the audience applauded

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Please be aware, I watched Karz 2008 (which is a remake of this movie) before seeing this version of the story. And I enjoyed the 2008 version. But it also meant - I already knew the story and how it was going to play out. For me, viewing this movie was an exercise in seeing someone else's vision of this story play out. Which is always a fun geek experience - if you like the story, which I do. The other thing you need to know is that the only Hindi language movie I own on blue ray is Om Shanti Om. Because I love that movie. Why is this important? Because - Farah Khan - who directed Om Shanti Om - borrowed heavily from Karz 1980 for Om Shanti Om. In fact, Om Shanti Om is clearly Farah's reimagining of the story. And I had no idea until just now - having just finished watching Karz 1980. And now that I've seen the original Karz - I have a much better understanding of Farah's brilliance. Keep in mind, I already thought she was brilliant. This just seals the deal.I tell you all this because it's impossible for me to review this movie without referencing the other 2 movies since they are all related. Om Shanti Om is basically a reimagining of Karz 1980 by Farah Khan. And ... I had no idea that Om Shanti Om had anything to do with Karz while I was watching Karz 2008. So let's talk about this version of Karz (1980)1st - The is the best thing I've seen Rishi Kapoor in. I don't like him that much. I like his wife and his son a lot. But him. meh. Like in Chandni - I found him really annoying even though I totally loved Sridevi and enjoyed the movie. I understood I was supposed to root for him in the love triangle, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Neither could my dad who saw it with me. I don't like how rough Rishi is with his dancing partners and he's not a very good dancer. Even in this movie - there were times when it looked painful how awkwardly and roughly he was pulling his partner into a spin. Granted, I did like Rishi in Kabhi Kabhie - but I still found him - odd. This movie - I was with him and rooting for him the whole time - and yes - his acting was so good in a pivotal scene - it made me cry. 2nd - the music. I own the soundtrack to Om Shanti Om - and LOVE that music. So - hearing the original songs that the writers for Om Shanti Om were stealing from - was awesome. Really enjoyed it. And again - it points to the artistry of the writers for Karz that they could write melodies that would be so haunting and so adaptable to a different style. And to the artists who wrote and sang the music for Om Shanti Om - for stealing from Karz directly - and yet creating something entirely new. Brilliant.3rd - the cinematography. They made use of a lot of spinning and camera rotation throughout this film. From the record player in the Om Shanti Om sequence to the pivotal scene where they get Kamini to confess. I would have said it was a bit much - since it was everywhere. But ... it only happens when someone is experiencing a flashback moment where the present and the past are colliding. And it's surprisingly effective at conveying the confusion and mixed emotions of those moments. And again, it's really amazing to see how Farah adapted the rotation element into Om Shanti Om and more importantly why she did. It also helps me make sense of the climatic scene in Veer-Zaara where this same rotation occurs, melding past and present emotionally and physically in space. 4th - the ballad of Om Shanti Om. OK - in Karz - it's not called that. But it's basically the same scene and the base melody is the same AND the outfit our girl is wearing is echoed in what Farah did with that exact same scene in Om Shanti Om. I LOVED seeing the version in Karz 1980 as a result. It was just as powerful for me, probably because I could see the two movies (Karz and Om Shanti Om) juxtaposed on each other. It was seriously cool and again - speaks to the brilliance of Farah that she could steal so blatantly and make it her own and yet be so totally overt that she was stealing and what she was stealing from. 5th - the house. Yeah - the set where the ballad of Om Shanti Om is shot in Om Shanti Om - makes sense now. As does the fire element. Again - brilliance how Farah stole those from Karz and how she used the differently.To summarize: I understand now more of what Farah was doing with Om Shanti Om. Is Karz 1980 worth watching on it's own? Yes! It is. Totally. It's a good story and Rishi is great it in and the music is great and its a very good movie. It's just all the more awesome when you have the added layers of film making future and past mixing in your head while you watch it.

Karz is a goosebumps inducing tale of revenge that spans lifetimes. Sir Juda (Prem Nath in an over the top villainous role) plots with a brother sister duo to trap and kill Ravi Verma (Raj Kiran) so he can take over the Verma family fortunes in Ooty. Who needs villains when you have Simi Garewal, playing the loving wife Kamini. She marries Ravi, there is joyous listening to his favorite guitar music, and then she crushes him to death with her jeep within days of the marriage! Then she ousts Ravi's mother (a suitably weepy Durga Khote) and sister, and sets out to rule the empire. Of course the strings are being pulled by Sir Juda (what a weird name but it was the 80s!). Cut to modern times where a young pop star Monty (Rishi Kapoor in a youthful avatar) begins to have hallucinations that seem to come from a past life and are associated with a musical guitar riff, yes that one. He is in love with Tina (the beauteous Tina Munim) and follows her to Ooty. Tina's uncle (Pran) knows part of Kamini's secret and Monty fills in the gaps. Then they hatch a scheme to terrorize her and scare her into confessing her crime. The final song sequence where Kamini finds out that all is known is the stuff of legends.Subhas Ghai was still in his magical phase of film making pre-Khal Nayak, Taal and Kisna! The story is well written, the cinematography is quite innovative for its time, and he is able to get decent performance out of all concerned. Particularly noteworthy is Simi as the greedy Kamini - the role of a lifetime, beautifully done. She is sleek, beautiful and yet sinister. Rishi Kapoor does a decent job as Monty, at close to 30 he still manages to carry off the 21 year old Monty really well, without being handicapped by his short stature. Tina Munim sizzles in looks, is okay in acting and the role is that of a young ditzy girl - a bit silly. BTW - did anyone else worry about a 16 year old marrying a 21 year old man? I mean she was 16 - why was she getting married? Pran is great, Prem Nath is a caricature and he does it well. Raj Kiran is quite good as Ravi.Karz is the film it is because of 2 outstanding music numbers by Laxmikant Pyarelal. The starting number Meri Umar Ke Naujawanon (Om Shanti Om) is flawless in the singing (dancing leaves much to be desired). Ek Haisna Thi - this is a goosebumps inducing number, amazingly sung and performed on stage. This song is the heart and soul of Karz. Forgettable are Paisa Yeh Paisa, Main Solah Baras Ki, and Kamal Hai (even Aruna Irani sizzling cannot save this atrocious number). Darde Dil Darde Jigar is very sweet but not that relevant to the story.The bad - parts of the film are amateurish to the extreme, why are random people with scarred faces, or dressed as skeletons shown to be scaring Kamini. That stuff was laughable. Sir Juda and his cohort were quite silly. Tina Munim acting the super naive girl and then they get married - that was disturbing. No one really seemed to age appropriately in 21 years.But overall Karz is more than a timepass film. It does reach out to the viewer and captures your imagination. The idea of revenge that can be had even past one life time is very empowering. It is sort of like a karmic wheel that got compressed by the wronged.

This is one of my favourites. When I was growing up, we had a video of this movie. I saw this movie countless times and never got tired of it. That song dard-e-dil is an amazing song. Tina Munim looked so beautiful in that song with a black scarf on her head.Rishi Kapoor truly is one of the best actors. He did justice to the role. Durga Khote as Rishi Kapoor's mother played a very emotional role. Simi Grewal was stunning in her role as Rani Sahiba and a villain.This is a must see movie. It's the best movie on reincarnation, I can think of. The only other movie that would come close is Kudrat.

This movie is an absolute all time classic. It even had me stunned that Subhash Ghai was able to make a movie like this. He never even came close again. But this time he wasn't the self proclaimed showman, no, he had the help of the son of the ONLY showman Mr. raj Kapoor's son RISHI KAPOOR the best actor from all the Kapoors! Rishi really shows what acting is all about. You can feel his pain and confusion by just looking at his face. Really next to Amitabh one of the best actors Indian Cinema has ever had but never really appreciated. The film is loosely based on the movie THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD only Indianised a bit of course. Simmi Garewal gives a good performance (again with Rishi after Mere Naam Joker) and Pran steals the show. Prem Nath as a gunga is different than usual. Even Tina Munim is likable. And i haven't even mentioned the music...Wow! Dard-e-dil, Om Sjanti Om, Tu Solah Baras Ki, Ek haseena thi- all smash hits. They don't make 'm like this anymore.