What can I say about this gem of a movie? It is a tough task, a very tough task. This movie makes one feel a gamut of emotions and leaves one in tears. This movie was a big hit back in the day, however I still feel it is grossly underrated as there is an entire generation who has not even watched the movie. That is probably because the movie was quite depressing, and the movie was not the typical Bollywood film, however that is what makes it all the more special.
Naam (1986) is an unconventional Bollywood film, aka it is a typical Mahesh Bhatt film. It has a pretty flawed protagonist, no prices for guessing that the flawed protagonist is Sanju, because it is a crime to show him non-flawed in a movie. LMAO, and why not? only Sanjay Dutt can pull off flawed yet innocent so well. Because this is exactly who is in real life too; flawed yet innocent.
Early in the movie when Kumar Gauravâs character Ravi introduces Vicky (Sanjay Dutt), he says âVicky mein gussa aur becheni toh bahut thi lekin nafrat nahin (Vicky was rough around the edges but had no hate in his heart)â and I have not seen a character been summed up so well in a sentence. This is what being Vicky aka being Sanjay Dutt is all about. There is no wonder that Mahesh Bhatt strictly told Sanjay Dutt to not play a character onscreen but be himself. Full marks to Mahesh Bhatt in shaping Sanju to being the actor he is today, this was Sanjay Duttâs breakthrough performance. And quite obviously his personal experiences, traumas and his personality made for a perfect fodder for this character.Â
The fact that Sanjuâs very close friend and brother-in-law, Kumar Gaurav played the character of his brother in the movie was also icing on the cake. Talk about art imitating life, Kumar Gaurav has always been with Sanju through thick and thin, and asked his father to produce this movie so it could help his career and help him stand on his feet. This is exactly on the lines of his character Ravi who does everything possible to help his brother stand on his feet.
The relationship that Vicky and his mother (Nutan) share in the movie is emotional. it mirrors the relationship Sanju shared with his father at the time. Sanju was constantly trying to win his fatherâs approval but was not really making headway, he came back to Bollywood after rehab on his insistence, but couldnât really make him proud. This is the same case with Nutanâs character in the movie, she is tired of being disappointed by Ravi and has stopped trying, she gets angry at Vicky and discourages him at almost every given opportunity.Â
Vicky also gets restless to prove his worth to his Mother. It is pretty sad when he tells his Mother that he knows she has given up on him and he does not blame her for that.
Sanjay Dutt is flawless as Vicky. It is hard to believe a 27 year old can give such a natural performance. Sanjay Dutt truly makes one feel every emotion in the book. You cannot help but root for Vicky with all your heart. His trauma slowly becomes the audiencesâ trauma. He takes the audience through a very rough journey in this movie. After Naam there has been no stopping Sanju, this movie brought him into his own.
This movie also belongs to Kumar Gaurav, who himself is a fantastic actor, it is a shame he didnât do too well in Bollywood. The rest of the supporting cast comprised of Nutan, Amrita Singh and Paresh Rawal and all of them were amazing.Â
A special mention to the scene when Amrita Singhâs character Rita cries inconsolably in front of Ravi and says that Vicky is innocent and begs for his help. Amrita Singh acted brilliantly in that scene. Interestingly, Amrita Singh is also pretty close with Sanju, and till date Sanju mentions her as his favourite costar.Â
Talk about life imitating art, we all know that Sanjay Dutt did get into trouble with the law, just like shown in this movie. I canât help but feel sorry for him and his near and dear ones, just like Ravi, all they could do is helplessly watch the tragedy and do nothing more. Kumar Gaurav stood like a rock behind Sanjay Dutt during all these ordeals just like how a brother should.Â
Naam is a tragedy which makes one feel helpless, but it also provides important lessons. It provides the lesson of not being careless with oneâs life, your family cannot save you every time, just like how Ravi couldnât save Vicky in the end. It also teaches parents to be less harsh with their kids, if they are less harsh and less skeptical, it can truly save bad outcomes.Â
Naam is a soul-stirring saga which is recommended to everyone who love this kind of cinema. For me it is a 5/5.
