Cinema Glory: Dharmatma (1975)

Ever wondered what it’s like to sit through a movie based on The Godfather in Hindi? Well, your answer lies in this post. Watching Dharmatma was an experience of its own. The story was an attempt to make a localised version of Mario Puzo’s novel and it was the first Bollywood film that was shot in Afghanistan.

You may wonder why I am watching such an old movie and also blogging about it! Well that’s because I have quiz based on movies, exciting it is… but a more significant reason is that Indian cinema has completed its 100 years! And in these 100 years many legendary films have been made, Dharmatma being one of them. People have talked about Sholay and Silsala on and off…I decided to choose a some-what less talked about movie in today’s time.

Now, Dharmatma …

Powerful, influential, wealthy millionaire into matka (gambling) business, helps people who are in need, has another powerful person as his enemy, and he doesn’t like his own son, his love story. Those typical old movie dialogues and the signature background music with that rustic effect of the 1970s...all bearable for the first ninety minutes, later you may skip it (running time is 169 minutes but I fast

forwarded it)…The cast includes veteran actors like Feroz Khan, Rekha, Hema Malini, Farida Jalal, Ranjeet in his stereotypical image as the creep and you have Dharmatma portrayed by Premnath.

What I liked the best?

The classic dhishum-dhishum fighting sequence in the beginning of the movie! 

 So if you are a Hindi movie fan sorry OLD Hindi movie fan, you have Dharmatma to watch!