Koyla (Rakesh Roshan, 1997)
If you have an aversion to mullets, avoid this film.
If you have an aversion to Amrish Puri, avoid this film.
Seriously, if you dislike him to begin with, after he says "Bloody fool!" for the 378th time you will really loathe him. And then there's all the raping.
If you like your Bollywood films to be sweet, family-friendly entertainment, be it a star-crossed love story focused on the hero getting the girl or a whacky slapstick comedy involving hilarious criminal capers, or an old school masala with long lost brothers, evil overlords and a convoluted plot resulting in good triumphing over evil…this film is not for you.
Koyla is the first Bollywood film I have seen that I have found seriously disturbing. Initially, I ordered it based on the presence of my beloved Shahrukh, and on the strength of a screenshot in the PPCC’s review of the film:
I think the PPCC used the exact same shot! SERIOUSLY, CAN YOU SEE HOW I WOULD BE INTRIGUED?!
The story is a misogynistic Mills and Boon saga: rich tyrant Raja (Amrish Puri) sees a local girl, Gauri (Madhuri Dixit) and falls in love with her instantly. He tricks her into marriage by sending a photo of another man – his mute stableboy, Shankar (Shahrukh Khan) – with the proposal. Gauri discovers the deception too late but with Shankar’s help, escapes the prison Raja keeps her in. But can she and Shankar evade the Raja and his men forever?
The horrible truth is that Koyla is a deeply unpleasant film, with scenes of gratuitous and brutal rape and violence that actually made me feel ill at points. This is not the kind of film you can laugh at – for every absurd moment, there is a moment of real shocking violence or brutality that ultimately gives the film a nasty undertone. There was none of the warmth, optimism or satisfaction I get from watching any other Bollywood release – not even at the climax where revenge on the bad guy is predictably had, and in this film the bad guy is so fricking bad you’d think it would feel really good to see him go up in flames.
But if anything, I just felt relief that this nasty, unpleasant, horrible film was over. Really not recommended.
BEST SHAHRUKH MOMENT:
The Rukh, the Rukh, the Rukh is on fire!
Not to mention SRK broke his leg/knee/kneecap (not sure which one) in that song where the slaveboy welcomes the bride to his master's home. I love it mainly on the basis that SRK worked really hard to be that guy. I read some articles and watched the making of before I could really appreciate the movie.. ^^;
ReplyDeleteI realllly hated this movie, and had the scarring experience of seeing it on TV when i was 7, and I was laughing at the scene i think when SRK starts screaming after he regains his speeech! This was an eyesore of a film, but I was more shocked to see that my favorite alien director Rakesh Roshan made this! Nahieee!
ReplyDeleteAmi: Oh, I didn't know that INJURIES occurred during filming! But during THAT scene? Lol - I would have thought maybe it would be one of the stunt jumps on the bike or, I dunno, BEING ON FIRE that would prove more dangerous!
ReplyDeleteRum: 7! you were 7?!?! oh my god I'm nearly 30 and I think I am suffering psychological damage from its awfulness! And I agree - Rakesh? WHAT HAPPENED? Where were the cute aliens?!
The only saving grace of this ridiculous movie is the song "Badan Judaa Hote Hai"
ReplyDeleteI love this film. It's so over the top, so improbable and so casual about the plot making sense that it drew me in. I am not disturbed by the blood and gore onscreen mostly because the injuries are so wildly random and unreal that it reaches Wes Craven splatterfest proportions. I bow to everyone's reactions since everyone's mileage will vary. Just wanted to put in a plug for this one as a guilty pleasure if the viewer can take the blood n' guts factor.
ReplyDeletethis was the first movie of SRK's that I saw - well, most of it, and on TV. So it's gotta be an emotional/sentimental favourite.
ReplyDeleteagree with JD, the violence is not as realistic as hollywood movies, possibly cos back then they didn't shoot it from every angle. Anjaam has more violent scenes, including one that even I can't watch (thankfully, SRK is not in the scene!)
having said that, I showed Koyla to some friends and they didn't like it... it has dated a little. I always loved Shah Rukh covered in blood/sweat/tears...but I guess I have grown along with him & his movies.
billed as an action movie, it has something for everyone, but I call it a beautiful romance, and one of SRK's *revenge* movies... as a scorpio, I am into revenge (wink)
the songs are beautiful and very romantic (sanson ke mala is spellbinding, with SRK putting his whole body into drumming, and my fave part is where Madhuri (Gauri) throws a blossom at Shankar's feet...symbolic and very moving.
the cossies were great, too - SRK's black leather pants...hmmm, nice!
and I just LOVE Madhuri's face, and her smile always makes me happy. It was a shame that she & SRK never won a Jodi #1 award.
Shah Rukh was so earnest, so intense & kinda raw back then. I loved his early movies. Now he's a lot smoother, more polished & sophisticated, but that's OK, he's magnificent either way!