Shaan (1980 film)

Shaan (translation: Grandeur) is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language action-crime film directed by Ramesh Sippy and produced by G. P. Sippy under the banner of Eros International with a story written by Salim–Javed after the blockbuster success of their previous venture, Sholay (1975). Released worldwide on 12 December 1980, the film stars an ensemble cast of Sunil Dutt, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Rakhee Gulzar, Parveen Babi, Bindiya Goswami, Johnny Walker and Kulbhushan Kharbanda. The music was composed by R. D. Burman.

The film was an average performer upon its initial release. However, it did good business during re-runs, and also obtained the services of Sholays music composer, R.D. Burman, whose songs bagged a Best Music nomination at Filmfare. Shaan was one of the last films to feature the vocals of Mohammed Rafi. The character of Shakaal was inspired from the Ernst Stavro Blofeld's character from the James Bond film series.

Plot 
DCP Shiv Kumar (Sunil Dutt), an honest, brave and upright police officer, returns home to his wife, Sheetal (Raakhee Gulzar), and their young daughter Guddi, announcing that he has been transferred to Mumbai. Shiv has two younger brothers, Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) and Ravi (Shashi Kapoor), living in Mumbai, who are intelligent and capable youngsters but spend their time indulging in crooked schemes. Vijay and Ravi are also assisted with information about shady characters by a legless beggar, Abdul (Mazhar Khan). After being swindled by the beautiful Renu (Bindiya Goswami) and her paternal uncle, Chacha (Johnny Walker), in the city, Vijay and Ravi decide to join forces with them both and end up allying with another glamorous thief, Sunita (Parveen Babi),  in the process. However, Vijay and Ravi's following scam as two religious leaders who claim to walk on water backfires and lands them both up in prison, but Shiv bails them out in hopes of shaping them into a much honourable life. Meanwhile, a mysterious man (Shatrughan Sinha) attempts to shoot Shiv twice in the city, but Shiv survives both times. After learning about the two attempts on Shiv's life, Vijay and Ravi advise him to find a different line of work, arguing that his profession is unpredictable, dangerous and unsuitable for a family man. However, Shiv stands firm by citing his undying patriotic commitment to his corps and his country.

When Vijay and Ravi were serving their sentence in prison, Shiv penetrated the gang of some international smugglers and it eventually turns out that they were all working for a sadistic international crime lord, Shakaal (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), who is operating from a remote island outside India while funding crime in Mumbai and rejoicing in pain of his enemies and traitors. The island of Shakaal is equipped with hidden cameras and all sorts of automatic gadgets, including a pack of hunting dogs and a man-eating crocodile in an artificial pond below a rotating table with seats. Shakaal kills Ranjeet (Sudhir), one of his own aides, by throwing him into the artificial pond as the prey of the man-eating crocodile after discovering that he was an informer about his underworld to Shiv. Due to the fact that Shiv is getting close to finding out the root of the criminal acts in Mumbai, Shakaal has Shiv captured and brought to his island by his henchmen, where he reveals that he had only arranged the previous two murderous attempts on Shiv and bribes him to join his criminal forces, but Shiv chooses to die in his own line of duty. After a long chase between Shiv and the pack of hunting dogs, Shakaal shoots Shiv to his death on the beach from his helicopter and has his dead body dumped back to Mumbai.

As Sheetal, Vijay and Ravi lament the tragic loss of Shiv, the mysterious man, who attempted to shoot Shiv twice in the city, approaches them and introduces himself as Rakesh, a marksman and former circus performer who used to shoot targets blindfolded. Rakesh confesses that he was blackmailed to work for Shakaal, who had held his wife hostage, and that he had deliberately missed on the two previous attempts on Shiv's life in hopes of buying time to save his wife. However, Shakaal had already deduced this and had set up Rakesh's wife in a sabotaged car in retaliation, resulting in her death in a fiery car accident which Rakesh tried to prevent but failed in doing so. Realising how much pain Rakesh has also suffered at the hands of Shakaal, Vijay and Ravi join hands with Rakesh in hopes of defeating the underworld of Shakaal together in revenge for the deaths of both Shiv and Rakesh's wife. To that end, the trio seeks the aid of Abdul as he provides them information about Shakaal's contraband warehouse in Mumbai. Even though the trio manages to blow up the warehouse, Shakaal retaliates by having his henchmen target Sheetal and Guddi when Rakesh shows his deadly rifle skills to protect them both while on and around a bridge which has a farmhouse with a stable full of horses.

At this unsuccessful attempt in seeking revenge, Abdul is chased by Shakaal's henchmen in a night sequence and his death occurs after being forced off a bridge which is raised even as he attempts to cross it. However, a furious Vijay breaks into a bar with back offices where Shakaal's henchmen spend time playing cards and beats them all up badly for killing Abdul. Upon learning this, a frustrated Shakaal swears death on the trio and arranges his henchmen to capture Sheetal and imprison her at his island. Though it would have appeared that the trio is able to concede defeat over Sheetal's imminent fate, they are approached by one of Shakaal's aides, Jagmohan (Mac Mohan), who offers them his help to gain entry in Shakaal's island as he was brutally injured by Shakaal for his previous failure. Posing as a dance troupe, the trio, along with Sunita, Renu and Chacha, manages to enter the island and performs for Shakaal, who later shockingly captures them all and reveals that he had only sent Jagmohan (who was faking his injuries) to trap them.

However, Chacha creates a commotion that allows the trio to be freed and beat Jagmohan and all the rest of Shakaal's henchmen to death. This involves in fight sequences in a gas-filled chamber by Ravi and Rakesh while Vijay also overcomes the man-eating crocodile in a fight with the animal in the artificial pond. Just as the trio, after passing through many hurdles, finally succeeds in capturing Shakaal and is able to kill him on the rotating table with seats by his automatic gadgets, Sheetal intervenes and refuses to let them do so, pointing out that their actions can be disrespectful to the law that Shiv upholds. The arguing commotion allows Shakaal to free himself and attempt to shoot everyone, forcing the trio to conclude by shooting Shakaal fatally in self-defense. With his last breath, Shakaal pulls the lever and sets the island to self-destruct, however, the trio, Sunita, Renu, Sheetal and Chacha are all able to escape from the exploding island and fly off safely from the villains' helicopter, satisfied that they have beaten Shakaal in his tracks for good.

Cast 
 Sunil Dutt as DCP Shiv Kumar
 Shashi Kapoor as Ravi Kumar 
 Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Kumar
 Shatrughan Sinha as Rakesh
 Raakhee Gulzar as Sheetal
 Parveen Babi as Sunita
 Bindiya Goswami as Renu
 Johnny Walker as Chacha (Renu's paternal uncle)
 Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Shakaal
 Mazhar Khan as Abdul (Vijay and Ravi's legless friend and informer)
 Mac Mohan as Jagmohan (Shakaal's aide)
 Sudhir as Ranjeet (Shakaal's aide and Shiv's informer) 
 Padmini Kapila as Roma (Rakesh's wife)
 Yunus Parvez as Hotel Manager (Cameo Appearance)
 Viju Khote as Police Inspector who chases Vijay and Sunita's car (Cameo Appearance)
 Helen as item number in "Yamma Yamma" song (Cameo Appearance)
 Bindu as item number in "Pyaar Karne Wale" song (Cameo Appearance)

Shakaal's henchmen 
 Sudhir Pandey as Tiwari
 Dalip Tahil as Kumar
 Sujit Kumar as Raghunath
 Manik Irani as Shyam
 Goga Kapoor as Kirti
 Sharat Saxena as Prakash

Production
Logistical issues relating to other projects in which the cast was involved meant that Shaan took three years to make. While Sholay drew its inspiration from the American Western and Spaghetti Western films, Shaan took its lead from the James Bond films with fancy sets and beautiful costumes. Shakaal, the bald villain (originally to be played by Sanjeev Kumar) played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, was based on the James Bond villain, Blofeld.

A large golden eagle is prominent in Shakaal's island lair and in the Bollywood obligatory final song-and-dance. The eagle is reminiscent of the golden lamb in Cecile DeMille's Ten Commandments; construction on the golden eagle required outside experts to be flown in and cost, in Rupees, the equivalent of the chariot scene in Ben-Hur.

Sippy wanted to repeat the cast of Sholay (1975) for this film, but due to date issues, Sunil Dutt played the role initially offered to Sanjeev Kumar, Bindiya Goswami played the role initially offered to Hema Malini, and Shashi Kapoor played the role initially offered to Dharmendra.

The film was set and partially filmed on the island of Steep Holm.

Parveen Babi suffered her first anxiety attack when she completed shooting the song "Pyar Karne Wale". Just after the shooting of that song, there was a scene in the film where Parveen Babi is inside the car and then Amitabh Bachchan gets in the car. The scene was later shot when Parveen Babi returned from the US and she recommenced work by shooting this scene.

Soundtrack
The music was composed by R. D. Burman and the lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi.

The version of the song "Yamma Yamma" is not the final recorded song, that is used in the movie. It was a rehearsed copy sung by Late Mohammad Rafi, and the actual recording was scheduled for later, which was used by R.D. Burman in the movie due to the sudden untimely death of Mohammad Rafi before the final recording. This is the only song where Mohammad Rafi and R.D. Burman sing a duet together.

Box office
The film grossed 12.5 crores during its lifetime theatrical run. Adjusted for inflation, the film has grossed 271 crores ($33 million) as of 2023.

Awards

 28th Filmfare Awards:

Won

 Best Cinematography – S. M. Anwar

Nominated

 Best Music Director – R. D. Burman

References

External links
 

1980 films
1980s Hindi-language films
Films directed by Ramesh Sippy
Films scored by R. D. Burman
Indian action films
Films with screenplays by Salim–Javed
1980s Urdu-language films
1980 action films
Hindi-language action films
Films about crocodilians
Urdu-language Indian films