Majboor (1974) Poster

(1974)

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6/10
One of Bachchan's good thrillers
silvan-desouza20 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Amitabh Bachchan's career got a new lease after ZANJEER(1973) but then his career had a lull before storm effect with hardly big hits till DEEWAAR(1975)

MAJBOOR released in 1974 when Bachchan's other films KASAUTI, BENAAM met with average to below average results ROTI KAPDA AUR MAKAAN was a blockbuster but he had a short role in it

MAJBOOR is a thriller like BENAAM which released in the same year The film is a remake of Hollywood film ZIGZAG(1970) yet the film makes for a good thriller with bollywood masala mixed in when required

The film starts off well, we are given a glimpse of AB's happy family and then it kick starts with the thriller mode straightaway no forced comedy Romance too is minimal and pleasing, The mystery is well handled and the twists in the tale(tumor and then his arrest) is superbly handled, There are few snags like Pran's character given some superficial traits but yet those are forgiven for 70's films and also it was one of the mass appealing parts those days

The film keeps you on tenterhooks mostly though the mystery could be revealed a bit later and better yet for 70s movie it's forgiven again The climax is a bit too difficult to digest and filmy(Pran surviving so long) yet it's well handled

Direction by Ravi Tandon is superb Music by LP in limited doses is good, NAHIN MAIN NAHIN DEKH SAKTA is very emotional and brilliantly sung by Kishore, who also sings AADMI JO KEHTA HAI which too is a superb song and rightly placed MICHAEL PEEKE DANGA KARTA HAI is an ode to Goan songs and is fun as well Again Sung by Kishore and Picturised on Pran Action scenes are good Script(Salim Javed) is excellent Amitabh Bachchan excels in his role and portrays his character very well His expressions during the tumor breakdown is superb and he carries the film on his shoulders Parveen Babi in her first film with AB gets nothing much to do and fits in and out when required yet she is okay Pran comes in second half and is likable in his inimitable style though at times his character is shown too filmy and corny Satyen Kapuu is okay, Macmohan annoys with his winny voice Farida Jalal excels as AB's sister, while Master Alankar is superb(He played younger Bachchan in DEEWAAR and many films) Sulochana, Iftekar,Sajan lend adequate support
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6/10
Fails to deliver on the promise
abhijit_dutta200313 June 2022
This film starts extremely well and promises to be a classic, but it fails to deliver on that promise in the second half. The first half creates intrigue and the scenes are very good, the writing also remains sober and sane, unlike may films of that era. The second half, on the other hand, is not as intense and writing also brings in the usual cliches. Amitabh Bachchan was good through out and put a very credible performance. The rest of the cast was also quite good, with Farida Jalal acting very naturally. I did not like Pran's acting in this one, he was an amazing actor, but in this film he was given a cliched role with some usual "dialogbaazi" of the times which sound ridiculous now. The character he played is too much of a stretch of imagination. The ending is way too stretched and dilutes the suspense of the first half totally. Overall a film that had potential to be a classic but the writers got bored and lazy too quickly!
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10/10
A classical thriller that would remain forever in the Indian Cinema.
santoshini90819 February 2009
The movie is an absolute Hitchock thriller made in a sensitive way.The story of the movie is about a person named Ravi who lives his life with a trouble which he feels that cannot be solved forever.To make his family to live a secured life he plays risky tricks and he goes to jail. In the jail he faces a severe head ache again and he undergoes an operation..After getting completely relieved from his physical trouble he escapes from the jail and fights for his justice. .The second half of the movie is completely thrilling. The movie is of course a tense thriller.The mystery has been cleverly relieved at the end of the movie.The locations where the climax scenes are shot are very fantastic. The thrills in the movie are very new to the Audencies of the Indian Cinema.The songs are also very nice in the movie.Though the movie is an remake of Hollywood movie it enthralls the Audencies of Indian Cinema to a Large extent.This movie will remain as a greater thriller movie in the History of Indian Cinema.
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10/10
Amitabh at his best
roopamkhare19 December 2003
This was the time when people have started recognising amitabh as a bundle of talent and this movie totally testified. Other than amitabh's performance its the story and screenplay of movie which makes it memorable. The way Javed Akhtar got expertise in writing Amitabh's character in that decade was one of the reason he became superstar. This is one of my favourite amitabh's character. He is a very ordinary guy who is tackling with his daily life problems with his sister (played by Farida Zalal) being handicap, comes to know that he is suffering from uncurable brain tumor. To secure his family he plays some risky tricks and ends up getting in trouble. The second part sees Pran coming as savior. Pran and Amitabh are agin seen after zanzeer and their onscreen chemistry is again fabulous. The songs of movie were big hit but movie did average. But its a must to watch movie
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A classic thriller that you can watch anytime
shmsndr828 August 2011
I saw this film as a child and loved it. This is rarely shown on TV nowadays but I wanted to catch it up. So I downloaded the movie from the net and man! I loved every bit of this tense thriller.

The story is of a young man Ravi (Amitabh) who suffers from repeated seizures. He comes to know of his brain tumor. His doctor says that an operation can save his life but has high risk of paralyzing his physical or mental capabilities. With only 6 months to live, Ravi hatches a plan that can lead him to the gallows but earn him a princely sum that can take care of his widowed mother, wheelchair-bound sister (Farida Jalal) and a kid brother. He confesses to having killed a rich man and maneuvers a way that will make the prize money go to his family members.

Ravi's plan works out and he is sentenced a death penalty. A month after wards, he has a seizure in jail and passes out. The doctors operate on his tumor and remove it successfully. But then, Ravi knows that he is not destined to live too long. With little assurance from his lawyer friend, Ravi escapes from hospital and with the help of his sweetheart (Parveen Babi), sets out to catch the real killer and prove his innocence. In the way, he comes across a stranger (Pran) who might be the real killer.

Four things stand out in Majboor.

The terrific direction of Ravi Tandon. The man has ably directed the film minus the clichés and emotional drama that marked many of the '70s Hindi films. Direction is taut and to the point with little scope for nonsense. The breathtaking climax only shows how capable Tandon is as a director.

The story, script and dialogs by Salim-Javed are other high points. Minus the stereotypes, the film is flawless and shows emotions without any excess.

Big B. Yes, how could we forget the MAN, the institution who has redefined Hindi cinema with his natural acting? Watch out for his seizure scenes and his confrontation with Macmohan in the curio shop. The man is in terrific form here and ably shows the anguish, grief and Majboori (compulsion) of a man who has become a victim of fate.

Pran. Yes, I have always felt that the man comes at his best with Bachchan by his side and he again proves that here. Watch the climax and you will agree why he deserves to be called the real hero of Majboor.

Among the rest of the cast, everyone is good. Be it the amazingly beautiful Parveen Babi, the cute Farida Jalal or the smart Iftekhar (in yet another cop role), everyone is at his or her best.

Go watch "Majboor". This is one terrific thriller that was successful at the BO but did not get the recognition of a Zanjeer or a Deewar (probably because Big B was not given too much heroism to show here). However, it deserves to be watched again and again. A good whodunit and a classic thriller.
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9/10
Majboor not too thrill
AmitabhBachchan194228 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Majboor is one of Bollywood's most untouched classics. It is a complete suspense thriller with a flawless story and screenplay, which is packed with equally flawless performances.

The film revolves Ravi (Amitabh Bachchan), who works as a travel agent. He is the sole income earner in his family which consists of his mother, younger brother and crippled sister.

Over a period of time Ravi starts experiencing intense pain in his head and it is later discovered that he has a brain tum-or. He is now worried that if he dies, there will be no one to look after his family. That's when Ravi strikes upon an idea...........

........... Ravi's client Surendra Sinha (Murad), was kidnapped and killed and his murderer was not found. The police, however, had a slight suspicion that perhaps it was Ravi who committed the crime because he was the last person to see him alive. Surendra Sinha's brother, Narendra Sinha (Satyen Kapoo) has offered a reward to anyone who captures the killer. Ravi decides to play a trick in which he takes the blame on his shoulders and gets the 5 lacks so that if he does die, his family will have the 5 lacks to live on thereafter.

Ravi is prosecuted for the crime (though he did not do it) and given the death sentence. Prior to his death sequence Ravi has another seizure and an operation is conducted which surprisingly removes Ravi's tum-or. Ravi relies what he has done and he doesn't want to die. The only way Ravi can live again is if he catches the real killer of Surendra Sinha. So begins Ravi's mission to find the real killer. Alongside him is his girlfriend and Michael (Parveen Babi)(Pran).

Performance wise the film belongs to the one man who steals the show Amitabh Bachchan. He breathes life into the character of Ravi and one is actually convinced that we are watching "Ravi" on screen and not Amitabh Bachchan. Majboor definitely rates in Amitabh's top ten performances. His facial expressions, explosive dialogues.

Overall Majboor is a hands down classic till this day-and the movie remains a suspenseful and thrilling ride right to the end.
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