Clerk (1989) Poster

(1989)

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1/10
Terrible Potboiler
priyodit13 June 2004
I don't want to be too critical about this movie. There's nothing to be critical at all.

This movie has Manoj Kumar as a clerk, the main protagonist. And this movie is full of comedy ( and yes, I'm being caustic!) and awful scenes. The sequences are obnoxiously written and there's nothing much to do, or say. For example, the scene where Ashok Kumar gets a heart attack, Manoj Kumar plays a patriotic number, and lo and behold! he springs up and starts marching!

Action scenes, are, as if copied from superman, as people keep on flying in the air defying the gravity, and amidst all these flying people, our brave Clerk is fighting against the villains with a machine gun (read Lego Toy Gun!) in his hand.

Bottom Line: Please do watch this movie.... Its one of its kind!
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1/10
Plan 9 From Bollywood
unclewalker6 November 2010
(0/2)The story is going nowhere.It's like all masala movies mix into one to make a khichdi.Patriotism,romance,youth rebel,terrorism,action, and what not.

(0/2)All the actors in this movies are veterans and best in the business.Manoj Kumar,Ashok Kumar,Rajendra Kumar,Shashi Kapoor,Prem Chopra,Rekha.But the talent of all these legends is flushed down thanks to the stupid story and (mis-)direction.

(0/2)What the devil is wrong with Manoj Kumar?One of the best director Indian movie has ever seen has wasted his time in this movie.

(0/2)Music of this movie is ridiculous."Aaj 15 August hai" is gibberish of them all.

(1/2)This movie will down in the history as the best unintended comedy film .You won't be able to stop yourself from bursting out in laughter.This movie-is-so-bad-it's-good.
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1/10
A comic masterpiece?
mehtarohit872 December 2010
If Manoj Kumar intended this to be a comedy, he couldn't have done a better job. This movie, in all aspects, may it be the cinematography, direction, music, acting or the classic dialogs, is so bad that it actually goes round the globe to be awesome.

It is hilarious and every time I watch it with my friends, we laugh so hard that we pee our pants a bit. Every single scene and every minute detail in this movie is awfully worked at and badly directed. This is the epitome of self-indulgence. Manoj Kumar is so obsessed with his style of film-making that he has no clue how horrible he has become. This is, undoubtedly, my favorite comedy, ever.
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Excellent Benchmark!
manu_goyal19 July 2004
The movie should be viewed as a classic for benchmarking the nadir in the Indian film industry. I haven't come across an Indian movie worse than this. Everybody has done justice to this film as the performances are uniformly awful across the board. Can't single out anyone for uniquely bad performance. Music, direction and editing also draw a bottom line. On the plus side it gives me strength to watch a lot of BAD movies as nothing can match the experience of watching CLERK. Strongly recommended for all who want to get a bottom-line drawn. The review requires at least 10 lines to be written, but this is one movie where a single word would suffice - HORRIBLE.
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2/10
Epic Trash.
nadkarnisumeet12 September 2020
Clerk review :

"Aaj 15...Aaj 15 15 August Hai" ..

..sang an aged Manoj Kumar in one of his much delayed film Clerk which sadly couldnt recreate the magic of his earlier achievements like 'Upkar' (1967), 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan' (1974) and 'Kranti' (1981) to name just a few. In fact, the plot was a bad rehash of his own Roti Kapda aur Makaan.

The film had Rekha and Shashi Kapoor in negative roles as a couple who love to call each other as Mr and Mrs Kapoor. Rekha is Manoj's ex who dumped the poor guy for richie rich Kapoor.

Working as a clerk in Defence ministry, Manoj aka Bharat (his staple name in most of his films) has to bear with a corrupt boss Satish Shah at work and a large family comprising a heart attack ridden Ashok Kumar as father, two Pakistani imports as bhaiyya - bhabhi and two siblings going to college.

Sonu Walia, wearing the same torn jeans throughout the movie, keeps saying "Tich". Yea, that's her catchphrase. Anita Raj does random gymnastics to impress and seduce our Bharat dude but he appears clearly disinterested. Later, Anita gets molested by a tharki amirzaada Om Shivpuri whose pick up line is "Beauty Beauty Beauty"!!!

"Sooraj ugte kabhi naa dekha Chaand chamakte kabhi na dekha"

Uttam Jagdish's tunes were suited to the flavour of the film. There is even a song where we see a 50+ Manoj Kumar dressed as a college kiddo romancing Rekha.

Filled with ham scenes like an Azad Hind Fauj anthem serving as a cure for Ashok Kumar's heart attack, Sajid Khan made his entire hosting career showing us clippings of Clerk in his 90s shows 'Ikke Pe Ikka' and 'Kehne Mein Kya Harz Hai'.

Clerk is a bad film and there is no doubt about it. But there is still something immensely enjoyable about all the mess. So bad that it is good kinda cinema!!

No prize for guessing that the film was a box office flop when it released in theatres. I had seen the movie on DD National in the 90s and then on VCD in 2000s. I caught it again on YouTube last night and marveled at Manoj Kumar's unwavering deshbhakti jazbaa. Jai Hind Saahab!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.
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1/10
Manoj Kumar lose his touch
neepun15 July 2006
This movie sadly shows that Manoj Kumar is loosing it. After making beautiful movies like "Shor" and "Upkaar", one wonders what he was thinking when he made this movie. All the big stars that agreed to be part of this movie, just proves how they did out of respect, otherwise why would Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, and Ashok Kumar choose such a bad scripted movie. As someone else already said, if you are looking for a comedy, this is one, despite the fact that it's supposed to be a serious, patriotic flick. Even the soundtrack for Manoj Kumar's movies normally have memorable lyrics and tunes. There is nothing that sticks out for this one. It's too bad that the once great director and story-teller, didn't realize that his script was flawed and just decided to be graceful and not make this movie.
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1/10
Manoj Kumar's failed formula
silvan-desouza21 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
There was a time Manoj Kumar brought in crowds with his patriotic films but post late 80s his films started failing. This film is a classic comical masterpiece The story is as old as hills, there's nothing new Some scenes make you laugh like Ashok Kumar's recovery scene just by playing Zindabad Zindabad lol There are more funny stunts where we have Manoj kumar fighting with Shashi Kapoor.After Rekha gets shot she breaks into a song The film tries hard to be everything but falters. Manoj Kumar also has all heroines falling for him, Direction is bad Music is bad

Manoj Kumar repeats his trademark hamming, he is really annoying Rekha is okay, The film has Pakistani artists like Zeba who is okay Anita Raj, Sonu Walia are okay Shashi Kapoor is okay, Rajendra Kumar is okay too rest are okay
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10/10
The funniest unintentional Hindi comedy ever made!
Boy_with_no_name22 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Mr. Manoj Kumar made many great and successful patriotic films but after his multi-starrer blockbuster(and for me his best film) Kranti(1981)I believe what happened to him is the classic case of reaching your artistic peak after which it is hard to reach it again.Ramesh Sippy never made another Sholay,Karana Johar cannot make another Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,Aditya Chopra another DDLJ and Walter Hill never made another good film after 48HRS.Hence Mr. Kumar could only head downwards and hell; he actually nosedived to the bottom of Hindi cinematic history with this HAM Classic.Manoj Kumar is Bharat.(What a shock huh?)

Bharat's dad having a heart attack is revived by listening to a song on a radio,then 2 minutes later his dad dances along with his family.Bharat's brother thinks his wife is a hooker turns out she sells her blood at the hospital for money.Bharat's sister reminds her rapist that he raped her & Bharat threatens him into marrying her.Bharat has a college flashback even though he still looks 50 in it.Bharat can't look straight at the camera for 30 seconds flat.Baharat's new girlfriend gets stripped naked by her own dad.And the ultimate Bharat shows his ex-girlfriend "ke chapal main mori hai,Madam!" This movie should be in Ripley's Believe it or not cuz buddy I can't.Still it's very funny,even though I don't think Mr. Kumar was making a comedy.But thanks to Sajid Khan's TV show Kehne Main Kya Harj Hai this film has gained cult status.And hopefully it will be remade.Hahahahaha!
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10/10
Movie so bad that it is actually makes you laugh
calvinstrikes24 July 2021
Clerk is one of the most hilarious movies I have watched. It was a benchmark in movie making before Gunda released.

It is just amazing to see how someone can get every aspect of movie making so wrong. The Story, Casting, Music, Lyrics, Direction, Acting, Dialogues, Editing, Production value.. I could be missing a few aspects but in short everything is just bad. The end result is just a movie so bad that it's unbelievably funny.

If you love Ham movies, this cringefest should be on the top of your list.
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8/10
CULT CLASSIC
er-yadavabhishek17 April 2022
No, This movie is not what it's supposed to be, but then many movies are'nt. You just can't take this movie seriously.. It's a laugh Riot.

I watched this movie high as a kite, nd I had to stop myself from laughing just to breath.

It's not a good movie, but yes, it will make u laugh. I recommend watching it with friends.
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10/10
Kyunki main c*****a hoon !!!!!
ankit-singh9222 February 2022
Undoubtedly this movie is a once in a millennium masterpiece. My Dad happens to be a cardiologist and I'll recommend this movie to him. ISME POINT HAI. How else can one cure heart attacks by simply playing songs on a taperecorder. Besides, cigarettes and alcohol are to be put on a higher priority than food.

Manoj Kumar was without a shadow of doubt trying to give Dev Anand an identity crisis by playing a college student aged 52. But he has the right to do so, AAKHIR MAIN EK CLERK HOON !!!!

HaHaHaHaHaHa.......
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