Shalimar

Plot synopsis:
On the run from the police, S.S. Kumar, a thief, comes across a private invitation to the island of Sir John Locksley addressed to Raja Bahadur Singh. When the Raja is shot, Kumar takes him to a nearby hospital, dons a Sikh's turban, poses as the Raja's son and goes to the private island of Sir John. Also attending are K.P.W. Iyengar aka Romeo, Dr. Dubari, Colonel Columbus, and Countess Sylvia Rasmussen. A stunned Kumar finds out that all of these invitees are master criminals and thieves. Kumar's guise does not fool anyone, including his former sweetheart, Sheila Enders (Zeenat Aman), nevertheless Sir John permits him to stay on, as he feels that Kumar's career, though an amateur, is consistent with those already present. The reason why John has invited them is to find a successor to take his place as he is dying of cancer. He feels that one of his invitees can be trusted to take his place and for this he has arranged for them to steal a ruby (Shalimar) worth 135 crores of rupees. This gem is placed in a secure room within his palace, which is alarmed, and guarded by armed men 24 hours a day. The ruby itself is located within a display case of bulletproof glass and surrounded by a minefield. He challenges one of them to steal the shalimar - but if anyone fails then they are killed by the security system. Pitted against such veterans, it looks like Kumar has got himself into a bind that he may not come out of alive.

Tags: cult

Review:
I would start saying, it was a film too ahead of it's times, when released in India.
For the fact it flopped in India, is because the majority of the audience saw it go over the top and there was no connectivity with this film.Caper films have never been a forte in 'bollywood', so shah's western influenced ideas did not really go well with the native masses who were more interested in revenge melodramatic dramas, 'dakus','mujras', and 'angry young men'.
Looking back, it's definitely a cult film and the Gen today would appreciate shah's efforts more than the Generation of '78..
But its charm (as one commenter puts: "..It's a bad movie but I can't help liking it...") lies somewhere else.I must say I was surprised to find out that it didn't do well in India when it hit the theaters but that flopping may happen to any "big budget" movie anywhere anytime..
I also agree that Dharmendra and especially Zeenat Aman could have been performing much better or the Holly-Bolly partnership could be taken to a more qualified level.
But this movie is like a showcase of what could be done within limits of a status-quotic cheesy-commercial cinema and utilising what's at hand in high quality.
Despite its flaws, each and every moment is fun and as with all "bad but great" movies, technical or artistic flaws actually add rather than deduct from the film's value!
It's one of my faves from 70s Bollywood and from many points, it really has its great moments.
THE ORIGINAL Indian CULT film!.
Here it is, India's first and greatest cult film!
It's a great film no doubt but it has some really bizarre stuff that has to be seen to be believed!!
The roles of John Saxon and Sylvia Miles are unforgettable.
The film itself suffered badly at the box office when it first came out due to over-hype and the fact that the main theme of the film didn't connect with the masses - lack of nativity.
It is unlike any Bollywood film you'll ever see..
i think that this film is a entertainer.It makes you cry.laugh and makes you think what will happen next.The great Mr Dharmendra was the best but i don't understand is that why did this film do so bad at the box office?
and why Mr Dharmendra never signed for a western film again.The songs were also good like 'Hum Bewafaa' was good, the film was also made in English to but voices were dumbed over and the film opens with a good scene.I didn't not know that this film was produced by Hollywood and Bollywood and after this film they never did that again because it was a disaster at the box office but some people still think that they should make more films like this.The main credit for this film goes to both Dharamendra and Rex Harrison who both did a great so BRAVO!!!.
Director Krishna Shah demonstrates a great deal of visual flair (particularly during the final jewel-theft sequence, which I can't describe more fully for fear of giving it away).
The entire cast is appealing, especially Rex Harrison as the suave, manipulative host, and John Saxon as a mute master thief.
The movie's weak point, in terms of plausibility, is the miscasting of the gifted but ungainly Sylvia Miles as a tightrope walker/acrobat.
(The cuts to her stunt double during the action sequences are among the most obvious, unconvincing substitutions I've ever seen.)  However, the vivacious Miles has such fun with the role that this flaw can be overlooked..
A movie which was ahead of its time and did not make sense to most of those who saw it.
In comparison the latest technology the film might seem shoddy but in the end you cannot help but admire the whole team for giving it a shot.The Indian actors have done a a good job.
At times the fact that the foreign actors dialogs are not in sync (because they are actually speaking in English) is a minor irritant.The music by RD Burman is classic and can be played and hummed today and for years to come.
The action is also good but not typical Hindi film action which is nice change.
The sheer awfulness of the acting and the script fade into the background as one is dragged, almost against one's will, into the film's Dungeons-and-Dragons-like storyline.Camp, curious, captivating.
One of the best films ever made in India.
that this is one of the great films made in  India.
It has been made with combined great performances by  both Hollywood and Bollywood stars, making the film one of a kind.If you haven't watched this film I wholeheartedly recommend you to.
This is an absolutely splendid film!!!Not only because this is a Hollywood and Bollywood joint venture film but also because the acting of all the star cast is great.I especially liked Rex Harrison, Dharmendra, John Saxon, and Zeenat Aman's performances.
This is very uncommon for me.The song: "Mera pyar Shalimar" also has a very good soundtrack and is great to listen.If you are doing nothing on the weekend, I suggest you visit a nearby video store to rent this video.
Anything with Rex Harrison is always worth a look, even teamed with a few C-List semi-stars of yesteryear (John Saxon is still soldiering on today!), but this co-production with major Bollywood names (in India Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman were billed above Harrison) is particularly interesting as a not-half-bad attempt to blend the Indian and U.S. film industries in an only slightly schlock caper film (the copy-cat "American" title, "RAIDERS OF THE SACRED STONE," pretty well telegraphs the schlock part - the original "SHALIMAR" is more honest if slightly less illuminating) about a Master Thief who claims to be dying and brings together his chief rivals in a lethal contest to see who deserves the title of "World's Greatest...".
The goal and "reward" (in additional to the title) is a super gem (it looks like an enormous sugar candy faux jewel) guarded by impossible technology and disposable but murderously dedicated mute guards, every one of whom owe their lives to Harrison.
As far as actually cracking the commercial U.S. film market, the effort was not markedly successful (the film apparently tanked in India and the IMDb doesn't even show a U.S. release date!
...the American title pretty much assured that even if the quality of the script didn't) but if you're in the mood for one of those films all about how the director/script writer can kill off the next Indian S.A.G. member in new and imaginative ways (a sort of 10 LITTLE INDIANS with real Indians) and finding out if the sort-of-cute possible romantic lead will value the girl more than the race or get away in the end (the film tries for as many twists as Agatha Christie engineered into her real masterpiece, WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION so it isn't over when it looks like it might be) this might fit the bill on a rainy Saturday or even Sunday afternoon.
Dharmendra Rules Rex Harrison.
The Entire movie there seemed to be only 1 actor with proper emotions & that happens to be of Dharmendra.
Rex Harrison who is a Hollywood big wig was no where near Dharmendra's ability, even a "C" grade villain of Bollywood would have acted better, Deepak Shirke would have acted better.
Poor Shammi Kapoor was wasted, Zeenat had not much role, John acted as a dumb man so his ability to express was cut off.
When Bollywood actors act in Hollywood movies they easily overshadow the famed Hollywood actors because the facial expressions are lot more & the ability to give dialogues is also better.
Dharmendra has not won any filmfare award in India is because he is himself a 2nd grade hero, had it been the Mighty Amitabh Bachchan or Rajesh Khanna this movie would have been even more watchable & it would have been a big hit too.
The entire movie would have been even one sided against the Hollywood stars..
The reason being, I read somewhere that the movie flopped because it was ahead of its time.
But I can guarantee it that if this movie was made today with special effects and all it would still be a disaster.
The reason being that it was an amateurish attempt by an NRI (Krishna Shah) who thought he would ape a Hollywood movie for the Indian public.
Shammi Kapoor, O.P. Ralhan, a has been Hollywood actor like Rex Harrison, and a one movie wonder ("Enter the Dragon")John Saxon and some old hag Slyvia Miles who nobody's heard of.
The dubbing of Rex Harrison by Kader Khan was poor because Rex's expression while delivering the dialogues are cardboard like and detached.
Zeenat Aman's acting at best could be described as erratic.
This colorful but ill-fated Hollywood meets Bollywood heist caper flopped miserably at the box office.
"Raiders of the Sacred Stone," as it came to be called, undoubtedly taking advantage of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," was initially known as "Shalimar." Stanford Sherman co-wrote the story that Shad based his screenplay on, and Sherman boasts writing credits such as the 1966 "Batman," "The Ice Pirates," "Krull," and "Any Which Way You Can." Rex Harrison, John Saxon and Indian star Dharmendra bolster this film with strong performances.
The film never wears out its welcome and contains some interesting twists.
Basically, this 90-minute epic amounts to a variation on "The Most Dangerous Game," the classic where a big game safari hunter trapped unfortunate humans on his own island and then turned them loose so he could enjoy the thrill of hunting them to see if they could escape him.The world's wealthiest jewel thief, Sir John Locksley (a sinister looking Rex Harrison of "My Fair Lady"), is dying from cancer.
He invites four of the best thieves in the world to his palatial residence on St. Dismas, a remote, tiny Indian Ocean island where he lives alone with his servants.
The thieves include Kumar (Dharmendra), Romeo (O.P. Ralhan), the religious Dr. Bukhari (Shammi Kapoor), nimble German trapeze artist/tightrope walker Countess Rasmussen (Sylvia Miles of "Midnight Cowboy") and Colonel Columbus (John Saxon of "Enter the Dragon").
Sir John has chosen them because of their notorious reputations as criminals.
Believe me, he puts on a good act trying to convince them that he is an amateur, especially when he steals cuff links.
Indeed, Kumar turns out to be an impostor with an interesting background.
Sir John lives like a sultan on the island and commands his own loyal army of armed guards.
Sir John's beautiful nurse Sheila Enders (Zeenat Aman) and he escort their guests on a guided tour of his lavish estate and show them his elaborate security system that he has designed to safeguard the jewel.
Afterward, Sir John challenges them to see who can steal the legendary Shalimar ruby.
"It would be sacrilege to allow the ruby to pass into undeserving hands," Sir John explains.
"The title of the greatest thief will belong to one of you." The Shalimar Ruby has a history similar to The Maltese Falcon, having exchanged hands over the centuries.
Its first owner was none other than Alexander the Great who found it when he invaded India in 300 B.C. Briefly; Sir John explains that the Shalimar ruby is the largest single gem in the world.
The gem consists of 1, 214 karats and is valued at $135 million.The mute, crippled Colonel Columbus who communicates with sign language takes the first crack at the ruby, but he is shot in the back by a guard as he enters the room where the ruby is housed.
Kumar swears that he heard him scream when he was shot and killed.
"Do dead men scream?" Countess Rasmussen fares a little better.
Romeo, who tried to rob Sir John initially, dies next, and Dr. Bukhari is the last to bite the bullet.
Surprisingly, Kumar is the thief who manages to steal the ruby.
Although Sir John warned the quintet about the rule against collaborators, it seems that Sheila and Kumar were romantically engaged in a previous relationship.
Sir John, like all criminals, suffers his fate because he forced some many of his guards--approximately 18--to die in an effort to thwart the thieves.
The ruby is housed in a clear, see-through, cylinder constructed of bulletproof glass and Sir John has surveillance cameras stationed everywhere in his mansion."Raiders of the Sacred Stone" qualifies as an interesting potboiler that is done with a modicum of polish.
One of those 'what were they thinking' films that is almost so bad that it becomes oddly watchable.
The storyline isn't that bad but the production is mostly very shoddy.
There is one soft romantic song worth humming though.See it if you have nothing better to do.4/10.
Indo-Hollywood film.
This was the first joint production of Hollywood and Bollywood with mix of both actors and the film flopped badly when released.
The movie however is remembered today for it's 2 superhit songs Hum Bewafa and One 2 Cha Cha Cha. The film is also considered ahead of it's times.
The film is decent though it has Dharmendra play A CBI Inspector who acts like a thief to catch a diamond Shalimar which is owned by Rex Harrison who calls 4 criminals to his island and gives them a bet to rob the diamond.
Yet several scenes are fabolously executed.Direction is decent Music by RD Burman is superb,Hum Bewafa is still remembered, the song was perfectly rendered by Kishore Kumar, while One 2 Cha Cha Cha is superb too, rest are okayDharmendra is good in his role and plays it with ease,Zeenat Aman is alright, Shammi Kapoor gets a miniscule role and he is okay, Rex Harisson(voice dubbed by Kader Khan) is okay,Aruna Irani has one scene, rest are okay.
Sure this initially has a special character for a thriller / heist movie.
It's like a dark version of (It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World – 1963), where the race is about big ruby, the racers are top thieves, and the loser gets simply killed.
It's clear that director / writer Krishna Shah wanted to allure both the American and Indian viewers by mixing a Hollywood heist plot (which Bollywood didn't use to), with some Bollywood songs and dances (which Hollywood didn't use to), casting actors from both sides, to lose – eventually – the viewers of both sides !
Actually the movie bombed at the box office; maybe because it seemed exotic for the 2 teams of viewers, maybe for artistic faults, or maybe for both matters !As for the artistic faults; Rex Harrison, while smartly cast as the elegant mysterious billionaire Sir John Locksley, presented his worst performance ever.
And to give you a perfect nervous breakdown; while she looked like a circus freak, everybody in the movie referred to her as ravishing and sexy (even Harrison's character raved at one moment about how "Death should've killed itself before touching a beauty like that." ???!!!).
Shah made a big mistake when he wrote the movie beside directing it.
Review with me : What was the point out of Sir John's fake paralysis ?!
What was the point out of Col. Columbus (John Saxon) fake limp and muteness ?
What was the point when the island people turn Columbus into a god ?!!
In brief, what a superfluous, unsolved, points !!Moreover, the awkward third act : The way how Kumar (Dharmendra) stole the ruby is super naive.
The thing is, he passed all the deadly advanced barriers without any high tech, using some idiot means (the black and white suit was incredibly obvious to a degree makes Sir John blind for not seeing it !).
Then, right in the middle of Kumar's escaping with the ruby, the movie inserts such a long song about life and death, and after it ends we return to follow Kumar's escaping !
Now this is completely wrong and badly provocative, producing one of the most unnecessary songs in movie history !!
The ending wasn't less awkward : Sir John is killed by sudden local revolution (!!!!), Kumar reveals that he's a police officer (HOW ??), and his reason to steal the ruby is because "It gave us so much troubles." (another HOW ??).
And while the revolutionists are chasing Kumar for the ruby, he doesn't care and gets married, then the movie ends, to make me laugh like a drain !
So, all in all, I can't say that Shah's writing isn't as good as his directing.
No. It rather destroyed his directing !On the contrary, Shah as a director was very good.
It's just weird that it got to repeat the shot of the naked blond girl, who was sleeping with the lead, on and on (maybe it's not weird, only proud; putting in mind how in 1978 many of the Indian cinema's conservative values were being broken !).
Dharmendra and Zeenat Aman are icons more than stars, their charisma and credibility are divine.
And by the way, their little kiss at the final shot was kind of bold back then, being one of the earliest kisses filmed in Bollywood movies after breaking the taboo of "kissing".
FYI, the Indian censorship used to consider kissing on screen "indecent" since 1947, before things got changed in the early 1970s with movies like (Bobby – 1972).But that kiss isn't the only thing to remember (Shalimar) with.
However, part of the performance and the casting, along with the movie's mind, namely its script, stood in front of this very movie's quality.
By rephrasing a line from the movie : "Absurdity should've killed itself before touching a beauty like that."It needs a remake.
Whether comes from Bollywood or Hollywood, it needs a remake.
Funny P.S : On the movie's international poster, you'll find no one but the British and American stars.