Kaalia (1981)

Kaalia: Directed by Tinnu Anand. With Amitabh Bachchan, Asha Parekh, Parveen Babi, Amjad Khan. Jailed for robbing his brother’s unscrupulous employer, a simpleton has a transformation while in prison, emerging with a violent mission for revenge.

“The 80u0026#39;s was a time when Amitabh Bachanu0026#39;s name alone would make a movie a complete sell out. Kaalia was released in 1981 and was a huge hit. After watching this movie I can only assume that audiences went to see this movie just for Amitabh Bachan and nothing else because Kaalia offers nothing in terms of plot. Kaalia was directed by Tinnu Anand, scripted by father Inder Raaj Anand and starred Amitabh, this combo would be repeated in the 1988 movie Shahenshah, another movie that is ridiculously overrated. It is basically the same gangster movie that had been told millions of times before with a mild mannered man turning into a gangster and coming in and out of jail. In jail he comes across an uncompromising jailer Pran. There is a poorly tacked plot about Pran having a daughter who was lost as a child(as far as I remember). That plot strand was probably only included because by the time Kaalia was released the lost and found formula was ever so popular,particularly in Amitabh Bachan movies,Amar Akbar Anthony,Naseeb,Laawaris,Suhaag,Ram Balram etc. The only highlight is RD Burmanu0026#39;s phenomenal soundtrack, I would call it one of his top five best. My favourites being Jahan teri nazar or the Mohammed Rafi number that takes place in jail. Kaalia in my opinion is one of Mr Bachanu0026#39;s most overrated movie and the itu0026#39;s success is completely undeserved. There are far more better underrated Amitabh starrers, for instance Amitabhu0026#39;s 1982 starrer Shakti with Dilip Kumar.”