Inaam Dus Hazaar (1986) - Review in English

About the story: Kamal Malhotra (Sanjay Dutt) works in Delhi for his uncle (TP Jain) as a selling agent for all sorts of goods, but he hates this narrow-minded life and dreams of scaling up to the high society. He has developed a talent of smuggling himself to the parties of rich and famous people, and thus, one fine day, he gets to the Nawab of Chandrapur’s (Raza Murad) jewellery exhibition. There, Kamran (Viju Khote) invites him into the house of the diamond merchant Seth Narottam Johri (Ramesh Deo), but when Kamal arrives there, he faces a band of gangsters who take him for a CID agent named Kamal Malhotra and attempt to kill him. Kamal manages to escape, but when he shortly thereafter meets Narottam again and starts an argument with him, the latter dies – hit by a knife which was meant to kill Kamal. As the police now chases Kamal as the murderer, his only chance to prove his innocence is to find the real culprit whom he has seen at the site of the crime: Luca (Gulshan Grover). A train ticket leads Kamal onto Luca’s track to Bombay. On his way there, he meets the model Sonia Shrivastav (Meenakshi Sheshadri) and falls in love with her. Supported by her, he finds the gang in Bombay alongside with their boss, Captain SP Singh (Amrish Puri) – and at the same time discovers that Sonia in no way is just a harmless model...


Whoever might have thought after Naam that Sanjay’s fabulous performance as Vicky was just a one-time moment of glory not to be repeated easily by him, had to admit after the successful successor film Inaam Dus Hazaar: Sanjay had definitely turned the corner and finally left his clumsy and wooden newcomer years behind him as well as he had set an end to his drug phase. As a lovable charmer, acting with loads of passion and energy, Sanjay wrapped his public around his finger, and in the partially unexpectedly fierce climax he even showed promising tendencies to a veritable action hero – the discipline he was to become an undisputed specialist in within just a few years.

A likewise positive appearance made his co-star Meenakshi Sheshadri. Other than the fact that at that time, it was to be taken as a bonus when a film offered a good and thrilling character role even to a woman, a role in which she not just had to be accessory and ornament for the men but could actively take part in the story – but if such a role moreover is played by a stunning woman like Meenakshi, it’s a double case of luck. Her looks are terrific and refreshing mature, she acts well and dances phantastically. Can anybody tell me why this actress obviously never really made it in the Hindi film industry and why she wasn’t casted together with Sanjay more often? The two of them form a wonderful couple with a sparkling chemistry, but the only film that once more saw both of them in the same cast list is Kshatriya where she as Madhu and he as Vicky don’t share even one second of screentime. Too bad, here a chance for another dream couple on screen has been missed.

Inaam Dus Hazaar (= 10000 rupees reward) is an all around succeeded entertainer with a good story (inspired by Hitchcock's North By Northwest). Watching it is a big pleasure thanks to Sanjay and Meenakshi. And thanks to Shafi Inamdar too, who, as the rickshaw driver Khan, way through the whole film teaches a lesson how to create phrenic-endangering comic scenes even without being unnecessarily loud, overacting and annoying.

Produced and directed by Jyotin Goel
158 Min.; DVD: Bollywood Films, English Subtitles (including songs); rather vague fokus
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