1999 in Hindi films marked the tip of a vibrant younger decade and a mild promise of electrifying new issues to come back within the new millennium.
Where madcap masala nonetheless reigned supreme, morally robust cinema made its presence felt.
Where some filmmakers made a stronger case for old-fashioned, some tried to step out of their consolation zones and attain out to a wider base. Still others have been pleased simply to bend the foundations.
Where fading superstars hoped to attract in audiences on the energy of the great previous days, Generation X realised the necessity to develop and alter to dwell longer in public reminiscence.
It was a 12 months of iconic beauties and irresistible evolution — a 12 months of dance and drama, feelings and expressions.
It was the 12 months Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt (now husband and spouse) obtained their first ever display screen credit, one as assistant to his dad Rishi Kapoor on Aa Ab Laut Chalein, the opposite a baby actor in her uncle Mukesh Bhatt’s Sangharsh.
It was the 12 months the likes of Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Karisma Kapoor got here collectively to launch a celeb restaurant known as India Talkies on the strains of Planet Hollywood amidst a lot fanfare. That it by no means took off is one other story.
It was the 12 months Rajendra Kumar, fondly referred to as Jubilee Kumar for his unbeatable success on the field workplace, passed into the ages.
It was the 12 months we would see the final of Gulzar as a director in Hu Tu Tu in addition to Mahesh Bhatt in Kartoos till the latter got here out of retirement to direct daughter Alia in 2020’s Sadak 2.
It was the 12 months when 14 Mithun Chakraborty potboilers hit the screens, which is not any biggie once you’ve had 17 simply the 12 months earlier than that.
It was the 12 months Puducherry-born Manoj Night Shyamalan delivered probably the most sensational twist of all instances and took Hollywood by storm with The Sixth Sense.
But there’s extra to 1999 than this.
Sukanya Verma recaps all these occasions from 25 years in the past.
Beginning of Bhansali’s razzle-dazzle
Think Sanjay Leela Bhansali, assume splendour and scale.
But the director’s sophomore effort, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, which displayed his eye for magnificence in a passionate love triangle excessive on artwork, craft, costumes and tradition is the place it began.
His trademark opulence has grown by leaps and bounds since.
Ash Power
Everybody complimented the model-turned-Miss World on her magnificence nevertheless it was in 1999 that Aishwarya Rai grew to become a bonafide film star with grace and gorgeousness dripping out of each single body of Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Subhash Ghai’s Taal.
Portrayed like a dream in these lavishly scaled tales, the makers performed to her strengths and ensured the followers, each in India and overseas, have good purpose to root for Nandini and Mansi respectively.
Sush assist
Fellow Miss India alumna and Miss Universe Sushmita Sen hit the bullseye across the identical time if not precisely in main woman class.
Her scorching presence as a boss woman coveting another person’s man, be it in Biwi No 1 or Sirf Tum, infused new life in an in any other case shoddy stereotype like by no means earlier than, by no means after.
Actors turning administrators
Star children turned star administrators hoping to take the household banner ahead.
Be it Rishi Kapoor’s makes an attempt to revive RK movies together with his NRI melodrama Aa Ab Laut Chalen, starring Akshaye Khanna, Aishwarya Rai, Suman Ranganathan and Rajesh Khanna or Sunny Deol’s lengthy troubled manufacturing London Dreams turned Dillagi pitting him and child brother Bobby vying for Urmila Matondkar’s affections beneath Vijayta movies.
Directors to be careful for
But it was the work of first timers behind the digital camera like Mahesh Manjrekar in Vaastav, Milan Luthria in Kachche Dhaage, John Mathan Mathew in Sarfarosh and E Niwas in Shool that made critics and viewers sit up and take discover.
Two sides of the Bajpayee coin
Filmed within the span of a few weeks, Ram Gopal Varma’s atmospheric thriller, Kaun, penned by Anurag Kashyap, showcased the horror and hysteria Manoj Bajpayee is able to.
The identical artistic collaboration was on the helm of his simmering rage as an upright cop disillusioned by the rampant corruption of the world he is meant to safeguard in Shool, directed by Varma’s former assistant, E Niwas.
On each events, Bajpayee’s brilliance and vary are on full show.
Bollywood’s peak sanskari second
If there was a penny for each time somebody seems with folded fingers in Sooraj R Barjatya’s multi-starrer and modern-day Ramayan — Hum Saath Saath Hai — that takes the filmmaker’s penchant for household love, conventional ties and grace-at-all-costs stance to a different stage…
Tabu’s balancing act
Showing her mettle since Maachis, Tabu juggles all types of roles and genres like solely she will be able to: As the resentful politician’s daughter in Hu Tu Tu, loud Punjabi housewife in Biwi No 1, demure bahu of a joint household in Hum Saath Saath Hain, classical dancer in Thakshak and corrupt cop in Kohram.
Lolo’s hit manufacturing unit
All these energetic eye sweet roles in David Dhawan chuckle raisers lastly earned Karisma Kapoor her personal No 1 title in and as Biwi No 1, a foolish, mindless ode to polygamous affairs.
Breezy bits in successes like Haseena Maan Jayegi and Hum Saath Saath Hain did not harm both.
Trick or deal with, Urmila type
But it is the sheer creepiness the masoom-faced Urmila Matondkar is able to that had jaws dropping on the ground as she delivered her personal twisted tackle Ittefaq territory: A woman alone in a big home till the entry of a mysterious intruder or two, in Kaun.
The Khan information
Shah Rukh Khan had a quiet 1999 besides he bought to reunite together with his Baazigar director duo Abbas-Mustan.
Though Badshah‘s goofy mishmash of Inspector Gadget and Nick of Time, the place he performs a blundering detective, did not get the money registers ringing as anticipated, the film’s title is now synonymous together with his famous person stature whereas the comedy itself has achieved cult traditional standing.
Hailed as the 2 milestones in Aamir Khan’s largely spectacular physique of labor, each John Mathan Mathew’s Sarfarosh and Deepa Mehta’s 1947: Earth, revealed deeper sides of his individual and preparation as a studious actor.
Interestingly, each movies, one a police procedural tackling cross border terrorism, one other chronicling the ugly aftermath of Partition, tread on a delicate communal house and provide Aamir a chance to be as gritty and gray as potential.
But the field workplace belonged to Salman Khan with a spate of hits like Hum Saath Saath Hain, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Biwi No 1 that made it straightforward to miss the no-show of his comical ghost in Hello Brother and casanova tropes in Janam Samjha Karo.
Two hero awesomeness
Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan, as step brothers pressured to discover a center floor in Kachche Dhaage, Devgn and Salman as desis bumping into international land and bonding over the love of their lives in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Govinda and Sanjay Dutt marking the start of a fruitful partnership in Haseena Maan Jayegi that’ll spring combo comedies like Ek Aur Ek Gyarah and Jodi No 1 or the Deol brothers going from actual to reel in Dillagi… Two hero star autos, a close to rarity now, would regale people with their paisa vasool enchantment.
Remake-remake, bhai bhai
Brothers Anil Kapoor and Sanjay scored huge hits in remakes of South Indian dramas.
If Telugu weepie Pavitra Bandham impressed Anil Kapoor and Kajol’s contract marriage in Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain, Sanjay Kapoor and Priya Gill’s love letter dependent love story in Sirf Tum was a replica of Tamil romance Kadhal Kottai.
Of censor board and controversies
Censor board chief Asha Parekh’s stint is strewn in controversy.
But in 1999, the veteran actress confronted extreme backlash for ranking A-certificate on Shekhar Kapur’s acclaimed Elizabeth on the time of its launch in India.
Columnists like Pritish Nandy and Vir Sanghvi didn’t mince phrases and expressed their displeasure at her angle. Years later in her memoirs, The Hit Girl, Parekh dubbed the episode as a ‘storm in a teacup.’
Beyond mast mast and masala
The Mohra troika of Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon and Suniel Shetty proved there’s extra to them than senseless masala by breaking out of their motion and glamorous picture in critical fare like Sangharsh, Shool and Hu Tu Tu.
All three obtained a thumbs up for his or her efforts.
Year of Sooryavansham
Arguably, probably the most aired film on Indian tv and memes which have transcended social media, Sooryavansham is gold customary in stuff of so unhealthy it is good.
That is saying one thing in a 12 months that was exceptionally unhealthy for Amitabh Bachchan on a comeback spree marked by duds like Lal Badshah, Hindustan Ki Kasam and Kohram.
A to Z of comebacks
Speaking of comebacks, AB’s Dostana co-star Zeenat Aman made one too within the low-profile Bhopal Express centred across the 1984 Bhopal fuel tragedy. Despite the hype accompanying these mainstream releases, neither Sharmila Tagore in Mann nor Rajesh Khanna in Aa Ab Laut Chalen fared any higher.
Deadly Dutt: Back with a bang
Following his run-in with the regulation in relation to the 1993 serial bombings, Sanjay Dutt’s profession took its personal candy time to get again on monitor.
His altering coiffure in Kartoos, above, is telling of this battle and Bollywood’s continuity woes.
But enjoying a younger man sucked into the underworld assembly with a Mother India-inspired destiny in his good friend Mahesh Manjrekar’s Vaastav put him again on the map. And how.
Dutt bagged his first Filmfare trophy for his highly effective portrayal of man gone astray in Vaastav.
Awe and awards for Godmother
Speaking of awards, Shabana Azmi’s grit and gravitas in Vinay Shukla’s Godmother, impressed by the lifetime of alleged underworld gangster and former unbiased MLA Santokben Jadeja of Gujarat, swept the National Awards successful six honours in all, together with one for Best Actress.
And they lived fortunately ever after…
A 12 months of fairy story romances.
Where Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna developed emotions for one another on the units of Zulmi and International Khiladi culminating into marriage a few years later, Ajay Devgn and Kajol determined to make it official in an intimate ceremony at home as did Madhuri Dixit when she tied a knot to US-based cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Sriram Nene.
Cheers to those silver {couples}!
Debuts of 1999
Unlike brother Akshaye, Rahul Khanna picked a smart film like 1947: Earth over a star-studded launchpad.
Best identified for his kiddie roles in Mr India and Chaalbaaz, Aftab Shivdasani made his grownup debut as Urmila Matondkar fanboy in Ram Gopal Varma’s Mast.
Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna’s daughter Rinkie examined her filmi genes together with model-turned-actor Dino Morea (briefly altering his identify to Siddhant for conventionality’s sake) and Sanjay Suri in Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhie.
Supermodel Nethra Raghunathan dabbled in films on two totally different ends of a spectrum: Mahesh Mathai’s tremendous critical Bhopal Express and Govind Nihalani’s try at industrial viability, Thakshak.
Sharman Joshi and Raima Sen hoped to impress beneath Shabana Azmi’s tour de pressure shadow in Godmother.
But it is these two unofficial debuts — Nawazzudin Siddiqui in a minor function of Sarfarosh and Alia Bhatt as knee-high model of Preity Zinta in Sangharsh — that might go on to rule the roost.
Bangers of 1999
The chartbusters of 1999 may simply put these melody-bereft instances to disgrace.
From A R Rahman’s timeless mixture of melodious gems in Taal and 1947: Earth, Ismail Darbar’s grandeur personified tunes in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Anu Malik’s catchy chartbusters in Biwi No 1, Baadshah, Haseena Maan Jayegi and Janam Samjha Karo, Vishal-Shekhar’s elegant ode to younger love in Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhie, Jatin Lalit’s charming creations in Sarfarosh, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy teaming up a complete military of singers for Dillagi and nostalgic contact in Rockford, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s lilting, poetic sounds in Kachche Dhaage, Sandeep Chowta’s edgy tempo in Mast, Raam-Laxman’s playfully parivarik rating in Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sanjeev-Darshan’s romance and rhythm in Mann, Shool’s rustic merchandise quantity UP Bihar Lootne or Dahek’s rain-time surprise, Sawan Barse — the sounds and soundtrack of 1999 are tailor made for repeat mode.
A particular phrase for singers getting ready to greatness: Okay K’s heartrending lament in Tadap Tadap and poignant nostalgia in Yaaron, Sunidhi Chauhan’s verve in Main Mast, Shaan cooing Musu Musu, Lucky Ali’s soothing vocals in Tu Kaun Hai, Hema Sardesai’s masti-packed Chunari Chunari at the same time as actors like Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt tried to flex their vocal expertise or lack of it in Hello Brother‘s Chandi Ki Cycle and Khubsoorat‘s Aye Shivani.
Fashionistas of 1999
Karisma Kapoor’s funky ponytails and stylish athleisure in Haseena Maan Jayegi, Urmila’s iconic white shirt costume maxi in Kaun, Aishwarya’s mirror work embroidered organza saris in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Twinkle Khanna’s stylish shrugs in Baadshah make for among the grooviest types of the 12 months.
Blood, sweat and tears
It was one of the best of instances.
It was the worst of instances.
You simply can’t miss the over-the-top tone of villainy and blood-soaked melodrama colouring Ashutosh Rana’s brutal theatricality because the weird antagonist of Sangharsh, Manoj Bajpayee going bonkers in Kaun, Manisha Koirala discovering she’s misplaced her limbs in Mann, Bobby Deol throwing Sunny within the mouth of dying in Dillagi, Juhi Chawla and Sunny Deol’s obsessive urge to destroy one another in Arjun Pandit, a ruthlessly stabbed Anil Kapoor bleeding via his intestine whereas coming to the rescue of his closely pregnant spouse, Kajol after she journeys on the ground in Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain or Amitabh Bachchan vomiting cans of blood in Sooryavansham, the ever-so-sick web is teeming with gifs of the horrific picture of the latter.
India Shining
If Shekhar Kapur nabbed a Best Director Golden Globe nomination for Elizabeth, designer duo Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla made a global splash when Dame Judi Dench walked the Oscars pink carpet of their intricate ensemble and delivered her award-winning speech for Shakespeare in Love.
Meanwhile, Om Puri made waves within the West with a BAFTA nomination and Cannes debut as a Pakistani-origin British patriarch in East is East, shut on the heels to rave critiques for My Son the Fanatic in America.
