(Amitabh Bachchan) is a superstar, an icon, and a big part of the Indian pop culture. But after more than 75 movies in 2 decades, between the mid-70s and the mid-90s, I suppose he has had it. He became so tired of too many movies, massive fame, and bad career in politics. True that (Francois Truffaut) called him once "A one-man industry", but he is a "man" before being an industry. So the man had to rest a while. And that's why he took the decision of "the break" in 1994.
However, after 3 years, he returned to movies, and through a production company of his own (ABCL) or (Amitabh Bachchan Cooperation Limited). Big move. So, where did exist the big fault that made this movie a big flop?!!
It's mainly in the repetitive formula, which is simple: The revenge story + a political satire + a great speech at the end about the lost justice with (Bachchan)'s distinct baritone voice. Cool stuff.. However in the 1980s! As we got this whole merchandise before, from the same star, and more than once, yet better and smarter. (Aakhree Raasta), produced 11 years earlier, was a perfect example for that.
It suffered from what made it look naive and be naive: the poor action; the explosion of the car was a farce! The pretty easy writing; the character of alcoholic surgeon as a lead was pure gold, it could've been great, but except this, nothing was gold! Or an older (Bachchan) doing the same again and again, being 55 year old at the time!
The worst, most dull, moment ever was when he had to hide from the bad guys as a singer on a stage. I was screaming: "Shoddy.. VERY shoddy!". Genius magicians like director (Manmohan Desai) would've made it convincing or acceptable, but never boring after endless similar tricks such as this. Not to mention that (Desai) already died in (1994), even singer (Kishore Kumar) - who gave his lovely voice to (Bachchan) in so memorable songs in previous movies - wasn't here to rescue either, since he died in 1987. So the player was missing his team, especially in a rematch like this!
Let alone what I see as the biggest sin at all: the matter of DEAD (Bachchan)! I believe that disappointed lots and lots of the audiences back then, and back then precisely, who went to watch their star, after 3 years of separation, to witness him simply die at the end!! Despite the message of it, I think that wasn't designed well commercially, as it sure stunned the craving viewers and depressed them while what turned out to be a sudden gloomy comeback!
I can't say that the performance of the bad guys was overdone, because to tell you the truth in other movies, and with lower efforts, it hit the mark though, but this time the people just hated it. (Bachchan) delivered such a strong performance, trying his best to be serious, satirical, and adding something else the empty entertainment to his behalf. Though, the dose was very intensive, the formula was trite, and the fans weren't utterly in the mood for their icon to get revived just to be killed!
So, was it a matter of vanity that pushed the star to present the same old stuff, confiding blindly that the people would love it as they loved it before? Or was it the fear of doing something new, presenting the unusual, not expecting the reaction? In fact, what I do know is that 3 years later, and after many lousy attempts to live the echoes of the past again, the big B would return to be big again after (Mohabbatein - 2000). I think it got something to do with his beginning boldly to accept roles for aged men, giving up finally being a "young" angry man anymore. Ahh.. Wise move eventually. And although choosing the wrong scripts, and the enthusiasm over bad projects, are still continuous habits in (Bachchan) unfortunately, but at least every now and then he gets himself into rare experiences like (Aks - 2001), (Black - 2005), and (Nishabd - 2007).
I believe (Mrityudaata) in Indian means (The Angel of Death). The commercial Arabic title of it in Egypt stood for (Revenge of The Aggrieved). But I named it (The Angel of Revenge). Anyhow, this angel maybe got a lot of demons inside of him to rely on old, seemingly assured, formulas. But he forgot the greatest fact: Time Changes, so you must as well. Otherwise, he would aggrieve himself and us.
The lesson here is: Don't try to copy your old success, every time has its own circumstances, and yes.. The career doesn't demand a flop like (Mrityudaata), but sure reforming it needs it.
However, after 3 years, he returned to movies, and through a production company of his own (ABCL) or (Amitabh Bachchan Cooperation Limited). Big move. So, where did exist the big fault that made this movie a big flop?!!
It's mainly in the repetitive formula, which is simple: The revenge story + a political satire + a great speech at the end about the lost justice with (Bachchan)'s distinct baritone voice. Cool stuff.. However in the 1980s! As we got this whole merchandise before, from the same star, and more than once, yet better and smarter. (Aakhree Raasta), produced 11 years earlier, was a perfect example for that.
It suffered from what made it look naive and be naive: the poor action; the explosion of the car was a farce! The pretty easy writing; the character of alcoholic surgeon as a lead was pure gold, it could've been great, but except this, nothing was gold! Or an older (Bachchan) doing the same again and again, being 55 year old at the time!
The worst, most dull, moment ever was when he had to hide from the bad guys as a singer on a stage. I was screaming: "Shoddy.. VERY shoddy!". Genius magicians like director (Manmohan Desai) would've made it convincing or acceptable, but never boring after endless similar tricks such as this. Not to mention that (Desai) already died in (1994), even singer (Kishore Kumar) - who gave his lovely voice to (Bachchan) in so memorable songs in previous movies - wasn't here to rescue either, since he died in 1987. So the player was missing his team, especially in a rematch like this!
Let alone what I see as the biggest sin at all: the matter of DEAD (Bachchan)! I believe that disappointed lots and lots of the audiences back then, and back then precisely, who went to watch their star, after 3 years of separation, to witness him simply die at the end!! Despite the message of it, I think that wasn't designed well commercially, as it sure stunned the craving viewers and depressed them while what turned out to be a sudden gloomy comeback!
I can't say that the performance of the bad guys was overdone, because to tell you the truth in other movies, and with lower efforts, it hit the mark though, but this time the people just hated it. (Bachchan) delivered such a strong performance, trying his best to be serious, satirical, and adding something else the empty entertainment to his behalf. Though, the dose was very intensive, the formula was trite, and the fans weren't utterly in the mood for their icon to get revived just to be killed!
So, was it a matter of vanity that pushed the star to present the same old stuff, confiding blindly that the people would love it as they loved it before? Or was it the fear of doing something new, presenting the unusual, not expecting the reaction? In fact, what I do know is that 3 years later, and after many lousy attempts to live the echoes of the past again, the big B would return to be big again after (Mohabbatein - 2000). I think it got something to do with his beginning boldly to accept roles for aged men, giving up finally being a "young" angry man anymore. Ahh.. Wise move eventually. And although choosing the wrong scripts, and the enthusiasm over bad projects, are still continuous habits in (Bachchan) unfortunately, but at least every now and then he gets himself into rare experiences like (Aks - 2001), (Black - 2005), and (Nishabd - 2007).
I believe (Mrityudaata) in Indian means (The Angel of Death). The commercial Arabic title of it in Egypt stood for (Revenge of The Aggrieved). But I named it (The Angel of Revenge). Anyhow, this angel maybe got a lot of demons inside of him to rely on old, seemingly assured, formulas. But he forgot the greatest fact: Time Changes, so you must as well. Otherwise, he would aggrieve himself and us.
The lesson here is: Don't try to copy your old success, every time has its own circumstances, and yes.. The career doesn't demand a flop like (Mrityudaata), but sure reforming it needs it.