Kudrat (1981, Hema Malini, Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Khanna, Raaj Kumar)

[NewLaura]

I have a special fondness for reincarnation movies, and I loved Kudrat.  If you enjoy reincarnation movies, I definitely recommend it.  It has all of the standard reincarnation movie characteristics, plus a little bit of a detective/legal movie element at the end.

The movie begins with Hema Malini on a train, travelling to Simla with her parents for vacation.  She had been born in Simla, but moved away as a toddler, and this is her first return visit.  The train keeps going through tunnels, and then Hema sees Simla and declares that she remembers it and has been there before, which her parents, of course, deny.  In the next scene, Rajesh Khanna is also travelling to Simla by train, and a fellow passenger recognizes him.  Rajesh does not remember the other passenger, but the passenger keeps talking, reminding him, and finally Rajesh does remember and recognizes his former schoolmate.  And his train keeps going through tunnels, too.  Ahhh, foreshadowing!  I love it.

Hema as present day Chandramukhi keeps remembering bits and pieces of her former life as she moves around Simla.  She sees Rajesh Khanna as Mohan and knows that she has known him before, but he does not recognize her.  There are several encounters between the two, as well as random clues to her previous life in the form of ancient trees, necklaces, love songs, familiar houses. 

Vinod Khanna is a psychiatrist visiting from America, and as it just so happens, Chandramukhi’s parents set about arranging her marriage with him.  He uses hypnosis to try and cure Chandramukhi of her nightmares and strange reactions to people and sights in Simla.  Rajesh Khanna has similar ties to Priya Rajvansh who plays Karuna, the legal eagle daughter of his patron.  Aruna Irani also has a small but pivotal role.  Oh, and a young Tom Alter has a small, but amusing, role:  past life Rajesh and Hema spy on him kissing a woman and then try to imitate them.

Hema as Chandramukhi recognizes Simla


Hema as Paro and Rajesh as Madho


Hema as Chandramukhi with Vinod


Rajesh as Mohan with Priya Rajvansh/Karuna


Tom Alter


And his protégés, Rajesh as Madho and Hema as Paro

[Usha]

Kudrat is a nice movie, it has it`s ups and downs but a nice watch

Ups
- The kissingscene between Madho and Paro, how naughty   " It doesn`t taste sweet...."
- Tune O Rangeele Kaisa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tzjbIzBJqk&feature=related
- Karuna being the strong, leading lawyer to defend her father
- Paros death , sort of weird but I found it sort of amusing

Spoiler (hover to show)

the discovery of her skeleton walled in with the handkerchief hanging out. You would believe the murderer would have removed it

Downs
- I thought the pre-birth romance undeveloped, I would have liked to see more of Madho and Paro falling in love and so
- Madhos death

Spoiler (hover to show)

how lame was that, first he wanted to kill Paro   , then himself and then the raper and on the way he falls down a cliff  

- There was a lot of running to and through everywhere, espc. during the courtscenes

And I sort of felt bad for Dr. Naresh, who lost his love in Chandramukhi to Mohan ( who never actually seemed convinced about his pre-birth   ) Vinod Khanna was looking very cute, espc. in his shtylish suits  
Oh, and I just remember ! How cute was that scene when Naresh and Chandramukhi was "modern" dancing together in the livingroom