Director: Ravi Chopra
Producer: B.R.Chopra
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Hema Malini, John Abraham, Om Puri, Aman Verma, Parmeet Sethi, Rajpal Yadav, Smita Jaykar, Beena, Avtar Gill, Vaishnavi, Gargi Patel
Music: Aadesh Srivastava
Lyrics: Sameer
Where in Baghban the characters of Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini were of a middle-class family, in Baabul it is the opposite, they are rich and have a vibrant feel to life. But they still have the same values as before, for family and culture, and these are given primary importance in their lives.
Amitabh Bachchan plays Balraj Kapoor and Hema Malini is his wife Shobna. Balraj holds prominence within his household, not only because he is the he head of the family, but because he is enlightened in wisdom and thought. He is a loving father, an active father, and above all – a wonderful father-in-law. For Balraj the truth and rightfulness matters and for this truth he will move mountains. For Balraj his wife has a more important role in his live, much more than of a wife and more like a soul-mate, a rarity these days as many couples just live lives as time-pass. Shobna is very lucky in life; she has the love of both the men in her life, her husband and her son. She teases them on their vulnerabilities, but that is just a façade, in reality her whole life is for them.
Both parents love their only child, Avinash (Salman Khan). He is more than a son for Balraj; a friend is a better term to use. Avinash has returned after many a year studying abroad, lighting up his parents lives, and happiness is spread all around. Whoever knows Avinash loves him. He is good looking, charming, and loving. He may play practical jokes on all and sundry, but he will give anything to make anyone smile.
Avinash falls in love with a beautiful painter named Malvika Talwar (played my Rani Mukherjee - who incidentally is using the same surname she had in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna). Malvika is known as Millie to all that know her. Millie has a passion for painting, but also loves to love and fight. She is a down to earth girl who believes in love and marriage and that one falls in love only once in life.
Unbeknown to Millie, a long-term friend of hers, the wonderful and dashing Rajat (John Abraham), is secretly in love with her too. Rajat is a silent type of guy, and as he is a musician, he expresses his emotions through his songs. Rajat loses the girl of his dreams, but is not heartbroken, as his only wish in life is for Millie to be happy. Rajat relocates his life to Europe hoping to pursue his music career further.
Avinash and Millie get married and are bestowed with a loving child named Ansh. But fate is about to tend them with a bitter blow. Avinash meets with an accident and loses his life. Millie is devastated. She is unable to cope with life without her late husband, and her father-in-law decides to make a difficult decision, so that she can get back on the road of her life. He decides that Millie needs the love of a husband back in her life, so he starts searching for Rajat, hoping that he will help Millie with her grief.
However Balraj faces criticism and opposition, from friends and family alike. His most fierce opponent to this change in Millie’s life is his brother Balwant (Om Puri). Balwant is a traditionalist whose main importance in life is the honour and importance of his family name. He will go any lengths to keep this intact, and after hearing what Balraj is up to, decides that drastic measures are called for… to put a stop to this.
But for Balraj the biggest obstacle to getting the happiness back into Millie’s life is not Balwant, or Millie herself, but his soul-mate, his wife, his jeevan-saathi, the one that has never said no to any of his decisions… his wife.
The story is as old as the hills.
Baabul was supposed to be a tale of a man who fights against society and his family, to get his daughter-in-law re-married… surprisingly all the fighting he does is in the last 10 minutes. If one really wants to see the plight of widows, the one should go and watch Water. One wonders what the story writer had on his mind, while writing the script; he has just concentrated on stupid and dumb things.
Technically, the film suffers from horrible editing, a below average script, and mediocre direction. The only saving graces of the film are the songs, which are absolutely beautiful, and picturised elegantly.
Come On Come On – Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan rock, but Hema Malini’s dance steps are horrible. Overall, the song is fun, and will be loved to bits.
Vaada Raha – Salman Khan looks cute and the song is shot very well.
Baawri Piya Ki – This song is split into two parts. The first version is with Rani Mukherjee and Salman Khan, after they get married. The second version is after the death of Salman Khan’s character, while Rani Mukherjee is dancing with him in the rain imaginatively. The second version is superb.
Gaa Re Mann – Amitabh Bachchan looks so cool in the song, and Hema too. Rani is shown in a graceful manner.
Har Manzar – The song is shot on John Abraham, whose looks should have been given a little more attention.
Bebasi Dard Ka – The song that I loved the most in the film, Absolute adorable.
Amitabh Bachchan is still suffering from the Baghban/Waqt hangover. There is not much new to see from his character, then what has been seen before. As always, the legend performs like he always does, legendary. He is the only reason one can sit through till the end reels.
Dream Girl Hema Malini’s character is a waste, her role in Baghban was much stronger and had more meaning. The role has not been written well, leaving Hema’s acting confused, fake, and a little boring.
Salman Khan is apt in his role. As always, Salman performs to a good standard, and is another positive point of the film.
John Abraham looks bad in some scenes, especially in the first half. However, with his acting overshadowed by his good looks, that doesn’t matter.
The heroine of film, lovable Rani Mukherjee, is good in some scenes. She has done a good job bearing in mind a weak script. However, she needs to go a little easy with the glycerine, and badly needs to cool down from the whole Hum Tum/KANK fever.
Om Puri performs his part well and the rest of the cast are ok.
The whole film gives you the feeling of ‘been there done that’. Watching it once is painful enough, a second view is a no-no. Baghban was and still is a hundred times better.
RS RATING: 5.5/10
Synopsis by Tony / Review by Ishani