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Shaan (1980 film)

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Wikipedia article




'Shaan' is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language action crime film directed by Ramesh Sippy, with a story written by SalimJaved, after the blockbuster success of their previous venture, 'Sholay'. It stars an ensemble cast, consisting of Sunil Dutt, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee Gulzar, Shatrughan Sinha, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Parveen Babi, Bindiya Goswami, and Johnny Walker, with Helen and Bindu appeared in item numbers

The film was an average performer upon its initial release. However, it did good business during re-runs, and also obtained the services of 'Sholay's music composer, R.D. Burman, whose songs bagged a Best Music nomination at Filmfare. 'Shaan' was one of the last films to feature the vocals of Mohammed Rafi. The character of Shakaal was inspired from the Ernst Stavro Blofeld's character from the James Bond film series.

Plot



Deputy Commissioner of Police Shiv Kumarr (Sunil Dutt) returns home to his wife Sheetal (Rakhee Gulzar) and their young daughter, announcing that he has been transferred to Bombay. He has two brothers Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) and Ravi (Shashi Kapoor) who live in Bombay. They are intelligent, capable guys, but spend their time loafing about the city and conning unsuspecting people. However, a mysterious man (Shatrughan Sinha) tries to assassinate Shiv twice in the city, but Shiv survives both times.

After being swindled by Chacha (Johnny Walker) and Renu (Bindiya Goswami), Vijay and Ravi decide to join forces with them along with a glamorous thief named Sunita (Parveen Babi). One of their tricks eventually backfires and lands Vijay and Ravi in jail. However, Shiv bails them out and reads them the riot act at home, hoping to shape them into a much honorable life. After hearing about the two attempts on Shiv's life, Vijay and Ravi try to advise him to find a different line of work, arguing that his profession is unpredictable, dangerous and unsuitable for a family man. However, Shiv stands firm by citing his undying patriotic commitment to his corps and his country.

It eventually turns that the mysterious man works for a sadistic international crime lord named Shakaal (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), who is operating from a remote island outside India while funding crime in Bombay and rejoicing in pain of his enemies and traitors. Due to the fact that Shiv is getting closer to finding out the root of the criminal acts in Bombay, Shakaal has Shiv brought to the island, where he kills Shiv on the beach from a helicopter and has his body dumped back to Bombay.

As Vijay, Ravi and Sheetal lament their tragic loss of Shiv, the mysterious man shows up, introducing himself as Rakesh, a marksman and former circus performer who used to shoot targets blindfolded. Rakesh confessed that he was blackmailed to work for Shakaal, who held Rakesh's wife hostage, and that he deliberately missed on the two previous occasions in hopes of buying time to rescue his wife. However, Shakaal already had deduced this and arranged Rakesh's wife to be killed in a car accident in retaliation. Upon learning this, Vijay and Ravi allied with Rakesh in hopes of killing Shakaal in revenge for their loved ones. To that end, the trio seek the aid of a homeless cripple Abdul (Mazhar Khan), who provided them information about Shakaal's contraband warehouse in Bombay. Though the trio manage to destroy the warehouse, Shakaal retaliates by having his men to murder Abdul and kidnap Sheetal.

Though it would've appeared that the trio are about to concede defeat over Sheetal's imminent fate, one of Shakaal's aides named Jagmohan (Mac Mohan) arrives to them and offers his help to gain entry to Shakaal's hideout, as he was brutally crippled by Shakaal for his previous failure. Posing as a musical troupe, the trio (along with Renu, Chacha and Sunita) enter the island and perform for Shakaal, but the latter captures them, revealing that he actually sent Jagmohan (who was faking his injuries) to trap them. However, Chacha causes a commotion that allows the trio to escape and kill Jagmohan and the rest of Shakaal's men.

Just as the trio finally managed to trap Shakaal and are about to kill him, Sheetal refuses to let them, pointing out that doing so would be disrespectful to the law that Shiv upholds. The arguing commotion allows Shakaal to free himself, forcing the trio to fatally shoot him down in self-defense. However, Shakaal sets the island to self-destruct before he dies. Despite this, the trio and their loved ones escape on a helicopter to safety, satisfied that they have beaten Shakaal in his tracks for good.

Cast



Production



Logistical issues relating to other projects in which the cast was involved meant that 'Shaan' took three years to make. While 'Sholay' drew its inspiration from the American Western and Spaghetti Western films, 'Shaan' took its lead from the James Bond films with fancy sets and beautiful costumes. Shakaal, the bald villain (originally to be played by Sanjeev Kumar) played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, was based on the James Bond villain, Blofeld.

A large golden eagle is prominent in Shakaal's island lair and in the Bollywood obligatory final song-and-dance. The eagle is reminiscent of the golden lamb in Cecile DeMille's Ten Commandments; construction on the golden eagle required outside experts to be flown in and cost, in Rupees, the equivalent of the chariot scene in Ben-Hur.

Sippy wanted to repeat the cast of 'Sholay' for this film, but due to date issues, Sunil Dutt played the role initially offered to Sanjeev Kumar, Bindiya Goswami played the role initially offered to Hema Malini, and Shashi Kapoor was selected when Dharmendra declined to do the character of Ravi.

The film was set and partially filmed on the island of Steep Holm.

Parveen Babi suffered her first anxiety attack when she completed shooting the song "Pyar Karne Wale". Just after the shooting of that song, there was a scene in the film where Parveen Babi is inside the car and then Amitabh Bachchan gets in the car. The scene was later shot when Parveen Babi returned from the U.S. and she recommenced work by shooting this scene.

Soundtrack



The music was composed by R. D. Burman and the lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi.

The version of the song "Yamma Yamma" is not the final recorded song, that is used in the movie. It was a rehearsed copy sung by Late Mohd Rafi, and the actual recording was scheduled for later, which was used by RD Burman in the movie due to the sudden untimely death of Mohd Rafi before the final recording. This is the only song where Mohd Rafi and RD Burman sing a duet together.

Trivia



*The climax of this film was repeated in Shekhar Kapur's 'Mr. India'.

*Given their off-screen antipathy, Shatrughan Sinha demanded an extra 25,000 to work with Amitabh Bachchan and received the same.

Awards



; 28th Filmfare Awards:

'Won'

* Best Cinematography S. M. Anwar

'Nominated'

* Best Music Director R. D. Burman

References




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