Zanjeer (1973)

Film: Zanjeer

Year of release: 1973

Director: Prakash Mehra

Writers: Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar

Producer: Prakash Mehra

Lead Actors: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Pran

Zanjeer served as a template for many films in the 70s and later as writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar acclimated the British “angry young man” theme to the Indian screen. In doing so, they couldn’t resist introducing defining religious jibes and stereotypes about Hindus in their inspired work.  

For example, they needed you to know that the worst crimes happen during Hindu festivals.

In this scene, the villain “Seth Dharam Dayal Teja” kills a couple on Diwali night. No one hears gunshots because of the crackers and fireworks. Notice that the killer is a Hindu whose murderous instincts get particularly heightened on the most festive day of his religion.  

This is not a rare Bollywood movie where Salim-Javed used Hindu festivals as backdrops for gruesome crimes.

Writers Salim and Javed tell us that a lovable, morally upright and religious man is underneath Sher Khan’s rough and ferocious ‘Pathaan‘ surface.

Incidentally, Mumbai’s infamous mafia don Karim Lala, who operated several liquor dens, gambling and extortion rackets from the ’60s to early ’80s, inspired Khan’s character.

Another trope that Bollywood continues to reinforce even today is that sharing thook is love. Romance blossoms between Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) and Mala (Jaya Bhaduri) when she absent-mindedly hands him her glass of tea, and he sips from it.  

While the movie claims to break away from various on-screen formulas, like the hero always being a romantic charmer in the 60s and early 70s, it doesn’t go too far in portraying empowered women. Mala is a feisty, headstrong and independent woman till she meets Vijay.

There are only two main women in this film. One is Mala, who is always dressed modestly in sarees and can’t wait to serve Vijay. The other is the villain’s paramour Mona, who wears deep-neck blouses, drinks and smokes. There are only two types of women, we are told. 

In 2015, writer Salim Khan felt he deserved more than a Padma Shri for contributing to Bollywood. He declined to receive the honour and said, “For years, the central government has ignored me, honouring a number of my peers and juniors in the industry…But when I learned that the ministry has chosen me for Padma Shri, I felt it does not match my status and work.”