30 years of Anjaam: Madness Madhuri and Mayhem

30 years of Anjaam: Madness Madhuri and Mayhem

After the twin blockbusters of 1993 – ‘Baazigar’ and ‘Darr’, Shahrukh Khan took his antihero few notches deeper and darker in Rahul Rawail's ‘Anjaam’, A violent love story, playing the rich obsessive lover Vijay Agnihotri who could go to any extent to possess Shivani (played by Madhuri Dixit).

This was for the first time that Shahrukh and Madhuri worked together and later they came in successful films like ‘Koyla’, ‘Dil toh Paagal Hai’ and ‘Devdas’. Those days, I was so much consumed by SRK's antagonist avatar that when ‘Kabhi Haan Kabhie Naa’, whose release was interspersed between ‘Darr’ and ‘Anjaam’, came, I had strongly anticipated that Sunil would end up killing one or two characters in that film.

That eventually happens in ‘Anjaam’, where he kills his co-actor Deepak Tijori who played Shivani's husband.

Anjaam was violent and brutal. The film, penned by Rumi Jaffry and Sutanu Gupta was ahead of its time in terms of the visceral depiction of gore, psychopathism and vengeance. Few scenes still give me shudders- the way Shah Rukh kills Tijori, his assault on Madhuri and the scene where Madhuri bites off Kiran Kumar's ears, ripping then off his body. It was a tale of an obsessed person carved in blood.

In their prime, both SRK and Madhuri dazzled on the screen with their sizzling looks. Their chemistry signaled a legacy. The songs were a raging hit - particularly, Channe ke Khet mein and Badi Mushkil Hai. Barson ke Baad Aayi Mujhko Yaad spelt seduction where Madhuri oozed ultimate sensuality and shot in a single take, but was soon overshadowed by ravishing Raveena's raunchy Tip Tip Barsa Paani.

Shahrukh won the Filmfare Best Villian trophy for this film, a recognition that got blurred in the subsequent years and merged with Supporting performance. Madhuri was nominated in the best actress category along with her performance in ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’ for which she won the trophy.

‘Anjaam’ didn't do well commercially, perhaps the content was indigestible for the Indian audience then. But the madness in Shahrukh's eyes and the intensity in Madhuri's revenge makes the film unforgettable even after 30 years of its release.

 

 

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