This weekend we had no plans. Most of our friends were traveling, family was busy with their own things so we were left with no plans. Just about 5-6 years ago, I recall partying late into every Saturday night and basically waking up only to have lunch on the following Sunday. 

Cut to work life, married life and just growing up. Now, my definition of a good weekend is 8 hour-sleep, clean laundry, washed utensils, early morning chai and hot lunch. 

This was one such perfect Sunday morning when we were well slept and done with our peaceful morning chai. I had bought a bunch of colourful flowers for my vase and I got to trimming and arranging them. I had the luxury of time, so I attempted Chicken Biryani. It was my first attempt at a Biryani and I wasn’t unhappy at all! We were in the mood for some Desi mithai so we called for Chenna toast from a local mithaiwala. Indulgent Sunday it was! 

We had a few home chores and shopping scheduled for the evening so our Sunday movie time was preponed to a matinee show. My parents tell me matinee shows were big during their times. A slow afternoon meant making plans to watch a matinee show. 

Just picture this – a Sunday afternoon, the sun is piercing and you squint your eye to look up, you see a hand painted poster of a tall Amitabh Bachhan at the entrance of the theatre, long lines for cinema tickets, women dressed in saris, men in Elephanta pants and printed shirts – everyone excited for the matinee show to watch Amitabh Bachhan on the big screen. 

We had recently watched the documentary series “Angry Young Men” on Amazon Prime and we were waiting for the weekend to watch a Salim-Javed film. We decided to watch “Trishul”. The documentary obviously focuses on the mega blockbusters like Sholay and Deewar and films like Trishul and Don are spoken about in bits and pieces. They were probably lower in the popularity hierarchy of Salim-Javed films, although, both golden jubilee movies. 

This is a Yash Chopra directed movie with the greatest cast of Indian cinema – Amitabh Bachhan, Sanjeev Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Rakhee Gulzaar, Poonam Dhillon and Sachin Pilgaonkar. It felt like we were guaranteed entertainment.

Like many movies of that time, this too is a revenge drama. Amitabh’s character, having been wronged by his own father, sets out to destroy his business. All the other characters have their parts to play and the end of the story is obviously, a happy one. 

Although, unlike the other movies of the time, this one stands on a complex plot of a booming construction business, big companies rigging government auctions to obtain tenders, passionate new comers in the industry that are set to disrupt the market. If one follows through the story, it remains an interesting watch right until the end.  

Through several sub plots, the film sheds light on the societal problems of those times. The documentary on Salim-Javed repeatedly mentions how the duo was successful in creating an anti-establishment hero – a protagonist that questions the wrongs in the society, fights the bad men, gets things done. This film has all the right beats of an anti-establishment hero. 

The story is an ongoing battle between the haves and have nots. When Amitabh says “Mere paas apne baap dada ki daulat ki nahi ek pai hai, aur naa hee mujhe chahiye; mere paas agar kuch hai toh apni maa ka diya hua aashirwaad”, you understand that this man is aware of the circumstances in which he was brought up. He knows what it is like to have nothing, and build something from scratch. 

To my surprise, the film portrays the women as young and confident protagonists. The women in this film drive cars, run their father’s businesses, raise a child as a single parent, work 9-5 jobs, and they do it all while looking stunning. Hema Malini and Rakhee are both seen in chiffon / silk saris, blouses with a conservative neckline, low clean buns and bold dark lips. Hema Malini adds some glamour on screen with sequined evening gowns while Rakhee’s styling remains understated and clean throughout the movie.

The film is set in Delhi. The richest of the rich wear silk robes, smoke cigars, host beautiful lawn parties, attend hi-teas at five star hotels and live in plush bungalows. It all lives up to the image of Delhi. 

Every song in this movie transports you to a time when lyrics were the real star of the song. My personal favourite has to be “Mohabbat bade kaam ki cheez hai”. The lyrics are a continuous debate between someone who is in love with the idea of love and one who stays away from it. When Sachin and Poonam sing “gapoochi gapoochi gam gam”, you are wondering how funny these lyrics are but you are also convinced that this is a naive love story of two youngsters.

Surprisingly, the movie is about 2.5 hours long, a whole of 30 minutes less than Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham which released about 20 years after Trishul! 

Going by the theme for the weekend, a Salim-Javed film, I think this one has to be one of my favourites. A gripping story, good looking cast, beautiful songs and whistle worthy dialogues – what more does one need.

– Aishwarya Bedekar