Ram Balram
Encyclopedia
Ram Balram is a 1980
Hindi-language film
directed by Vijay Anand. It starred Dharmendra
as 'Ram' and Amitabh Bachchan
as 'Balram'. The other cast included Zeenat Aman
and Rekha. Ajit, Amjad Khan
and Prem Chopra
were the villains in the film. The film marked the third time, in which bollywood eternal superstars (Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra) came together after their previous successful ventures in Chupke Chupke and Sholay. It was expected to be another Sholay, but did not live up to expectation. The movie had an awesome initial which opened to thunder responses all over India with cinema houses packed full. However, proccedings from the movie started to drop by the 4th week and it then went on to surface as the third highest grossing film of the year earning a disappointing "Semi-Hit" at boxoffice. It was termed disappointing since at that time, films of Dharmendra and Amitabh are expected to earn more especially the latter, who was already the most popular star at the time. However, some boxoffice analyst rate it as 'Superhit' or outright 'Hit' when taking into consideration its net gross.
He enrols the younger brother Balram(Amitabh Bachan), in school and eventually sends him off to join the police force. The older becomes a mechanic. Jagatpal has a tight hold on the boys, even when Ram(Dharmendra) is an adult, he still gives all his wages to his uncle and is only allowed to keep a few rupees for pocket money.
When Balram returns as a fully fledged police officer, Jagatpal finally reveals his plan. He is going to use Ram to target the biggest smugglers in India. Now that Balram is a police officer, he will protect his brother from getting arrested. Balram has reservations, but Jagatpal threatens to beat him just as he did when he was a boy.
Balram is still unhappy with Jagatpal's plan so tells his superiors in the police force that his brother intends to infiltrate the smuggler's underworld so that Balram can arrest them.
The plan goes well. Ram becomes one of the lieutenants of one of the biggest smugglers (Amjad Khan) and Balram's excellent arrest rate make him one of the force's most successful officers. Jagatpal becomes enormously wealthy from Ram's illicit gains.
The brothers also find love. Balram with the daughter of a college professor (Rekha) and Ram with a girl who has moved to the area looking for her father (Zeenat Aman). Unbeknownst to Ram, the girl believes her father to be Jagatpal. She, along with her courtesan mother, attempt to extort money for Jagatpal but he refuses to believe he is the father. His suspicions are confirmed when he catches the mother paying off a former customer. The man is confronted by Jagatpal and confesses that the girl is not Jagatpal's daughter.
Jagatpal's plan comes unstuck however when the boy's mother returns. She did not die after all. Ram recognises his mother but Balram cannot as he was too young when they were separated. Both boys weep when they are reunited, Ram for the mother he has missed all those years and Balram for the opportunity he now has to get to know his mother.
She reveals Jagatpal's actions to the two brothers and they unite to take him down.
Bollywood films of 1980
-Highest grossing:The top forty box office hits of the year 1980-1980 releases:...
Hindi-language film
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
directed by Vijay Anand. It starred Dharmendra
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Singh Deol |Punjab]]), better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime...
as 'Ram' and Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
as 'Balram'. The other cast included Zeenat Aman
Zeenat Aman
Zeenat Aman is an Indian actress who has appeared in Hindi films, notably in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the second runner up in the Miss India Contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970...
and Rekha. Ajit, Amjad Khan
Amjad Khan
Amjad Khan was an acclaimed Indian actor and director. He worked in over 130 films in his film career spanning nearly twenty years. He enjoyed popularity for his villainous roles in Hindi films the most famous being the unforgettable Gabbar Singh in 1975 classic Sholay...
and Prem Chopra
Prem Chopra
Prem Chopra is an actor in Hindi and Punjabi films. He has acted in over 400 films. He is famous for his soft spoken diction despite being a villain in most films.-Personal life and education:...
were the villains in the film. The film marked the third time, in which bollywood eternal superstars (Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra) came together after their previous successful ventures in Chupke Chupke and Sholay. It was expected to be another Sholay, but did not live up to expectation. The movie had an awesome initial which opened to thunder responses all over India with cinema houses packed full. However, proccedings from the movie started to drop by the 4th week and it then went on to surface as the third highest grossing film of the year earning a disappointing "Semi-Hit" at boxoffice. It was termed disappointing since at that time, films of Dharmendra and Amitabh are expected to earn more especially the latter, who was already the most popular star at the time. However, some boxoffice analyst rate it as 'Superhit' or outright 'Hit' when taking into consideration its net gross.
Plot summary
Ram and Balram are 2 young boys who live with their loving parents. Their scheming uncle, Jagatpal, however kills the boy's father and mother. Jagatpal lies to the boys that their parents have been killed in an accident and promises to raise them himself.He enrols the younger brother Balram(Amitabh Bachan), in school and eventually sends him off to join the police force. The older becomes a mechanic. Jagatpal has a tight hold on the boys, even when Ram(Dharmendra) is an adult, he still gives all his wages to his uncle and is only allowed to keep a few rupees for pocket money.
When Balram returns as a fully fledged police officer, Jagatpal finally reveals his plan. He is going to use Ram to target the biggest smugglers in India. Now that Balram is a police officer, he will protect his brother from getting arrested. Balram has reservations, but Jagatpal threatens to beat him just as he did when he was a boy.
Balram is still unhappy with Jagatpal's plan so tells his superiors in the police force that his brother intends to infiltrate the smuggler's underworld so that Balram can arrest them.
The plan goes well. Ram becomes one of the lieutenants of one of the biggest smugglers (Amjad Khan) and Balram's excellent arrest rate make him one of the force's most successful officers. Jagatpal becomes enormously wealthy from Ram's illicit gains.
The brothers also find love. Balram with the daughter of a college professor (Rekha) and Ram with a girl who has moved to the area looking for her father (Zeenat Aman). Unbeknownst to Ram, the girl believes her father to be Jagatpal. She, along with her courtesan mother, attempt to extort money for Jagatpal but he refuses to believe he is the father. His suspicions are confirmed when he catches the mother paying off a former customer. The man is confronted by Jagatpal and confesses that the girl is not Jagatpal's daughter.
Jagatpal's plan comes unstuck however when the boy's mother returns. She did not die after all. Ram recognises his mother but Balram cannot as he was too young when they were separated. Both boys weep when they are reunited, Ram for the mother he has missed all those years and Balram for the opportunity he now has to get to know his mother.
She reveals Jagatpal's actions to the two brothers and they unite to take him down.