Iconic Rajshri movies

Rajshri productions is a quintessential Bollywood production house, which has brought numerous movies to the silver screen that have mass appeal. What sets the Rajshri movies apart is the central theme that their films are based on - the familial bonds that push or pull the characters towards or away from each other.

Some of the iconic films from this production house such as Dosti (1964), Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999) and Vivah (2006) revolve around this plot-twist. The first two movies had an emphasis on friendship, the next two dealt with traditional joint families and the last one focused on romance, with the underlying theme of familial ties and discord remaining the same.

Dosti had friendship at the forefront, with the friendship between a blind man and a physically challenged man being the central plot.  It also featured a strained relationship between one of the male leads, the blind singer, and his sister, with the latter disowning him due to the differences in their financial status. The situations that the characters undergo tests the strengths of their relationships and at the end, the depth of their bonds withstand these tests and the movie culminates with the characters reconciling.

Just like Dosti, Maine Pyar Kiya also had friendship at the heart of its plot. It narrated the story of two friendships - the no-longer-close-friends Karan and Kishan, played by Alok Nath and Rajeev Verma, and the innocent friendship between Prem (Salman Khan) and Suman (Bhagyashree), which later blossoms into true love. As in Dosti, the difference in financial status becomes the villain in Maine Pyar Kiya as well, and causes the friendship between Prem and Suman's fathers to fall apart.

Though these 2 movies are separated by a gap of over two decades, the lengths to which a character is ready to go for the sake of his/her friend, who was as close as a family member, was shown with the same level of intensity.

The blockbuster Rajshri movie from the 90's Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994) portrayed the lighter and happier side of living in a traditional joint family. The movie put across the message that occasions of happiness are only increased by the presence of extended family members and that shoulders to lean onto during sad times were aplenty. The selfless and sacrificial trait found in many of Rajshri characters was at the heart of this story too. In Hum Aapke Hain Koun, it was Nisha (Madhuri Dixit Nene) and Prem (Salman Khan) who were ready to let go of their love for the sake of Rajesh (Mohnish Behl) and his infant son. An equally reciprocating decision by Rajesh gave the movie a happy ending, with the two lovers reunited.

Another of Rajshri's movies from the 90's, Hum Saath Saath Hain dealt with the darker side of being part of a joint family, where a small fissure in the wall was enough to pull down the entire structure, affecting one and all involved. Like most of Rajshri's movies in the 90s, Hum Saath Saath Hain too had the characters of Prem (Salman Khan) and Vivek (Mohnish Behl) perform selfless acts for the sake of their family members. The relationships that had turned bitter due to actions of the matriarch of the family Mamta, played by Reema Lagoo, were shown to be on the mend in the climax.

Vivah (2006) followed the same plot line as well and featured a sour relationship - one which was not between the leads, but between the character Poonam (Amrita Rao) and her aunt Rama (Seema Biswas). The bond that Poonam continued to nurture in her heart towards her foster family is what led her to risk herself to save her cousin sister, even though she was ill-treated by her aunt throughout her life. The movie's climax featured an emotional reunion between the two females, with the heroic and self-sacrificing act by the soon-to-be-bride Poonam being the catalyst.

The single plot thread that best summarizes a huge portion of the Rajshri filmography would be conflicts arising amongst the key characters, usually family members, followed by emotional distancing, and finally culminating in happy reconciliation. The commercial success and the critical acclaim that these movies have achieved are proof enough that Rajshri productions captures the essence of Indian families like no other. The emotions, the bonds and the characters portrayed are accepted by audiences all over, because the underlying theme - that of unconditional love between those in a family, is universal.

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