Bollywood’s Lady Legend with “Khoon Bhari Maang”

Khoon Bhari Maang Bollywood’s movie actress Rekha

In the quest to be taken seriously, a lot of Hindi films seem to be losing the edge that made them stand out.

During her interview to the media Legendary Actress Rekha told that she saw a tweet about the gorgeous aesthetics of the movie Malá Morská Víla (1976), the Czech version of The Little Mermaid. The Actress was a 100% right, the movie was fascinating.

On further describing about the movie she said:

The actors playing mermaids did not have fish tails, nor were they clad in shell-shaped bikinis. The budget of the entire film was probably less than the money spent on Ariel’s hair dye in the upcoming adaptation of ‘The Little Mermaid’.

She also added that it was a close look of what Hans Christian Andersen envisioned , Accusing Disney of being a “Sanitized Version.” The most striking thing about it was undoubtedly the fashion. The colours, the outfits, the hair—oh my god, the hair was spectacular.

After that she watched other films like Do Revenge (2022). Starring Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes, this movie was basically the answer to the question: “What if we take Strangers on A Train (1951) but give it the aesthetic of Gossip Girl (2007-2012) and the dialogues of Mean Girls (2004)?” I didn’t know I needed this movie so badly until I watched it, she said.

According to her it was unhinged but glorious, and it really made me miss the “Adventitious” of the Bollywood movies that she has grown up watching and loving. In the quest to be taken seriously, a lot of Hindi films seem to be losing the edge that made them stand out.

All of these movies and the stories took her on a drive down the memory lane.

The Actress said ‘This took me back to the time when we made movies like Rakesh Roshan’s ’80s classic Khoon Bhari Maang (1988).  Rekha’s look, her makeover, her zest for revenge, that enthusiastic crocodile… this movie genuinely had it all.

Then there was also his ‘reincarnation on cocaine saga’ Karan Arjun (1995), With Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000), Rakesh took the best parts of Khoon Bhari Maang and Karan Arjun, gifting us a gloriously campy revenge drama with shocking deaths inside water bodies, lookalikes, the big dance number at the climax and some serious fashion goals.

In the ’90s, we also witnessed the whole “I hate my sister a bit too much” vibe in the movie Aaina (1993) in retrospect, Aaina could be seen as a very interesting prelude to the “girlboss” era of feminism. It also broke the unwritten rule of Hindi cinema where family always comes first.

2001 saw the release of Dil Chahta Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The former is revered for introducing a new wave in Bollywood movies, while the latter is considered iconic for how melodramatic, gauche and hilarious it is.

Going through everything got her to the question, But where are the girls? She said she wants to see more women get rid of their cheating husbands by feeding them to crocodiles. She wants to see two different types of narcissist battle it out in The Dance of Envy from Dil To Pagal Hai (1997).

If both K3G and Dil Chahta Hai found success in the same year, if both these movies managed to create their own legacy, why can’t we have a healthy mix of them today? The real and the raw human dramas are great to watch, but so are the female-forward campy extravaganzas. Can’t we have them all?, Is it too much to ask for?