Aatank Hi Aatank (Terror 'O' Terror)
Aatank Hi Aatank is the Desi Adaptation of Mario Puzzo's Godfather (but Dilip Shankar (director) takes the credit for writing the Hindi Version). Most of the characters and suituations are retained from the original, where the main story advances following the actions & its consequeses of the few principle characters :
Character - Aatank Hi Aatank / The Godfather
The Father - Shiv Sharma / Papa Corleone
The 1st Son - Munna / Sunny (played by Rajinikanth)
The Daughter - Radha / Connie
The Second Son - Rohan / Michael (played by Amir Khan)
Munna / Sunny 's wife- Razia / Sandra (played by Archana Joglekar)
Rohan / Michael 's wife - (Neha / Apollonia (played by Juhi Chawla)
Radha / Connie 's husband - (Carlo Rizzi as Robert)
Heroin Trafficker - Advani / Virgil Sollozzo
Other characters like Sollozzo, Captain Marc, Rocco, Tattaglia Crime Family are all present representing the '
cob-webbed' roles in families, friends and foes.
Archana Joglekar is actually a mix of Lucy & Sandra, stirred to bring in the Desi Flavour (with songs included). And the marriage episodes are retained, chopping the affairs part. On the other hand, Sunny's background is slightly altered too, making him an orphan adopted by the family, which is actually Tom (Robert Duvall) who is the lawyer in the original. Also, in the Desi adaption most of the Flash Backs of Sunny episodes are put together, to have a continuity leading to the climax.
Rajini looks like he is fresh from Thalapathy, where 'Surya' roams around with
turtle neck inner over colorful blazzers (the blue one will be fantastic) with dark shade sun glasses. The earlier crime episodes will be sleek where he does buisness by just snapping his fingers. Then, he discusses buisness affairs & finds out the danger within. His affair with Razia is the main highlight of the film, where he stroms in and takes her away, tigerring the whole Mafia revenge affair. Starring with the sensational couple - Amir & Juhi, the reach for the film was expected to be huge. Another favoring factor of the film is the 'wet saree' appearence of Juhi for a song, a trend that hit any Bollywood Film of that period.
Aatank Hi Aatank also is a mile-stone in Indian Cinema, as several movies took the Desi essence from it concentrating more on the Father-Son-Drug Lord. Sarkar duology is spun around the same plot, with a wonderful RGV touch (the openeing of Sarkar is what Amerigo Bonasera asks Papa Corleone to avenge his daughter's death in God Father). Even if Aatank Hi Aatank is a 2 decade old movie, it was massacred by Bappi Lahari (during the intro of Rajini, you can smell the IR beats from Thalapathi '
Rakamma Kaiya Thattu') and at a certain extent by Dillip Shankar himself. It is very badly cut and narrated film with a very weak grip, and wounding it futher is the ending where Razia/Sandra is seen (shown) seeking revenge by the side of Rohan / Michael. Moreover, even though Amir's does an extended cameo, he appears as a Italian Mafia roaming in Bombay.
The motive of the film is certainly because of the trend, and its wide acceptence by the audience in depicting Violence. Bollywood was awestuck with RGV's Shiva and were not able to come out of '
Hammer-Killing' by Nayagan and '
Chopping Hand' from Thalapathi. So Aatank Hi Aatank is made to look raw and violent. Moreover the vibrations from the South, resonated up in the North is the reason (I think) for casting Rajini.
Special Mention :
1/The sub-plot carrying Munna, his sister Radha & her husband Robert can be found in the film Annamalai.
2/ The movie is mentioned in the book - '
Film Sequels: Theory and Practice from Hollywood to Bollywood' By Carolyn Jess-Cooke.
With an awesome casting, the film was released with a large fun & affair, but failed miserably. Aatank Hi Aatank is for fans who would like to see Vintage Rajini in Style.
Originally Posted by mappi
Aatank Hi Aatank (Terror 'O' Terror)
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