb and the scene when Amitabh confronts Amjad in his bungalow is terrific.

Music by Kalyanji Anandji is awesome, Apni to Jaise Taise, Kab Ke Bichre, Mere Angne mein(sung by big B) are still remembered, Kishore sang almost all songs for Big B again as in those days and every song is Melodious, Kahe Paise Pe ,Jiska Koi Nahin are brilliant too while the first song Mere Angne mein filmed on Rakhee is sung by young Alka Yagnik and she is shows her class.

The premise of Laawaris was apparently based on the strained relationship Prakash Mehra had with his own father. He would later explore a similar theme with Sharaabi. His direction is slick.

He was assisted by Ram Sethi

He used many carry overs from MKS..

kids separating in childhood and reuniting as adults, Young actor Mayur Verma played the child version of Amitabh Bachchan’s character in Laawaris and had done the same in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.

Even cast wise he keeps his regulars..Ranjeet is good in his role, Suresh Oberoi is superb Om Prakash is good too while Bindu is stereotypical Ram Sethi entertains as the loud yes man of Ranjeet, he starred mostly in all films of Big B and PM. Satyen Kapuu as the villain is good while Sreeram Lagoo is fabulous ,Jeevan is as usual  Padmini Kapila plays his  daughter in a relationship with Ranjeet in the film.

Predictably Amitabh scores and delivers yet another superlative performance, he had  played streetsmart characters often but Laawaris is still remembered amongst them. Zeenat Aman ( who replaced Parveen Babi) is apt in her role Amongst actors Amjad Khan is superb in a positive role(he starred in most Bachchan releases that year Kaalia, Yaarana, Naseeb and Barsaat Ki Ek Raat too).

Amitabh in Drag is a rarity but it is here in the song Mere Angane Main.

Which was a last minute addition to the film. ( Which apparently was disliked by Jaya ).

Laawaris remains a PMP and AB film and a Blockbuster 

( My memories include fighting for the tickets and seat in Gopal Theatre Amravati at the age of 16.)

As Heera says

"Kabhi kabhi insaan apne paap ka ek chota sa paudha chhodkar bhaag jaata hai ... lekin kismat us paudhe ko ek pedh banakar uske samne khada kar deti hai.."