Customer Reviews

Khuda Gawah

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once a pal of mine and I were in a Hollywood video looking around for movies for the weekend. He picked up a copy of this in the foreign section and said, completely seriously, "This is one of the best movies of all time." I laughed, I thought he was joking. He shook his head, "No, I'm completely serious." I could not imagine that he was correct but I rented it for myself to watch alone later.

I watched the movie alone (Hollywood video has the ONLY copies with the song lyrics interpreted as well as the dialog and this makes the movie more enjoyable) thinking that at some point I would call my pal and tell him he was nuts. Two hours later (about halfway through the movie) I called him and said, "I can't believe it- you're right. This is Gone With The Wind with better music and less whining."

So I love this movie but there ARE a few caviats; If you've never seen a Bollywood movie when all the tough Afghan guys get up and dance you will freak; this movie is about love, family and honor- if you don't understand honor you won't get it; the characters are broadly drawn, the music is odd and often disjointed and this was not made with the best of all possible cameras and film speeds. Wow. Sounds awful, right? Well, I'm prejudiced because I saw this on a cold January night in Minnesota and the music warmed me, the tough guys are really tough, the women are beautiful, the singing and dancing is celebratory and it all mixed together in my head like some strange cocktail of cardamom, cinnamon and tea with a chaser of Everclear.

Bachchan is a charmer, the love story is awesome, the prison scenes are heart-rending, the symbols are obvious and moving and I believe there are at least a half-dozen full story lines in this movie. This movie starts out with the traditional dead goat race and is also about a cop story with drug smuggling, race car driving, avenging brothers, abusive husbands, mysterious connections and a love-crazed mom. Horses abound, sword fights, gun play, dancing, singing, an Afghan tribal wedding, etc. etc. It's weird.

I love this movie and while I don't believe it is the greatest piece of drama ever put on celluloid, it is, at least, one of the most complicated and entertaining. It's not fair to Gone With The Wind to compare it really. You can sum up Gone With The Wind in two sentences. You cannot do that with this movie. If you like it, you will spend your life telling this to people who will not understand. Like I'm doing right now.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I first watched it when I was younger on VHS and it had subtitles for everything. On this DVD, there are only subtitles for the spoken words, and not for the music and songs! Those are what keep the story moving along, and in this DVD you have no idea what the two lovers are saying to each other. I am very mad and upset about this. I would love to find this DVD with subtitles on EVERYTHING!

Fabulous Amitabh movie! Keep in mind this is an older movie, so the quality is not going to be blu ray style. It is however good enough considering the time it was made. I bought the dvd copy that had "its a sparks presentation" on the cover and rest assured there are subtitles for the songs in this version.

Edit: As i watch this movie, i realize there is a goood 15 minutes cut out from this movie ( the introduction of shilpa shirodkhar and the part where they introduce drugs into sridevi's car)

I've bought Khuda Gawah through Amazon the service is superb got the movie within 5 days the quality is great as well.

Great film...thought amitabh bachan did well playing the part of a Muslim pathan. Good traditional plot with emotional twists and some fantastic characters in Sridevi as Benazir (beautiful as always) and best friend Khuda Bugsh . Scenery also vibrant and adds to tribal effect established in Afghanistan. A film about love, honour, friendship and courage..great combination..leaves you wanting to be a better man. Must give a special word for Sridevi..Benazir was a touching character without having to say much.