Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Simply Perfect

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Definitely one of the best of Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan was always "one of my favourite" but this flick kicked the "one of the" far away. I'm not really a fan of Kajol but her work in the film is pretty good. And yes Shilpa Shetty looks ravishing in the movie. So apart from the awesome cast, the direction of the movie takes it to the next level. Then obviously comes the concept. It is based on one of the most interesting and fascinating concepts of Revenge or more appropriately... Vengeance. It is about a man seeking to avenge his destroyed family by dragging the guilty to a similar fate. Now as we know Revenge is sweet, this movie offers a lot more than what you bargain for. It is a complete Bollywood masala movie consisting of everything, from action to romance and some quite decent music. A definitely must watch for any Shahrukh or thriller fans.

If you are accustomed to seeing Shah Rukh Khan as a happy, puckish, often pesky but cute-as-a-bug's-ear lover who dances half the movie away, you are in for a shock, as it becomes quickly evident in this early effort he was trying his acting chops as a less than savory boyfriend--he has a reason for villainous actions, but nevertheless it's a change that takes getting used to; during the first half of the three hour film there is some low-comedy that stretches your patience thinly, and the musical numbers show their age and low-budget in comparison with what's available today; this is a decently plotted film with a grim finale, mainly for fans of early Khan and Kajol, who both do their best, but the film seems dated and lacks the chemistry both were to show later on.

Baazigar can correctly be regarded as a classic of Hindi cinema for three major reasons. The primary reason that Baazigar works so well as a movie is that the expectation for Hindi films, especially romances as this one first appears to be, is for the good guy to beat up the bad guys, and yet Shah Rukh Khan here assays a malevolently likable character who steals the scene as well as our hearts, all while playing a psychotic killer. In all fairness, Shahrukh's Ajay Varma is given a fairly sympathetic back story to not completely dehumanize him, and yet the victims of his aggression often seem to be innocent and unaware of his background. Secondarily, the performance by Kajol as the younger sister of Shahrukh's first victim is so heartfelt and genuine that you could swear that she had been acting for decades. In addition, her chemistry with Shahrukh Khan's character leaves the viewer in the unenviable position of wishing the best for these star-crossed lovers even while fully knowing the evil that Ajay has done and plans yet to do to Kajol's Priya. Finally, the action and fight scenes depicted in the film, while definitely cheesy by todays much more bloated standards, are all fairly well choreographed to give true emotion. Unlike the Dabaangs and Rowdy Rathore's of today, where visual effects create super-humans out of corrupt cops and serve primarily to distort the laws of physics, Abbas-Mustan have managed to capture so much raw emotion through the fight scenes on a very personal level. This is not to say that Baazigar is without faults. Despite the wonderful acting by both Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, we are never quite sure (and this actually may be a strength instead of a weakness, but that is up to interpretation) what Ajay's intentions are for Priya, or whether, after learning about his true character (and so much more within the last 10 minutes of the film), Priya still loves Ajay in the end. Also, while much of the acting is good, some of Shahrukh's scenes, especially this early in his career, are fairly hammy and overdone. In addition, Shilpa Shetty's portrayal of the classic abla naari, while decently portrayed, does very little to garner support for her character. All in all, if you are looking for a pure emotional roller coaster of a film, Baazigar is definitely up your alley. Just be ready for what you are getting into, as some of those emotions will be very dark.

Baazigar is a wonderful suspense thriller made by Abbas Mastan, but the real reason it is well-known today is quite clear, and it's called Shahrukh Khan. Disregarding its unoriginality, the film is extremely entertaining and interesting, more towards the second half. In the first half, the point is a bit unclear and the film does not flow well, but the film takes a major plot twist after an hour or so when we get to see a rather shocking scene, which is completely unexpected and is the film's most drastic turn. Following this scene, it starts getting increasingly thrilling with inflaming and unusual proceedings and great suspense. I appreciated the film for its good script and for its loyalty to the general Hindi film style despite a very distinct and innovative formula, but I would still delete several comic scenes which are unnecessary and at times even pathetic. The film quite clearly belongs to Shahrukh Khan who skillfully displays something very disturbing within his personality. It is a very balanced performance, and Khan successfully portrays the many sides of his character, whether it's the simple guy whose pain motivates him to take revenge, the romantic hero, or the psychopathic murderer. Kajol is splendid in a performance that is both natural and intense. She comes across as a very brave and smart girl. Shilpa Shetty gives a brilliant debut performance (and she is hot!). Raakhee is typecast as the suffering mother who loses her mental sanity, and she does it well. Johnny Lever is at times hilarious and at times unbearable, Dalip Tahil does not impress much, and Siddharth is adequate but he too is a bit annoying in some scenes.Anu Malik's soundtrack is very good: "Baazigar O Baazigar" is lovely, "Kitaben Bahut Si" is wonderful, "Ae Mere Humsafar" is melodious and "Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen" is too cool. Overall, Baazigar is an extremely enjoyable flick. While the first half is a bit boring, involving all the possible Bollywood masala, including action, romance and silly jokes, the second half enjoys a fantastic development of story, involving the most unconventional moves a Hindi film could have at that time. Towards the end the film gets to be even more intriguing. A very sad flashback is followed by an unpredictable ending which is heart-breaking yet satisfying. The final verdict is therefore highly positive. I recommend.