Raj Kumar (1997, Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor, Nasseruddin Shah)

[Spook]

I have not seen this movie yet, but I am interested in it, from what the songs (very few) youtube clips have shown. As there is not another thread for this (that I have seen in my search), I created this one. If there is a thread that I missed, feel free to delete this.

So has anyone seen it? Any reviews/recommendations for this? I do know that (for me at least) the songs are spectacular.

[filmifan]

i love the Madhuri-Anil jodi but have hesitated watching this one due to negative comments, such as this blogger's--who is also a fan of the jodi. although it could be a so-bad-it's-good type of movie (?).

[shalini]

i love the  Jodi but have hesitated watching this one due to negative comments, such as this logger's--who is also a fan of the Jodi. although it could be a  type of movie (?).

Oh, definitely.  Raj Kumar could be the marquee presentation at a WTF filmiest.   I highly recommend it for the unalloyed joy of watching not just Madurai and Nail Spoor, but also Nauseating Shah ham it up like their Bellwood careers were about to end and they had to cram in as much OTT acting into this film as they could.

[corbie]

It was so bad I turned it off at 20 minutes. I got it thinking it was Raj Kumar with Shammi Kapoor and didn't realize I got sent the wrong one until it was in the player and all the bloody violence started.

[Spook]

Wow its THAT bad? Not even worth watching for the songs?

[corbie]

I was so freaked out with the violence, 80's style in the dungeon at the beginning when I was expecting Shammi Kapoor, I never even went and looked at the songs. But Raj Kumar with Shammi is awesome.

[derketchup]

Wow its THAT bad? Not even worth watching for the songs?

I actually own this movie.  It's like Indian Robin Hood slapstick/love story/fight scenes/super cliche bad villain/omg daiiiii!

[Spook]

....Sounds like Ghajini sans Robin Hood.

*waits for shoes to be thrown at him*

How was Madhuri's acting then?

[filmifan]

Raj Kumar could be the marquee presentation at a WTF filmiest.   I highly recommend it for the unalloyed joy of watching not just Madurai and Nail Spoor, but also Nauseating Shah ham it up like their Bellwood careers were about to end and they had to cram in as much OTT acting into this film as they could.

It's like Indian Robin Hood slapstick/love story/fight scenes/super cliche bad villain/omg daiiiii!

in that case, i'll definitely try watching it at some point.

[shalini]

Oh, definitely.  Raj Kumar could be the marquee presentation at a WTF filmiest.   I highly recommend it for the unalloyed joy of watching not just Madurai and Nail Spoor, but also Nauseating Shah ham it up like their Bellwood careers were about to end and they had to cram in as much OTT acting into this film as they could.

This is so strange, but I swear I didn't write that!   I frequently make typos, but not THAT bad...and these seem to be deliberate misspellings.  Are there gremlins in the Bollywhat software?

[Amba]

This is so strange, but I swear I didn't write that!   I frequently make typos, but not THAT bad...and these seem to be deliberate misspellings.  Are there gremlins in the Bollywhat software?

Did you run spell check on your message? The spell check can come up with some er, interesting suggestions for words it doesn't recognize. 

[corbie]

spell check can be fun. Ashwariya comes up on my spell checker as dishwasher.

[Armi]

Ashwariya comes up on my spell checker as dishwasher.

Good Lord!

[Spook]

Rajkumar comes out as Ragtime. Considering the catchiness of the songs, perhaps that is not too far off.

Posting the various songs....

------------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-pU5zjw0J0

Raised an eyebrow, this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiExDRNflv8

*stares blankly at Madhuri....*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzeNl_6dUqg

Madhuri's hips.....*stares blankly again*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_32FmMfhhA

Madhuri? Meet Bath. Bath? Prepare for heaven.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-kQLJK-t-c

Sizzling indeed.....

A few others I'm sure, but as I said...very few clips of Rajkumar....

[derketchup]

So I'm totally watching this movie again tonight while I do my homework... you guys are evil!   

[dustdevil]

I totally loved this-- good cheesy fun, that totally appealed to my love of ridiculous costume, sword-fighting  romances. Anil Kapoor was very charismatic and fun in this movie, and totally rocked the puffy shirt. Lots of good Madhuri dances, and I didn't realize that Naseeruddin Shah was playing both characters until about the 3rd scene with the 2nd brother, so kudos to him.

It had possibly my favorite "unmasking of someone in disguise" scene in a movie, ever.
The Princess/ Raj Kumari (Madhuri) is doing a big dance performance, and there is a reward for any musician who can accompany her and keep up while she dances (I think, the subtitles were a bit bizarre.) The Prince/Raj Kumar (Anil) takes on the challenge, "disguised" as a musician.  The disguise consists of a turban and a bushier paste-on mustache, but Anil quickly removes the turban, so the mustache is really the extent of the "disguise."

(It's pretty clear that Madhuri sees through this.)  At the end of the dance, the evil Vizier (Naseer) surrounds him with soldiers, and calls him "Prince of Aravali" (and there's a great cutaway to the priest gasping, surprised, and saying "The Prince??!").  And then Naseer reaches out and rips off the fake, bushy mustache:

(Here, he's holding the fake 'stache up and looking at it.)

And reveals, underneath, Anil's regular mustache!

This just delighted me to no end.