Trishul (1978) - Directed by Yash Chopra and starring Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor

The film Trishul released in the year 1978. It was directed by Yash Chopra and starred the leading stars of that era, like Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini and Rakhee. The movie was a super duper hit at the box office and turned out to be one of the top successes of 1978.

Shanti (Waheeda Rehman) and RK Gupta (Sanjeev Kumar) are in love and plan to tie the knot soon. However RK’s mother wants him to marry his boss’s daughter and the heiress to a booming construction company, Kamini. RK gives into the temptation of success and marries his mother’s choice. A heart broken Shanti discovers she is pregnant. She leaves the city to bring up her illegitimate son Vijay enduring a lot of hardships. At her deathbed she makes Vijay promise that he will avenge her humiliation and shame.

A young Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) embittered by his life experiences comes to Delhi where RK Gupta (his father) lives, seeking to take revenge. RK Gupta has in the meanwhile has become a construction baron loved and respected by his friends and admirers and feared by his opponents. He also has a son from his wife Kamini, Vicky (Shashi Kapoor) and a daughter, Poonam Dhillon. While his father is the leader of the construction industy, Vijay has nothing but his self belief to help him start his own outfit and make it a success. He does so and is ably supported in this venture by Rakhee who plays his secretary. Determined to destroy his father’s business and his reputation, he takes on big risks and lands successful deals.

Unaware that Vijay is his own son, RK is incensed with the fact that a rookie is fast becoming his competitor and breathing down his neck. The father-son duo then takes each and every opportunity to bring down the other. Caught in this cross fire are Shashi Kapoor and his love interest Hema Malini; the latter having briefly caught Vijay’s fancy. As the battle rages on between father and son, Vijay unwittingly helps out his half sister (Poonam Dhillon) to marry her sweetheart (Sachin). An enraged Shashi Kapoor goes to confront his brother who then informs the former of his parentage. RK’s entire family then decides to walk out on him, choosing Vijay over him. The climax of the film sees a repentant RK realising his mistake of the past and recognising Vijay as his son.

Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan put in sterling performances as father and son. Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Poonam Dillon and Sachin provide competent support. Rakhee is very good as a level-minded intelligent secretary. Yash Chopra and Salim Javed live up to their reputation of being the numero uno director-writer combination.


CAST AND CREW

Directed by Yash Chopra
Produced by Gulshan Rai
Written by Javed Akhtar, Salim Khan
Starring Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Raakhee Gulzar, Waheeda Rehman, Prem Chopra, Poonam Dhillon
Music by Khayyam
Cinematography Kay Gee
Editing by B. Mangeshkar
Lyrics Sahir Ludhianvi

Shakti (1982) - Directed by Ramesh Sippy, starring the powerful Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan

Shakti released in the year 1982 and was directed by Ramesh Sippy. Written by the inimitable duo of Salim-Javed, it starred thespian actor Dilip Kumar and superstar Amitabh Bachchan as father and son. Although the film was only a moderate success at the box office, it was notable for being the first and the only film to feature these two stalwarts of Bombay film industry. It was not a battle between these two actors but an interesting and intense duet where they played off each other’s strength. As audience you are left wonderstruck at the mastery of these two superb artists.

DCP Ashwini Kumar (Dilip Kumar) is known for his honesty across the police force. He is scrupulously sincere, conscientious, moralistic and hard working. He does not let personal sentiments stand in the way of his duty. His principles are severely tested when his child Vijay Kumar is kidnapped by gangster JK Verma (Amrish Puri). Verma demands that DCP Kumar release one of his accomplices who had been arrested by the honest cop or he will kill Vijay. An intense battle rages inside DCP Kumar as the father and cop battle it out. The cop emerges triumphant and he refuses to bow down to blackmail. He declines to release the criminal. Vijay escapes from the kidnappers himself and is eventually saved.

Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) grows up never forgetting for even a day that his father had placed his duty over and above his son’s life. He feels a particular kind of resentment towards his father even though he is devoted to his mother (actress Rakhee plays Amitabh Bachchan’s mother in this film). Eventually he moves out of his father’s house and starts living with Roma Devi (Smita Patil). As an act of defiance he starts working for mobster K.D Narang (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), an erstwhile accomplice of JK who had saved Vijay as a child by letting him escape. Vijay decides to repay that act of mercy by doing all of Narang’s dirty work and illegal activities. Eventually the rivalry between JK and Narang forces Vijay to act as bodyguard for Narang and go on the run with him. Even though Rakhee tries to mediate between father and son, it is of no avail. However Kumar accepts Roma as his daughter-in-law. The climax of the film sees Kumar gunning down his own son as he tries to escape from the country. Vijay dies in his father’s arms secure and happy in the knowledge that he had never been abandoned by his dad.

The film is a must watch for the once in a lifetime coming together of Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. The two set the screen on fire with their amazing histrionic powers. Amitabh especially is very good in his brooding understated avatar.

AWARDS WON

Filmfare Best Movie Award
Filmfare Best Actor Award - Dilip Kumar

CAST AND CREW

Directed by Ramesh Sippy
Produced by Mushir Alam, Mohammad Riaz
Written by Javed Akhtar, Salim Khan
Starring Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri
Music by R.D. Burman
Lyrics Anand Bakshi
Cinematography S.M. Anwar
Editing by M.S. Shinde