User Reviews

This is a case where you have to respect the movie's idea and message, but not the movie itself!

At that point, the Masala was living a sparkling era in the Indian cinema. (Amitabh Bachchan) and (Amrish Puri) were the perfect lion and tiger. And melodrama was the boss. This time, the same elements, without much melodrama, were used for something else, something more serious. The movie is about the deception under the name of god, and turning religion into business. The intro of the story is so right; an encounter between a simple magician who wants to entertain people, and a dangerous quack who wants to rob people. Just the idea is catchy when the first wages war against the last, and by his very own weapon; smart quackery. So far, so great. However, the rest isn't!

The first half is a strangely inserted romantic comedy, so boring and ridiculous, starring (Bachchan) and (Jayapradha). Then, we come to the basic story, which the movie was made for, where the naivety rules and wins.

Don't ask about motives, because this is a massacre of motives; why this magician, a helpless womanizer, becomes a sacrificing man, who gives all of his money to rescue this village? Why (Pran) hates (Puri) so much? How the son of (Puri) believes so easily that (Bachchan) is becoming another quack? And so on.

The movie is extremely poor, with nothing sharp along the way. The magical games between the 2 teams are campy at best. The dealing with the idea is low. Some events can't be taking place in a kids' show; such as the fake murder of (Pran)'s character, then framing it to (Puri). The transforming of (Puri)'s henchman, who went to kill (Bachchan), by only a loud speech is laughable. Cutting off the hands of (Puri) later is even more laughable. The dialogue seems like something written in 2 days. It's wholly as direct and dry as public service announcement, however less convincing!

Add to that, the talented star (Amrita Singh) is so wasted, a male sidekick would have been more useful than her! (Aditya Pancholi) isn't powerful, being the least interesting factor. (Jayapradha) and (Bachchan) himself are ghosts in a weak drama, rather heavy guests in a light ad. (Puri) does fine as the evil man because he always does fine as the evil man, whatever the movies' quality!

Except the first number of (Bachchan) as a dazzling entertainer, a few - and I mean a few - comic moments, along with the main good intention--this is emaciated and forgettable. (Bachchan) needed so much to change the taste of his roles and movies at the time, let alone passing the failure of his previous ones (Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswathi - 1988) and (Toofan - 1989). However, the thing that he didn't need at all is (Jaadugar). It is something rare, sorrowfully not as a meaningful comedy, but as a self-destructive one! Selecting to work in movies made by that level is sure why this phase of the big B is now descried as the end of his career as the one and only leading man of the Indian cinema once.

As you see, the blindness of some kind people, due to their ignorance and foolishness, could hurt them.. in and outside the movie!