1989 was a rocking year for Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sooraj Barjatya and Subhash Ghai. It's impossible to mention one and leave out another. For reasons separate from another, all three made a significant impact in the realm of filmmaking.

With Parinda, Chopra demonstrated a merger of style, screenplay, stars whilst emphasising on the importance of gripping layers, stunning sequences and groundbreaking themes. Against the cold-blooded backdrop of Mumbai's underworld belly, Chopra build a story of two brothers, caught in a vaguely Deewar-like scenario, a fire-fearing, maniacal don with a violent past and an innocent love struggling to survive.

Intense performances from Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Madhuri Dixit and especially Nana Patekar, plus a brutal pre-climax won the drama admiration laced with respect. Though Chopra has made several films since, nothing could match the visceral allure of Parinda.

Romance cannot survive without fresh moments, new props and innovative camaraderie. Perhaps Sooraj Barjatya understood this pressing need for novelty more than anyone else. His Maine Pyaar Kiya, which marked the beginning of Salman Khan's superstardom along with came, conquered, disappeared Bhagyashree, introduced the concept of 'love is friendship' where there's no place for sorry or thank you. Its massive popularity -- from clothes, kabootars, Ram-Laxman's songs (Dil deewana, Mere rang mein, Kabootar ja), antakshari, not only converted every teenager into a Salman fan but also influenced Bollywood's future generation of filmmakers, including Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra, in their technique and approach.

Though his previous Karz, Hero, Karma were all certified entertainers, Ghai achieved the title of showman in its truest sense after Ram Lakhan, the final word on masala blockbusters. What's not there in this movie? A motive for revenge, two brothers as different as chalk and cheese, colourful romance, glitzy choreography, mass appeal, a rocking background score, Laxmikant-Pyarelal's magnificent soundtrack (My name is Lakhan, O Ramji, Tera naam liya), an entire galaxy of odious looking villains and needless to say the unavoidable Maa.

Besides the obvious flamboyance, grandeur, panache, gimmickry and spate of cliches, the all-ingredients caper set new standards (Read formulas) in this brand of movie-making. An achievement, no one, including Ghai, has been able to repeat.

Also Read: Getting into Salman's hair!

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