Zanjeer Movie: The Story Behind the Iconic White Horse Charm Bracelet
Zanjeer Movie: A Review of the Classic and the Remake
Zanjeer is a Hindi word that means shackles or chains. It is also the title of two movies that share a common story but differ in many aspects. The first Zanjeer was released in 1973 and directed by Prakash Mehra. It starred Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit Khan, and Bindu. It was a landmark film in Indian cinema that marked a shift from romantic musicals to action crime dramas. It also launched Bachchan's career as a superstar and a new hero of the masses. The second Zanjeer was released in 2013 and directed by Apoorva Lakhia. It starred Ram Charan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt, Prakash Raj, and Mahie Gill. It was a remake of the original film that tried to update it for a contemporary audience. It was shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu languages, with some changes in cast and plot.
Zanjeer movie
In this article, we will review both versions of Zanjeer movie and compare them in terms of plot, themes, genres, context, and quality. We will also provide some suggestions for further watching or reading related to Zanjeer movie.
Introduction
Zanjeer movie is a story of a police officer who is haunted by his past and fights against corruption and crime in society. He meets a woman who witnesses a murder by a gangster and helps him to solve the case. He also befriends a former criminal who becomes his loyal ally. He faces many challenges and dangers along his way but ultimately succeeds in bringing justice to his enemies.
Zanjeer movie belongs to the genre of action crime drama. It combines elements of suspense, violence, romance, comedy, and social commentary. It explores themes such as law, justice, corruption, revenge, friendship, love, identity, and morality.
Zanjeer movie has many differences and similarities between the original and the remake. The differences include changes in setting, characters, plot details, dialogues, music, cinematography, editing, direction, and performance. The similarities include retaining the basic storyline, some iconic scenes and dialogues, some character names and traits, some motifs and symbols.
The Original Zanjeer (1973)
Plot summary
The original Zanjeer movie begins with a flashback of a young Vijay Khanna witnessing the murder of his parents by a man wearing a white horse charm bracelet. He grows up to become an honest but angry police inspector who is transferred frequently due to his clashes with corrupt officials. He is assigned to investigate a murder case involving an illegal gambling racket run by a gangster named Teja. He meets Mala, a street performer who witnessed the murder and has the evidence to identify Teja. He convinces her to testify against Teja and protects her from his goons. He also meets Sher Khan, a former smuggler who becomes his friend and partner after losing a bet to him. He discovers that Teja is the same man who killed his parents and wears the white horse charm bracelet. He vows to take revenge on him and his associates. He faces many obstacles and traps set by Teja and his corrupt allies, but he manages to overcome them with the help of Mala and Sher Khan. He finally confronts Teja in a warehouse and kills him in a fight. He also arrests his accomplices and clears his name from false charges. He marries Mala and lives happily with her and Sher Khan.
Analysis
The original Zanjeer movie reflects the social and political context of India in the 1970s. It was a time of turmoil, unrest, and disillusionment in the country due to various factors such as poverty, unemployment, inflation, corruption, violence, emergency, and war. The movie captures the mood and sentiments of the common people who were frustrated and angry with the system and the authorities. It also shows the emergence of a new kind of hero who was not a romantic or a comic figure, but a serious and angry man who took matters into his own hands and fought against injustice and oppression. He was not afraid to break the rules and challenge the status quo. He was a symbol of hope and change for the masses.
The original Zanjeer movie portrays the role of law, justice, and corruption in society. It shows how the law is often manipulated and violated by the powerful and the corrupt, who use their money, influence, and connections to escape punishment and exploit the weak and the poor. It also shows how justice is often delayed or denied to the victims and the innocent, who suffer from injustice and harassment at the hands of the criminals and their collaborators. It also shows how corruption is rampant and widespread in various sectors of society, such as politics, bureaucracy, police, media, business, etc. It also shows how some honest and brave individuals try to uphold the law and deliver justice despite facing many risks and challenges. They are often isolated, misunderstood, or targeted by their enemies.
The original Zanjeer movie establishes Amitabh Bachchan as a superstar and a new icon of Hindi cinema. It was his first major hit film that gave him recognition and fame as an actor. It also gave him a new image and identity as an angry young man who represented the voice and aspirations of the youth and the masses. He became known for his intense and powerful performance, his deep and baritone voice, his tall and lean physique, his stylish and charismatic appearance, his action and dialogue delivery skills, his chemistry with his co-stars, especially Jaya Bachchan (his future wife), his versatility in playing different roles and genres, etc. He became one of the most popular and influential stars of Indian cinema.
The Remake Zanjeer (2013)
Plot summary
The remake Zanjeer movie begins with a flashback of a young Vijay witnessing the murder of his parents by an oil mafia don named Rudra Pratap Teja. He grows up to become an honest but angry ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) who is transferred frequently due to his clashes with corrupt officials. He is assigned to investigate a series of murders involving petrol pumps owned by Teja. He meets Mala, an NRI (Non-Resident Indian) who witnessed one of the murders and has the evidence to identify Teja. He convinces her to testify against Teja and protects her from his goons. He also meets Sher Khan, a former gangster who becomes his friend and partner after saving his life. He discovers that Teja is the same man who killed his parents and wears the same charm bracelet. He vows to take revenge on him and his associates. He faces many obstacles and traps set by Teja and his corrupt allies, but he manages to overcome them with the help of Mala and Sher Khan. He finally confronts Teja in an oil refinery and kills him in a fight. He also arrests his accomplices and clears his name from false charges. He marries Mala and lives happily with her and Sher Khan.
Analysis
The remake Zanjeer movie adapts the original story to a modern setting and audience. It changes the location from Mumbai to Hyderabad and vice versa, the crime from illegal gambling to illegal oil, the villain from a gangster to an oil mafia don, the heroine from a street performer to an NRI, the friend from a smuggler to a gangster, etc. It also adds some new characters and subplots, such as a terrorist attack, a media reporter, a corrupt politician, etc. It also updates the dialogues, costumes, music, and action scenes to suit the current tastes and trends.
The remake Zanjeer movie deals with the issues of oil mafia, terrorism, and media in contemporary India. It shows how the oil mafia controls the supply and price of oil and gas in the country and how they use their power and money to influence the authorities and the public. It also shows how terrorism is a threat to the national security and peace of the country and how it is linked to the oil mafia. It also shows how media plays a role in exposing or covering up the truth and how it can be used for good or evil purposes.
The remake Zanjeer movie compares to the original in terms of performance, direction, and music. It tries to recreate some of the iconic scenes and dialogues of the original but fails to match its impact and intensity. The performance of Ram Charan is decent but not as impressive as Amitabh Bachchan's. He lacks the charisma and the voice of Bachchan. Priyanka Chopra is glamorous but not as convincing as Jaya Bachchan's. She overacts in some scenes and does not have much chemistry with Ram Charan. Sanjay Dutt is good but not as memorable as Pran's. He does not have much screen time or dialogue. Prakash Raj is hammy but not as menacing as Ajit Khan's. He makes Teja look more like a comic villain than a serious one. Mahie Gill is sexy but not as seductive as Bindu's. She does not have much role or relevance in the story. The direction of Apoorva Lakhia is stylish but not as gripping as Prakash Mehra's. He focuses more on the visuals than on the story or the characters. The music of Meet Bros Anjjan, Chirantan Bhatt, Anand Raj Anand is catchy but not as memorable as Kalyanji-Anandji's. It does not have any songs that can match the popularity or the quality of Deewane Hai Deewanon Ko or Yaari Hai Imaan Mera.
Conclusion
Zanjeer movie is a classic example of how a remake can be different from the original in many ways but still fail to surpass it or even equal it in terms of quality or impact. The original Zanjeer movie is a masterpiece of Indian cinema that has a strong story, powerful performance, gripping direction, memorable music, and relevant themes. It is a film that changed the course of Hindi cinema and made Amitabh Bachchan a legend. The remake Zanjeer movie is a decent attempt at updating the original story for a new generation of viewers but it lacks the depth, intensity, emotion, and charm of the original film. It is a film that has some good action scenes, glamorous stars, catchy songs, and contemporary issues but it does not have any lasting impression or value.
Therefore, we recommend that you watch both versions of Zanjeer movie and decide for yourself which one you like better or worse. We also suggest that you watch some other films that are related to Zanjeer movie in some way or another, such as Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Agneepath (1990), Singham (2011), Dabangg (2010), etc.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Zanjeer movie and their answers:
Q: What does Zanjeer mean?
A: Zanjeer means shackles or chains in Hindi. It symbol izes the bondage and oppression that the protagonist faces in his life and society. It also signifies the breaking of the chains that he achieves by fighting against the evil forces.
Q: Who wrote the story and the screenplay of Zanjeer movie?
A: The story and the screenplay of Zanjeer movie were written by Salim-Javed, a famous duo of writers who revolutionized Hindi cinema with their innovative and influential scripts. They also wrote the dialogues of the original Zanjeer movie. The dialogues of the remake Zanjeer movie were written by Suresh Nair and Apoorva Lakhia.
Q: Which actors played the role of Vijay in Zanjeer movie?
A: Amitabh Bachchan played the role of Vijay in the original Zanjeer movie. He reprised his role in a cameo appearance in the remake Zanjeer movie. Ram Charan played the role of Vijay in the remake Zanjeer movie. He also played the same role in the Telugu version of the remake, which was titled Thoofan.
Q: Which actors played the role of Mala in Zanjeer movie?
A: Jaya Bachchan played the role of Mala in the original Zanjeer movie. She was Amitabh Bachchan's real-life wife and one of the most popular actresses of her time. Priyanka Chopra played the role of Mala in the remake Zanjeer movie. She was one of the most successful and versatile actresses of her generation.
Q: Which actors played the role of Sher Khan in Zanjeer movie?
A: Pran played the role of Sher Khan in the original Zanjeer movie. He was one of the most respected and talented actors of Indian cinema, who played both negative and positive roles with equal ease and excellence. Sanjay Dutt played the role of Sher Khan in the remake Zanjeer movie. He was one of the most popular and controversial actors of his era, who had a troubled personal and professional life.
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