Allah-Rakha (1986)

The apple as they say never falls far from the tree, Manmohan Desai's son Ketan Desai proves this saying true in this crazy masala flick with a muslim theme in its background, yes i've heard of Muslim Socials, but this film can be called (or should i say is) Muslim Masala. It stars none other than Jackie Shroff (well done everyone who got the answer right in the Guess who? post below) We have all the masala elements lost children, double identities, villains, gorgeous heroines as well as the exploding tv's & the politics of prostitution thrown in. If you're looking for a hotly served masala look no further than this film. I don't even know how i'm going to write this up, but i shall try my very best as there was just way too much craziness going on

Karim Khan (Shammi Kapoor) had accepted the blame for a murder committed by Don (Bob Christo), as a result he was sent to prison with Don promising to take care of his family. Don however refuses to keep his promise. When Karim Khan's wife Razia (Aruna Irani) takes their newly born son to claim 6 months of her husbands wages from Don, he sees it as an opportunity to rape her


Razia manages to escape by falling through the glass all the way from the first floor to the second floor without getting injured (hmmmm), she escapes and miraculously falls into the hands of Inspector Anwar (Biswajeet) who arrests Don

When Inspector Anwar and Salma's son falls ill, they're told by the doctor that they would need a pacemaker, when Inspector Anwar goes to buy the pacemaker that would save his son's life he's told he would have to release Don first

He refuses at first but later decides to release Don, he's given a pacemaker for his son's heart. The pacemaker turns out to carry the 786 number which is also the muslim number for 'In the name of Allah'


Don and his henchmen then set Anwar up with Miss Banu (Bindu) who spikes his drink, when he wakes up, she claims he raped her. To protect his honour he decides to marry her, His wife Salma (Waheeda Rahman) walks in on them and when Anwar tells his wife that he plans on marrying Banu, she asks for a divorce contending she wouldn't share her pati with a slut like Miss Banu


When Salma contends she get the custody of their child Iqbal, Anwar disagrees and they both go to court, while they're at court for the hearing custody, Don and his henchmen kidnap Iqbal.

When Don's men proceed to crush the child with their car Razia who happens to be passing by swaps him with her dead son, she starts running with Iqbal, don's henchmen hit her with their car and she throws Iqbal away only for him to land in the tent of an ongoing procesion

Iqbal is reported dead to his parents, however they don't know that the dead child is Razia & Karim Khan's son. When Salma hears she rushes out and is hit by a truck, she loses her sight and thus becomes blind

When Karim Khan is released from Jail he's told about the death of his wife , he's given Iqbal whom he thinks is his own son, he then goes to avenge his wife's death from Don, he kills Don but before Don dies he promises Karim Khan that his son (Don's son) will avenge his death

When Iqbal's pacemaker stops working, Karim Khan takes him to the mosque and places him on the altar where a ray of light from God descends on him Manmohan style and he starts breathing again. He's arrested again at the mosque for the murder of Don, before going to jail he hands the baby over to Salma and names the child Allah-Rakha (saved by Allah) he makes her promise him she wouldn't reveal his identity to him. Unknown to Salma is the fact that Iqbal is the child given to her

Allah-Rakha grows up and finds it hard to gain admission into University due to corrupt Mr Khera (Anupham kher). He resorts to running a roadside Panch Tara (as in five star) hotel

When he saves local Prostitute Rani (Meenakshi Sheshadri) from goons she falls for him saying he's the first person to make her wear her clothes as opposed to take them off

He's arrested for beating up the goons, his mother Salma takes up the case & the hearing is adjourned. Allah-Rakha is set free on bail while Inspector Jafar is suspended


A reporter by the name of Julie (Dimple Kapadia) comes toAllah Rakha's side of town, she's mistaken for a prostitute by Rani & both ladies have a catfight only for Rani to later realise she's a Tv Reporter and had come to do a report on prostitution

watch the hilarious catfight here

Julie comes back to Allah-Rakha's side of town and disguises as a guy to expose the liquor and gambling dens of the city, there she comes across Inspector Anwar's son Jafar (Gulshan Grover)who is a cop taking bribes & terrorising locals, she records all this


When Jafar finds out he's being recorded due to a clumsy act by Julie he starts chasing and she's helped by Allah Rakha. Julie & Allah-Rakha fall in love much to her dad Mr khera's (Anupham Kher) displeasure

Mr Khera is paid to carry out bomb blasts across town, he does this by placing bombs in Tvs they plan to kill Allah Rakha by putting a bomb in his Tv (yes this film is that crazy) on the said day Inspector Anwar turns up at Alla-Rakha's house to see Salma. Allah Rakha turns on the Tv and goes to get him drinks, before he comes back the Tv explodes and Inspector Anwar is Injured

Allah Rakha hears Salma praying wishing her own true son Iqbal is still alive, saying he would have sent her on a Hajj trip, Allah-Rakha is disheartened that Salma isn't his real mother


He descides to wrestle against an acclaimed fighter called Gorilla in order to win money to pay for her trip. He wins the fight and Allah-Rakha is able to send Salma on a Hajj trip


watch the fight here

While on Hajj, Salma prays for Anwar's health and he gets well as a result of her prayers. Allah Rakha is then framed for planting bombs in Tv's and as a result he's taken to jail, there he meets Karim Khan. the two have a fight over food but when Karim Khan discovers his name is Allah Rakha, he rejoices and introduces himself as Allah-Rakha's father, they have a happy reunion

When Karim Khan is released from Jail he's confronted by Don's son who has come to get revenge, Don's son who happens to look a lot like Allah-Rakha also arranges Allah Rakha's escape from prison

When Allah-Rakha meets Don's son they have a fight and Allah-Rakha kills him, as a result he switches place with him and news spreads about Allah rakha's death


How will Salma & Anwar realise Allah-Rakha is their son? Will Salma ever reagin her eyesight? For how long will Allah Rakha convince everyone he's Don's son? For these answers a whole lot more entertaining reasons do watch Allah Rakha

Wow that was an exhausting write up, if you read it all, you deserve a round of applause, Allah-Rakha is a well timed crazy masla complete with all the necessary elements to keep you entertained, the story moves along at a steady pace and keeps you involved all the way through.

If you're looking for a hot served masala look no further than this film. Kudo's to Manmohan Desai's son for getting all the golden oldies a la Waheeda, Biswajeet, Shammi Kapoor to participate in all the masala craziness this film had to offer.


Even Shammi participates in some crazy Masala action

The movie was written with Amitabh Bachchan in mind but due to other commitments he couldn't take it up, as a result the role was offered to Jackie Shroff, who did a splendid job, if you're a Jackie fan like me, this is one movie of his you HAVE to watch

Other reasons to watch Allah-Rakha is Bindu in classic BAD woman mode, she is A bad bad bad woman in this film, and she had a fabulous wardrobe and hairstyles to go with it

I also loved the fierceness of Meenakshi Sheshadri, she doesn't get as much screen time as Dimple but she was feisty as the down trodden prostitute

there was also some Psycho shower scene rip off


and there were lots and lots of movie posters featured in the background, probably more so as the film was shot at Raj kapoor Studios

this movie had so much crazy goodness, if you're a red blooded masala lover do not miss THIS

Great songs from Anu Malik as well, some of the songs had a muslim theme in them such as 'Parvardegare Aaalam' and the title track 'Main Allah-Rakha' then there's the protest love song 'Sholon mein jalado' , and then 'doli leke yahan' where Rani laments on the sorrows of prostitution, my favourite however is the sweet parody of Amar Akbar Anthony and other Manmohan Desai films in 'na amar na akbar na anthony'



Total Score: 8/10 ( Hot Piping Masala at its best)

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Kudrat Ka Kanoon (1987)

There is something about female centric masala movies that get me excited, these movies are usually the atypical wronged woman avenges evil man ladidida, topped with some over the top drama moments, fashion to die for and decent music

Dr Vijay (Jackie Shroff) is happily married to Aarti (Radhika), they have a lovely daughter called Munni


He ignites the anger of the elder local Dharam Raj ( Om ShivPuri) when he disrupts the beating of a local man. Everyone in the village fears Dharam Raj and are unable to stand up against him,


Dr. Vijay however is keen to put an end to Dharam Raj's tyranny and sets out on a mission to expose him


However his househelp is an aide of Dharam Raj and she alerts him about Vijay's plan.With her help, Dharam Raj sets Vijay up for murder when a dead body is found in Vijay's hospital cupboard


Vijay tries to plead his innocence but the local man he had rescued gives a false testimony saying Vijay had killed the man in anger when he caught him having an affair with his wife, he is sentenced to 7 years in jail


Following Vijay's imprisonment, his wife Aarti and daughter Munni are considered unclean and then handed over to the police by the village councillor


Aarti declares her innocence to the policeman who promises to help, he takes her home and while there he tries to get her to lay with him, Aarti is having none of it and he tries raping her forcefully, her daughter Munni tries helping her but Inspector Pandey strangles her to death


Aarti is furious and she leaves with her dead daughter to seek the minister Charandas's help, he promises to do his best. He makes arrangements for her daughters burial and promises to bring Inspector Pandey to justice


Unknown to poor Aarti is the fact that Minister Charandas is after her as well, he rapes her and a depressed, shattered Aarti proposes to kill herself in front of a train


Bharati Devi (Hema Malini) a lawyer spots her and rescues her, she tells her how she's never lost a case and propose to get her justice


loved Hema Malini as the fast talking lawyer

At court Aarti is accused of killing her child by Inspector Pandey and Minister Charandas who conspire against her, she's sentenced to 6 years in Jail


A few years later and Aarti is back with a vengenace as a the glamorous Princess Julie Singh and dressed to kill in some fabulous fashions


she stages a fake political campaign and charity dance show and catches the eye of Minister Charandas, he takes a liking to her and begins dating her not knowing she is the same Aarti he had violated years ago



Watch as Aarti plots, connives and wrecks havoc in the lives for those who wronged her

better don't mess with Aarti

Aarti is also confronted by her husband Vijay, what will she tell him? How will she explain thigs to him?

loved Jackie in this, he's one of my fave actors from 80's bollywood

I really enjoyed this movie, it was so camp and fabulously over the top, while also highlighting the immense corruption of the judicial/political system of the state.

I've come to realise that the 80's is one of my favourite decades in terms of bollywood cinema, this might have something to do with me being born in the '80's and also movies from the '80's were my introduction to bollywood, and of course my taste for camp melodrama


This movie is very similar to Khoon Bhari Maang, both movies feature female protagonists wanting to avenge the wrongs done to them by an evil patriarchal figure, these wrongs were mostly avenged through the power of their beauty of course. This lends credibility to the line of thought that with beauty comes power, as it was the beauty Aarti as Julie possessed in this film and in the case of Rekha as Jyoti in khoon Bhari Maang, that they were able to gain access to the men who wronged them and then ultimately conquer them

I absolutely adored Radhika (now known as Raadhika Sarathkumar) in her role as Aarti/Julie, i liked her as the traditional vulnerable Aarti but loved her even more as the fearless, no nonsense glamourpuss Julie, i loved the last few minutes in the film when she decides enough is enough. I know very little about her and this is my first film with her in it, from my research on her, it seems she was a southern actress who did a few bollywood films but her career in hindi movies never really took off


She gave us some fabulous 80's fashions too

Check out that hat and those earrings


Aarti also works the power shoulders & sequins trend and check out those earrings (you go girl)

there were some down outright fugly ones which i shall be sending over to bollywood fugly, i'm torn over this black and gold sequin gown though, its complete with a headgear and matching wristbands, part of me thinks fab and part of me thinks fugly



Good soundtrack from Laxmikant Pyarelal too the joyful 'tujhe itna pyaar kare' the bolly disco sounds of 'Abhi to padi hai' where we get to see our beloved black and gold sequin gown complete with matching headband and matching wristbands my favourite has to be the super mujra 'O mukda chand ka'



Total Score: 6/10 ( One of my favourite 80's masala drama)

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also spotted was this sshhhh picture,i've seen this picture so much in 70's/80's bollywood films, can someone confirm if this was a best selling painitng in india, why was it so popular, remember I also spotted it in Love story