Tezaab- The best rip-off ever made in Bollywood Tezaab completely blew me away when I saw it in theater back in 1988. This movie presents a very unique Hindi movie experience mainly due to its breakneck pacing, tight editing, Anil Kapoor's raw performance as an ex-patriot and the phenomenon called Madhuri Dixit that got unleashed on the unsuspecting and innocent (pun intended) Indian male audience. N. Chandra did a great job in brewing this violent love story with choicest set-pieces lifted straight from Hollywood and Hong Kong movies such as Streets of Fire (main story), The Untouchables (bank robbery scene) and Jackie Chan's, Police Story (the destruction of the villain's lair using multiple cars as weapons of choice). Interestingly, in hindsight, it is hard to imagine Tezaab without any of them. Typical Bollywood elements are also in abundance here such as boy meets girl, the sleazy father beats girl, girl fights boy, boy ridicules girl, villain eyeballs girl, boy threatens social order, and corrupt police whup boy's ass. In other words, the storyline is as old and only as engrossing as a dormant volcano, which, by the way, could explode in any year or century. As one reviewer mentioned - it's the execution that separates Tezaab from the junk routinely made by Bollywood. Rest of the usual shenanigans are covered under measured doses of misunderstood love triangles, the inevitable hero's sidekick (a very good Chunkey 'the Monkey' Pandey here) and his minions, lilting music, songs, dances, and the ubiquitous ugly comedian (Johnny Lever). It's all there- so what's not to like?Well, there is one thing that sometimes only troubles the Coen Brothers and that is originality. Not a single scene in this movie is original by any standard but it worked in those days and it still works in Bollywood because the majority of its audience are neither connoisseur of international cinema nor avid readers of psychology. Why psychology you ask? Well, in the movie Anil Kapoor's character attempts suicide in order to prove his love to the leading lady Madhuri Dixit. Now her character studies psychology and if the screenwriter had done some research on psychology he would have known that any female student of psychology would be extremely cautious around a person who professes his love by threatening suicide by jumping off a multi-storied building. But Indian filmmakers routinely apply to their creation- oops! Did I say creation? I mean inspired creation- the logic of Looney Tunes and that's why no matter how loony the hero maybe, the heroine always tunes into his call.Notwithstanding the flaws, Tezaab also scores mainly due to its smart editing, as mentioned earlier. Movie jumps back and forth in timelines at various crucial moments in the movie and this, in my opinion, is the most original aspect of this movie and is very effectively used to convince the viewers of Kapoor's character's transformation from a patriot to a criminal and also to establish grounds for his volatile love affair with his girlfriend. And all the characters, notably Annu Kapoor as a chaiwallah with lofty aspirations and Suresh Oberoi as an incorruptible cop who acts as Anil Kapoor's conscience, who come in and out of these flashbacks truly propel the story and the director spends enough time with these characters so as to justify their brand of violence. Despite some obvious drawbacks, Tezaab still remains one of the most memorable action flicks from the 80's that even women liked. Watch it and you just might smell the acid that the director so skillfully (with some borrowed elements) distilled for us to enjoy.

this is the film which i saw when i was just 10 year on VHS i mesmerize from the performance of the cast everyone perform exceptionally well.while it is MUNNAor BABBAN or LOTIYA PATHAN OR MADHURI.music scored by LP that was rocking i remember even today that EK DO TEEN was all over i also like the another song of this movie was NITIN MUKESH "SO GAYA HAI RASTA" which is good u can easily listen this song on any FM channel at night after 12 o clock.the director N CHANDRA is its best in this movie he was in peak of his imagination and direction which he started from ANKUSH and PRATIGHAAT i really wonder why he is unable to create same magic till now. even he started making style and XCUSE ME type of films. the biggest fact of this film which i like most is that, it is the remake of English film the streets of fire it take best adaption from the film u may surprised to know that streets of fire was so so in Hollywood but tejaab rock all the India and it gives edges to ANIL KAPOOR to other film star of country support to MADHURI and lot of name and fame to N CHANDRA not to forget LOTIYA PATHAN.

When N.Chandra's Tezaab was released in 1988, it had all the ingredients of a flop: a story as old as the hills, unknown leading lady, modest budget, and Anil Kapoor. But due to its breakneck storytelling and smoldering lead performances, Tezaab emerged as one of the biggest hits of the 80s and, at the same time, unleashed the Madhu juggernaut that would dominate the industry for almost a decade. The premise is simple: Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit meet in college, have a fight, fall in love...you get the picture. But in a matter of seconds (minor spoiler here) everything, and I mean everything, goes haywire as Anil is banished, Madhuri becomes a dancer, a gang war ensues, Johnny Lever shows up, police corruption raises its ugly head, and 2 scenes are ripped out of The Untouchables. In other words, you know you're watching an Indian movie! Before this film, Anil Kapoor was useless. He was good in supporting roles but, apart from Mr. India the previous year, wasn't having much luck as a leading man. That all changed here as Anil commanded the screen in his portrayal of Munna, an ex-patriot who now finds himself on the other side of the law. The raw edge that he brought to the character was a revelation and one wishes he'd done more of these roles instead of the "nice guy everyman types" that he plays now. As the long-suffering yet loyal Mohini, a psychology student forced into dancing by her alcoholic father - played well by Anupham Kher- Madhuri, who was only 21 at the time, gave the type of no holds barred performance that most actresses don't give in their life. Her desire to succeed is so evident in this film and she is never overshadowed nor overacts. The infamous "Ek Do Teen" number is here, complete with all the "Jhataks Mathaks" that accompanied her star turn. The film lost the Boscar (i.e. the Indian Oscar) to Qayamat se Qayamat Tak although Anil did take home the Best Actor trophy over Aamir Khan. Madhuri, in a close call, lost out to Rekha (if you care). The flashback technique that Chandra incorporated into the film saved it from being a bore without confusing the viewer. The story may not have been original, but it's the execution that made it a winner.

Teezab - means AcidStory of how an ideal college school student's life turns towards acid path of crime.This is the movie which ripened Madhuri's performance, especially with the popular number Ek, Do, Teen, and the rest is history.The story starts with that song followed by her kidnapping, by Kiran Kumar's extraordinary portrayal of Lotiya Pathan. So Anil Kapoor, who is banned from the city limits, is informed and he is coaxed by his friends to go and rescue her.And so we go in the past of how Anil & Madhuri fell in love in their school days. How their college life is progressing and what makes the hell break loose on them.The other numbers in the movie So Gaya Yeh Jahen ., and Kahe Do Ke Tum Ho Meri Varna . are good.Chunkey Pandey, playing Anil's sidekick and Anupam Kher playing Madhuri's father also bring out and outstanding performance.Again being a N. Chandra movie, it is pretty violent at times. Highly recommended for very less nonsense and sticking to the story plot.