ANJAAM (1994)

Although Anjaam was only an average hit and does not have the features that made Darr and Baazigar (1993) so popular, it is nevertheless a very good and quite disturbing psychological thriller, as well as a shining example of Shahrukh’s talent for portraying extreme characters.  

After his successful villain role in Darr, Shahrukh went on to win the Best Villain award for Anjaam the following year, and little wonder, because both roles are essentially quite similar.  In Anjaam he plays a rich, spoilt son whose obsessive love and determination to get the woman he wants borders on sheer madness. 

Like Darr, Anjaam is also ‘a violent love story’, in which Shahrukh’s character, Vijay, stalks a woman who continually spurns him, which in turn enrages him further and drives him to more desperate, criminal acts.  Determined to get what he wants or else destroy what he can’t have, this course leads to an extreme outcome, which is the apt title of this movie, Anjaam, meaning ‘end result’. 

Anjaam actually revolves around the female character in this story, namely Shivani, who is played extremely well by Madhuri Dixit who complements Shahrukh’s brilliant acting in many intense scenes, including some shocking moments of violence.   It is this violence und great injustice perpetrated on Shivani which pushes her onto a course of determined wrath. 

Indeed, this is a story about the injustices suffered by women, not only in male-female relationships, but in a court of justice governed by men, and also in prison, where Shivani endures unspeakable brutality and experiences corruption and immoral deeds by high officials. 

Short but very poignant and graphic scenes vividly convey the harsh and shocking reality of life for such victims, but from the depths of Shivani’s great anguish arise the strength, power and determination to defend herself and even execute vengeance. 

Powerful, evocative music accompanying some scenes stirs up all kinds of emotions in the viewer as the suspense builds up to an unforeseeable climactic end result.  Even some light comedy by popular comedian Johnny Lever pretending to be a woman cannot relieve the overall serious intensity of this story, nor detract from the frighteningly realistic performances by the leading stars. 

Shahrukh’s use of body language and facial expressions once again make his character disturbingly real, such as the nervous twitch in his neck and shoulder when he sees Shivani with her husband, or when he mutilates himself in order to frame Shivani and have her wrongly imprisoned. 

Shahrukh’s acting is equally effective and unforgettable when Vijay is injured in a car accident and is a mentally disconnected invalid in a wheelchair for some time, as well as earlier in the film when he is an irritating passenger on a plane, trying to get air-hostess Shivani’s attention.  Having set his heart on Shivani, there follows a bouncy, happy song allowing Shahrukh to demonstrate some of his athletic skills such as singing on top of a moving taxi and doing happy cartwheels. 

But the mood of the film soon becomes much more somber and emotionally suspenseful after this, as Vijay’s dream is dashed and his self-centered and unbalanced personality takes over his life, and consequently ruins the lives of others as well.

As such, Anjaam is a dark world far removed from Shahrukh’s more recent and popular romantic movies, but it remains an important statement in his acting career, and together with similar dramatic roles in Darr, Baazigar and Ram Jaane, allows us to see the full range of his acting talents.

by Barbara Burkowsky

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