24 December,2021 01:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Picture Courtesy: Mid-day Archives
Anil Kapoor has a rugged charm that has allowed him to reign supreme in his illustrious career that spans over 43 years. He's what he's because of his film choices, performances, and of course, not without some incredible and iconic music. The actor turns 65. He has completed 43 years in acting. He refuses to age. So do his songs. Here are some tunes of the actor on his birthday that remain just as fresh after all these years.
A Superhero is someone who possesses special powers and someone who saves the world. Kapoor in this cult classic only does the latter, which makes him half the Superhero. He's an ordinary orphan who parents a bunch of orphaned kids and falls in love with their tenant Sridevi. In between saving the world and protecting their home, he romances the actress in a thunderously filmed and composed song that's elevated by the electric chemistry of one of Hindi Cinema's most successful pairings.
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Ek Do Teen belongs to Madhuri Dixit. So Gaya Yeh Jahaan belongs to the film. It comes at a critical juncture of the action potboiler. It comes at a time when the blockbuster has already witnessed umpteen action and drama. It softens the mood of the film and the viewers. Chunky Panday sings the song while Anil Kapoor makes Madhuri Dixit fall asleep in his arms. It may not have been necessary for the narrative, but was crucial to pacify the anguish the characters of the film have gone through by the time Tezaab comes to this point.
Of course, this is as fresh in 2021 and perhaps would be as pulsating in 2031. Subhash Ghai- Laxmikant-Pyarelal was an ingenious duo that gave Hindi Cinema some of its most iconic numbers. Anil Kapoor's Lakhan became synonymous with the actor. 32 years later, the tune and the hook step are known by one and all. It's historic.
For Yash Chopra, especially in the 90s, it was all about serendipity, sorrows, and Switzerland. Lamhe ticked all boxes. It had an aching soundtrack and haunting performances. The title song sung by the inimitable Hariharan had two versions- happy and sad. The happy one happens when Anil Kapoor's Viren falls head over heels for a much older Pallavi (the stunning Sridevi). The sad version plays when she passes away in an accident. Both the times, Viren gives a wordless reaction. The words in the music have said it all.
A boy has come back from London to his village. The residents are visibly excited but also very eccentric. They all break into a song choreographed stunningly by Farah Khan. The milieu sucks you into the world Priyadarshan creates. Shakti, the character Kapoor essays, is excited to be back on his soil, and the song neatly captures his and the village's reaction
A cameraman-turned-reporter-turned Chief Minister has got to be the greatest character arc for a Hindi film hero after David Dhawan's Swarg, where a servant turns into a spot boy and then into a Bollywood Superstar. The only difference is we don't know how long his stardom lasts. In Nayak, the stint is for 24 hours. In this one day, Kapoor earns the wrath of Amrish Puri who appears out of nowhere in the form of a snake in this song filmed only the way Shankar can. He uses graphics and animation to capture the romance of Kapoor and Rani Mukerji and the emotional turmoil and turbulence of Puri. Discarded in 2001, it dazzles in 2021.
There's something very therapeutic about Zoya Akhtar's songs, both for her characters and the crowd that watches her films. In Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, after going through their chaos and conflicts, three friends break into an impromptu Senorita. Here, a dysfunctional family on the verge of relationship disasters, break into Galla Goodiyaan. They know their lives would never be perfect, but at least dance till all your hair are down. At least these moments would lift their spirits.
Also Read: Throwback Thursday: 'So glad I took the leap of faith,' says Anil Kapoor as Lamhe clocks 30 years
