The best of Rakesh Roshan
2. Khoon Bhari Maang (1988)
Rakesh Roshan's second directorial venture too hit the bull's eye. It further established his reputation as a director who revived the careers of fading '70s stars. What Khudgarz did for Shatrughan, Khoon Bhari Maang did for Rekha.
In the late '80s Rekha was the definitive glamour goddess and constant cover girl, and Rakesh cleverly played with that perception by casting her as a plain Jane who of course, transforms into a fashion icon by the end of the film.
The script too cleverly turned the Seeta Aur Geeta idiom on its head by making both the shy Seeta and the firebrand Geeta into the same woman. Rekha is a rich, shy widow who allows her friend Sonu Walia to persuade her into marriage with a charmer, played by Kabir Bedi. The villainous Kabir tries to dispose off Rekha by dumping her into a lake filled with crocodiles. Rekha refuses to turn into croc feed and returns, after plastic surgery, to seek revenge on Kabir and the treacherous Sonu.
With Khoon Bhari Maang, Rakesh went in for a glossier cinematic look than his earlier films. But as Rekha commented: 'The soul of his film remained his Indianness.'