Film review: Yaarana, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Neetu Singh

Film: YaaranaDirection: Rakesh Kumar Music: Rajesh Roshan Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Neetu SinghAmitabh Bachchan and Khan : well-worn theme"Circles within circles" - that is how jalebisare often described to foreigners. Most Indian films could as well be described to the uninitiated as "formulas within formulas". The formulatic pattern of Indian films is an integral part of the poor heritage of India's commercial cinema.A further refinement to this tradition is the development of superstars into formulas themselves. Depending on their specialisation they are expected to perform certain gigs in each film regardless of the plot.Yaarana is one such film centred around two standard routines played by formula king Amitabh Bachchan in innumerable other films, but done to perfection (not surprising considering the practice) in this one. The two S.O.Bs (Standard Operating Bullshits) of Bachchan in Yaarana are: village-smart rustic let loose in a big city replete with his faultless dehati accent, and daddy-long-legs pop star gyrating like a Travolta on stilts, backed by an adequately bizarre wardrobe which includes an electrified jacket of bulbs copied from Robert Redford's Electric Horseman.And for those who think that these completely disparate roles are tied up in one film with crudities of the past like double roles have not taken into account the "ingenuity of the story writers. The plot (formula) is surprisingly simple. As the title suggests, it is all about the well-worn theme of friendship and the incredible sacrifice that this always involves in commercial cinema.True Meaning: Two childhood friends played by child versions of Amitabh Bachchan (lean and poor) and Amjad Khan (rich and tubby), somewhere in India, spend their adolescence proving the true meaning of yaarana. Inevitably, the richie has to go abroad for studies while his villager friend, like the true patriotic Indian farmer, swears his undying loyalty to the soil. But Khan soon returns from abroad, as his rotund adult self, to lake the now adult, lanky Bachchan to the big city. Khan has had the brainwave of turning the talented but untrained villager into a pop singer. He puts his friend into a singing school where Bachchan plays his jig of rustic smarty having the last laugh on the city-wallas.But all is not well. Evil spirits lurk in the background. Khan is tricked out of his shipping fortune by his sinister uncle and cousin, played by formula villains Jeevan and Ranjit. But this does not deter Khan from mortgaging his ships, house and other property all for the sake of his friend's training and to pay the exorbitant rent needed to hire a stadium for his friend's first show.Eventually, Bachchan, fortified by a little romantic encouragement from his teacher's daughter (Neetu Singh) is ready for the big show. This is an instant success, with all of Bachchan's usual shaking and bogeying and his career as a pop star is successfully launched.After that the plot just goes berserk. Khan goes to work as a captain on his own ship as it is mortgaged to financiers. Bachchan is not yet aware of his friend's financial predicament and sacrifice. The ship, with a group of children on board, is sea-jacked by Khan's evil uncle. The audience by now is also at sea. At this stage Bachchan finds out how much his friend has sacrificed for him. He runs around like a maniac trying to rescue his friend and the children. Both Khan and he end up in a lunatic asylum. This is also a true reflection of the state of the film by now. Eventually a rescue operation is mounted, everybody is happily reunited and all debts paid.Novel Stunts: It is de rigueur for films like this to have stunts. A novel stunt can make the difference between a forgettable film and a not so easily forgettable one. There have been fads of using motorcycles, cars, helicopters and boats. Yaarana will be remembered, if at all, for bringing hang-gliding to the Indian screen. It is first introduced by foreign-returned Khan to his villager friend as an angrezi patang (foreign kite). There are some expertly shot scenes of hang-gliding.For those who think that the story writers of Indian films are brainless imitators or believers in the stunt-for-stunt's-sake school of thought would be pleasantly surprised by Yaarana. Hang-gliding is crucial to the plot. The last rescue from an impossible hide-out is achieved by some nimble hang-gliding. Undoubtedly, the film is a must for aficionados of hang - gliding and Amitabh Bachchan - in that order.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 26, 2013 08:57 IST--- ENDS ---

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Film review: Yaarana, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Neetu Singh

Yaarana is a film centred around two standard routines played by formula king Amitabh Bachchan in innumerable other films, but done to perfection in this one.

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