Mr. India – A Gem That Treasured Our Childhood! Here’s Why It Can Never Be Remade

If you’re one of those late 80’s/early 90’s kids, you know you’ve mostly grown up on this gem of a Bollywood product popularly known as Mr.  India. A feast to children’s fascinating cinematic sensibilities, Shekhar Kapur’s Mr. India much as being a blockbuster was so understandably amusing, that somehow it never aged!

Ask yourself, do you ever skip the channel when you randomly find Mr. India airing on TV? We know you don’t. The film is as fresh and entertaining as it was some 30 odd years ago. Yes, you read that right, Mr. India released on May 25^th 1987 is running in its 30^th year today. Unbelievable, isn’t it? What makes Mr. India a perfect movie viewing experience is what we should be asking ourselves. 30 years down the line with such a rapid technological invasion and we haven’t had a film distantly close to Mr. India yet. Let’s take a walk down our memory lane and evaluate how Mr. India became so special.

A Treat For Children – Science Fiction

In a decade that’s mostly known for crass comedies and laughable dramas, an accomplished work of art like Mr. India was a pleasant surprise. It was as if nobody even knew a genre called ‘Kid’s Movie’ existed until Shekhar Kapur decided to craft it. Mr. India by all means is a kid’s movie. From being subjectively based on a bunch of innocent kids lighting up the scene in no other way imaginable, we really can’t think of any other big names to have catered to the needs of children. The film also led the flag of experimenting with science fiction as a genre. The chemical formulas, a third world, nuclear missiles and a hero! Idea of a perfect kids film.

Perfect Villain

If you in your childhood have never once tried to lift your hand and say “Hail Mogambo”, you haven’t enjoyed this film to its potential. Yes, Mr. India holds credit for having given the industry one of its most epic villains. Someone who comfortably sits in the hall of fame along with the likes of Gabbar Singh, Shakaal or Katya! Those terrifying eyes, grating voice, absorbing costumes and impeccable style, Amrish Puri as Mogambo had won half the battle for his director by being there alone. Mogambo Khush Hua! We wonder who thought of this name ‘Mogambo’!

The Lead Cast

From having someone like an Amrish Puri to take care of the dreadful department, we can’t agree more with the decision of having Anil Kapoor and Sridevi in the lead. Of course Boney Kapoor was producing the movie and Anil would have come in as an obvious choice but he wasn’t. It was Big B who was first being considered to play the lead. But today when you quietly observe, can you think of a better name than Anil Kapoor to pull off Arun/Mr. India? Neither of the Khans had even debuted back then and even if they were around, none would have made for a better Mr. India than what Anil did. He completely understood the character and brought that much needed innocence, vulnerability, helplessness and strength to the character.

Most of us would agree with the fact that Mr. India had Sridevi deliver one of her most loved performances to date. As someone who’s downright frustrated with her job, her boss, her country and especially the kids, she didn’t play a second fiddle to get the supreme humour flowing. Remember her funny breaking down by the end of the song “Tere Bachhe-Mere Bachhe”? Sridevi at her funniest! Watch out for the scene where she gets in a Charlie Chaplin attire to rip off a casino!

Perfect Mix of Comedy, Drama & Emotions

Mr. India was dominantly a comedy most would agree. But, how it played along with different human emotions of grief, vengeance besides being poignant was something that made it so complete. The film that tickled your funny bones despite having a dramatic back drop at times played with your emotions too. The scene where Sridevi treats all the kids with delicious food after they were left starved for three days brings about tears almost every time you watch it.

Not to mention, the bomb blast killing the cutest of the little girls, a sequence that changed the mood of the film almost dramatically!

The Most Epic Support Cast Ever

The film that was quite rich with its principle lead cast got richer with a fabulous set of supporting cast. You’d know what we are talking about here if you are a true fan of this movie.

Sharat Saxena as Daaga: This is how a villain can make you go ROFL with an immaculate comic timing and expressions. He was as much a comedian there as dangerous a villain he was meant to be.

Ajit Vachani as Teja: Watch out for the scene where Mr. India makes Teja eat up his own set of gravel used in cereals and you’d know how fabulous he was.

Annu Kapoor as Mr. Gaitonde/News Paper Editor: An overburdened newspaper editor whose office telephone often connects him to random characters, is what Annu Kapoor carried off remarkably. He doesn’t go without a laugh even in a single scene he comes in. At one point of time when he asks Sridevi what’s Mr. India like, she replies by saying “Woh Dikhayi Nahi Deta”, to which he laughs and replies “Dikhayi Nahi Deta Toh Kahan Gayab Rehta Hai? Yeh Saxena Bhi Aajkal Dikhayi Nahi Deta”. Absolutely rib tickling!

Harish Patel as Roopchand: Half lying on his seat with astute expressions and saying “Gayi Bhains Paani Mein”! Harish Patel put the much needed obnoxiousness one expected him to put in.

Satish Kaushik as Calendar: Playing an honest light hearted cook who gels up with the kids to shed out enough likable moments, Satish Kaushik himself puts this role of his in high regards.

Salim-Javed’s Collaboration Even After The Split

Not many are aware but film’s writers, the iconic Salim Javed had announced their split much before the film came out. They still worked together for the project since they had signed it before separation. One of the last creations of this star writer Jodi, may be Mr. India could have only been a deserving send off to them as a jodi. They spread their magical writing in the last of times they were working together.

The Invisibility

Something that made Mr. India in its authenticity was the ‘Invisibility’! A Hindi film where the hero is an invisible man was an idea nobody had thought of before and it came out as just as wonderfully it was meant to be. He gave himself the title of Mr. India to use his powers to overcome the bad and make the world free of elements like Mogambo. An idea too ahead of its time you’d think? Well perhaps it gave its makers the best returns they could have asked for and forever immortalised the creation of Mr. India!

Mr.  India is one film that India can be proud off no matter how the trends of cinema may change. This is one film that can never be made again since you’d need a heart big enough to be willing to experiment and be ahead of its time. Does it make you want to go and catch the movie once again? Well, go ahead, cause we are in the mood to do the same!

Mogambo Khush Hua??? That was a question.