Baazigar
1993 · Directed by Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla, Mustan Alibhai Burmawalla
Original language: Hindi
- crime
- thriller
The story
A young man with a vendetta against a business tycoon seduces and kills his eldest daughter and then proceeds to his younger daughter but she begins to suspect her new lover's ulterior motive.
What it’s like
Glossy mid-nineties Bollywood polish: saturated studio colour, bright costume palettes, big set-piece interiors lit warm and theatrical, and a few stark night sequences where the shadows go deep and the frame tightens. Camera moves are energetic, with swooping crane shots, quick cuts through crowded rooms and close, searching two-shots that hold on faces, and the score leans on dramatic orchestral swells, synth-tinged romance songs and sudden percussive stings that lift the mood like a switch. The vibe is brooding, feverish and sharp, a noir-tinged thriller with glamour on top. It suits a late evening with the lights low, or a retro film night where you want melodrama with a cold undertow. Pacing is brisk and escalating, with the tension between two people who are each playing a game tightening scene by scene. Its emotional register is seductive and suspicious, with a central figure whose charm hides something hard and a woman slowly unsettled by what she sees. Intensity is moderate to high: several killings and fight scenes, some menace and threatening behaviour, and an undercurrent of cruelty, but no gore and little explicit content beyond romantic intimacy. It is for viewers who enjoy old-school thrillers, dramatic performances and the pleasure of watching a deceit unravel.
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