Shaan (Hindi: शान, Urdu: شان) is a 1980 Indian Hindi film. It is director Ramesh Sippy's 2nd film with Amitabh Bachchan after Sholay. The story was written by Salim-Javed. ^[1]

Expectations were high as this was the film that was to have expected to match the success of Ramesh Sippy's previous blockbuster film Sholay. It didn't match the success of Sholay but still it was another "blockbuster" of Bachchan. [1]. Director Ramesh Sippy tried to round up the same people from Sholay, and he succeeded only partly by getting superstar Amitabh Bachchan and music composer R.D. Burman who composed the unforgettable songs for the film and earned the film's only Filmfare nomination for Best Music.

Production[link]

The film took 3 years to make, because of the juggling around of stars busy schedules.^[1] 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. The famous bald villain Shakaal, played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, was based on the James Bond villain Blofeld.^[1][2][3]

Plot[link]

DSP Shiv Kumar(Sunil Dutt) returns home to his wife Sheetal(Raakhee Gulzar) and their young daughter and announces that he has been transferred to Bombay. Shiv Kumar has two brothers, Vijay(Amitabh Bachchan) and Ravi(Shashi Kapoor), who live in Mumbai. They are intelligent and capable guys, but spend their time loafing about the city and swindling unsuspecting people. After resuming his work at Mumbai, however, a mystery man(Shatrughan Sinha) tries to assassinate Shiv Kumar. Shiv Kumar survives both the times.

Vijay and Ravi team up with Chacha(Johnny Walker) and Renu(Bindiya Goswami) who are a similar swindler pair. Vijay meets Sunita(Parveen Babi), yet another fraudster during one of their adventures. One of their tricks eventually backfires and lands Vijay and Ravi in jail. Shiv Kumar bails them out and reads them the riot act at home. After the two attempts on his life, Vijay and Ravi advise him to find a different line of work, arguing that his present profession is unpredictable, dangerous and unsuitable for a family man. Shiv Kumar, however, stands firm, citing his undying patriotic commitment to his corps and his country.

The film now introduces Shakaal (Kulbhushan Kharbanda). Shakaal is an international crimelord(The character & his hideout are very closely modelled on the James Bond villain Blofeld & his headquarters). He operates out of a remote island outside India. Shakaal is a sadistic villain, who rejoices in pain of his enemies & traitors. Shiv Kumar gets progressively closer to the root of the crimes in the city. Shakaal has Shiv Kumar brought before him. Shakaal compliments Shiv Kumar on his wits and valour, and offers him to come on the other side. True to his form, Shiv Kumar firmly refuses the offer.

Shakaal tries to kill him, but Shiv Kumar breaks loose and tries to escape from the island. Shakaal unleashes wild dogs upon Shiv Kumar and eventually shoots him dead upon the beach. As Vijay, Ravi and Sheetal lament their tragic loss, the mysterious man who tried to kill Shiv Kumar shows up. Sheetal angrily identifies him. The man introduces himself as Rakesh, a crack gun marksman and former circus performer who used to shoot targets blindfolded(by sound). He was recruited by Shakaal to assassinate Shiv Kumar, by keeping Rakesh's wife hostage.

Rakesh deliberately missed Shiv Kumar on the two previous instances, hoping it would buy him time to rescue his wife. But on realizing this, an angry Shakaal killed his wife. Rakesh sought out Ravi and Vijay so they could work together to bring down Shakaal. The trio seek the aid of a homeless cripple, Abdul (Mazhar Khan in his first movie appearance). Abdul is a beggar, but is also the man-who-knows-the-city. With Abdul's help, the trio manage to find and destroy Shakaal's contraband hideouts in the city. Enraged, Shakaal kidnaps Sheetal and has her brought to his island.

Vijay, Ravi and Rakesh fume, knowing that Sheetal will almost certainly be killed and that they have no clue about the location of Shakaal's island. At this point, Jagmohan(Mac Mohan), another of Shakaal's aides, who has been mercilessly crippled by Shakal offers his help to the group to gain entry in Shakal's hideout.

Posing as a musical troupe, Vijay and Ravi (along with Renu, Chacha and Sunita), enter the island and perform for Shakaal. Shakaal, however, reveals that Jagmohan was deliberately sent by him to trap them. Jagmohan's fracture was a lie. Their cover is blown and they are secured. In an elaborate chase-action sequence as the three brave men escape, avoid the various booby traps and henchmen, capture Shakaal and ultimately end him. Finally, the island is blown up and the heroes escape via helicopter to safety.

Trivia[link]

The climax of this film was repeated in Shekhar Kapoor's Mr.India. The playback singer for the song "Shaan Se" is Usha Uthup

Cast[link]

• Sunil Dutt ... Shiv Kumar
• Amitabh Bachchan .... Vijay Kumar
• Shashi Kapoor .... Ravi Kumar
• Shatrughan Sinha .... Rakesh
• Raakhee Gulzar .... Sheetal Kumar
• Parveen Babi .... Sunita (Vijay's girlfriend)
• Bindiya Goswami .... Renu (Ravi's girlfriend)
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda.... Shakaal
• Mazhar Khan .... Abdul (Ravi and Vijay's friend)This is Mazhar khan's first film
• Dalip Tahil .... Kumar (Shakaal's henchman)
• Johnny Walker .... Chacha (Renu's uncle)
• Helen ..... Special appearance (in the song Yamma Yamma, previously she had danced in Sippy's Sholay too.
• Katy Mirza ...in a guest appearance talking with Amitabh which eventually irks his gal Parveen Babi before the song 'Jaanu Meri Jaan'
• Bindu .... in a guest appearance
• Padmini Kapila .... Shatrughan's wife who Shakaal killed in revenge by cutting the brakes of her car before she drove down a mountain.

Soundtrack[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

• Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award - S.M. Anwar
• Filmfare Nomination for Best Music - R.D. Burman[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Shaan at the Internet Movie Database