Film credits and related links

Director: Rakesh Kumar Starring: Amitabh Bachchan , Vinod Khanna, Rekha, Nirupa Roy With: Ranjeet, Vikas Anand, Helen Story Writer: Rakesh Kumar Producer: Babu Mehra, Prakash Mehra Music Director: Kalyanji - Anandji

1.

"Khoon Pasina" [1977] is a Bollywood film fully worthy of further in depth study. It is the type of film any student of film study would be ecstatic to analyze and create a thesis to. The film can be seen from a number of different film study perspectives. "Khoon Pasina" is a classic of the 'revenge film' genre and more specifically an 'angry young man' story. It star's Amitabh Bachchan and costars both Vinod Khanna and Rekha who are both actors in the pantheon of angry young man social dramas. The film is noted as an action film with undertones suggesting national integration. The film's plot tells the story of the intense friendship between two men, one Hindu and the other Muslim. The two men grow up as if they were brothers and are separated by religious rioting during their youth. Each then grows up thinking that the other has died, until years later in adulthood, they confront each other as mortal enemies. One could propose an analysis of the film's religious friendship as a partition metaphor.

 

2.

One could also study "Khoon Pasina" from the perspective of the film's technical aspects and visual style the director Rakesh Kumar has imposed on the film. The movie itself is theatrically staged with extensive use of studio sets, and at times static rear screen projections of real landscapes that have a surreal effect. Outdoor natural locations are also used in the film but are inter-cut with the theatrical overtly artificial stage settings. Intentional or not this gives the film a mythical surreal quality. Symbolism as in all angry young man films is used extensively in Khoon Pasina. For example time, Justice, and separation/reunification are symbolized in the form of a pocket watch. There is an unusual fetish in the form of wood and flames that runs through the entire film. The relationship between the films two hero's is the true main love story of the film. The Herculean strength of the hero characters and their inner quests for revenge for personal, ethical, and social reasons are complexly intertwined. This film is overripe with possibilities for film study analysis.

3.

Ultimately though "Khoon Pasina" in highly entertaining. It is an action packed Bollywood adventure whose drama is aimed at the frontbenchers and general movie going public of 1970s populist India. The film captures Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna at the top of their fame, when they were the brightest stars of Hindi popular film. The film is very low budget and looks to have been made in a number of quick 'schedules' that characterize Bollywood film making. Yet even with its relatively low production values and stock story line, deep and complex psychological underpinnings, inventive usage of film technique, along with elements of cultural/historical significance elevate this film into the realm of minor classic.

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