October 21, 2008

Aadmi aur Insaan - Funkadelic Social + Cement Masala!

A symbol of friendship of the Bollywood Bloggers! AWWWWYaaay for Bromance!
Aadmi aur Insaan is one of those seriously funky movies that makes you wish you lived in that time, this movie is a social masala movie, commenting on the dodgy deals of corruption on big projects like dams and railwys! I mention cement in the title, because of the many unnecessary shots of it, in this movie.
AAI is one of my favorite types of movies, it follows the beaten path of way tooo friendly best friends. They grow up together, they feed each other (Jimmy in Disco Dancer would be in heaven on this set) one is an orphan, they have a fight, they love hugging, and holding eachother!
The look of love!
The orange eyes of a Vamp
Some Funky clothing on the stars!

The movie is a joint venture between brothers BR Chopra producing, and Yash Chopra directing, Yash is one of those excellent directors who got caught in a genre and couldn't get out. The genre being romance, though he is mega brilliant at directing the grittier themes of poverty in Mashaal, mine workers in Kaala Patthar, titanly opposition in Deewar. Here he becomes a pro in the bromance and social masala movie.
We have Jai(Feroz Khan) and Munish(Dharmendra) to best friends who have grown up together, Jai looks after Munish's family while also paying for his education in London(yaay). I loved that Yash didn't treat us to a look at them when they were kid-now look at them older scenes, it's just implyed that Feroz is an orphan, and that Dharam is in London. When Munish comes home, he meets Rita(Muntaz-with some really funky clothes in this movie) a disillusioned lady, because she sings "Zindagi Ittefaq Hai(Life's a Coincidence)" everytime she meets the two bromance guys!
The funkiest upper floor ever!
I want a bedroom like that and Dharmendra playing underneath

Jai meets them off the boat, and meets Rita and is instantly attracted, Feroz and Mumtaz always made such a sexy couple in any movie. Jai immediately offers Munish a job as a chief engineer at his massive dam project. Rita comes back by sheer "coincidence" as Jai's secretary and vamps it up around Munish who's polite and nice toward her advances. At the dam, is a social worker Meena(the forever-funky Saira Banu) who by a series of misunderstandings that only Bollywood can produce, falls in love with Munish.
A little later we find snippets that Jai, is not the honest business man we thought he was, and his faulty cement is made by my fave villager-villain Madan Puri, another partner in crime is the always-in-a-movie Iftikar! Meena goes off to skiing with her rich daddy in Shimla, she also in Bollywood bumping into scenes meets Jai, who falls in love with her too. He informs Munish in a unintentionally shouting down the phone scene, I always love the Dharmendra "Ohh U love my Girl" face = mouth a bit open, eyebrows up there, jaw cracking sadness!The rich social worker behind a funky window & backdrop
Some Saira love!
A bit of flirting by Jai later, he proposes by sending his unofficial Maa to Meena's house, in another confusion Meena thinks its Munish's proposal. What I liked here was when she found out it was Jai, she didn't become a sacrificial Lamb and be thrown between the two men, she shouted at Jai, and took charge for a very unmanly Dharam! Yaayy for no cliches Yash! Jai is reallly angry and gets mad at Jai, in a fantastic face off and slap off the two end their friendship, including their family engagement between Jai's bro and Munish's sis.
We get into the social masala element next, where we see Jai pulling all the stops with corruption so that Munish doesn't get a job at any engineer place. The movie raises some good points about experience vs qualifications, but its there for a few mins then back to the disintegration of the friendship! In a great scene of superior set design a railway bridge breaks using lego or the Jab We Met claymation, and its Jai's company that made it, and Munish has to investigate it, ohh what a test of friendship!
I loved this movie from start to finish, I didn't even forward anything except for the heavy handed social song about caring about the dam! But it fits in the Masala Pradesh state of Unintentionally Funny and Funkadelic Masala, perhaps I could split it! But the acting was great Feroz is another rugged king of my dil as well as Todd's I'm sure, he was nice and evil and calculating in this movie, he unfortunately/fortunately had lack of his signature chest fluff. Though he sure was dapper in this movie, those funky neckerchiefs, shiny blazers!
Dharam my fave was dapper, and had the early signs of the "beer-gut of manliness" which every 70's hero had! Mumtaz won Filmfare's best supporting actress here she was great as the vamp, after this movie it propelled her into the big league of Bollywood. Feroz also was deserving of his best supporting actor he was great! Saira ohhh Saira I love her and general funky outfits and sunglasses, (lol I bought most of the glasses from this movie and Yaadon Ki Baraat) she's one of my style icons after this movie!
Aadmi aur Insaan is great funky movie to watch for style, for set design, and bromance!

Oooo! Touchy!
Subtitle cut off, but look at the grip of the hand! OHHHFFF

The Slap OFF is on!
The Slap to end all friendships!
I have this slightly better image as a poster in my room, its gorgeous!


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I liked this too, although I *really* would have preferred that Dharmendra end up with Mumtaz. I liked them both better than Feroz and Saira (you know I can't stand Saira anyway). Lots of scenery-chewing went on as well :-)

The music is really superb too!

Anonymous said...

I saw this one years ago and really liked it - especially the songs (even the dam one). Didnt realise it was a Yash Chopra vehicle. Anyhow, when I saw this I really liked Feroz Khan and was very sad that he always got to be the side-hero and didnt get the girl. Should re-watch and see if I still feel the same!

Shweta Mehrotra Gahlawat said...

I love Mumtaz and Feroz together- they looked amazing in "Apradh," among others- who DOES she end up with here? Can just about tolerate Saira though- barely.

Rum said...

memsaab- I slightly wished that mumtaz would go with dharamendra and have a different end to the friendship, but hey thats not the yash way! Saira, I tolerate a lot coz of her stylish outfits!

bollyviewer - yash directed so many unromantic movies that now become forgotten, I KNOW FEROZ rocked here, i really wish Saira would be dutiful and marry him but alas!

shweta - apradh is another funky feroz-mumtaz vehicle that i own just coz of the sheer funkyness! she ends up with feroz here! Saira's tolerable because she's a funky stylista here!