Review of Adalat

Introduction

Perhaps this film is now classified by many core Indian film fans as a cult classic. Yet it lacks the zest present in the numerous screenplay`s written by Salim-Javed, a duo who were specialists when it came to revenge type films similar to this one scripted by Narinder Bedi. The film doesn`t waste time and this makes sure that the narrative is never too slow or jarring. However the dialogues aren`t as witty or as intelligent as the ones heard in films like Zanjeer (1973), Sholay (1975) or Don (1978). Because of this some one-liners present in this film don`t come across well, which makes the viewing quite lacking.

The film also fails to have any memorable or classic moments within it. A couple of moments do come close when the character called Inspector Khan, played with grace by Kader Khan, meets up with Dharma for a one to one conversation in a few scenes. But when compared to many other films it really does seem poor. Maybe the mistake I am making is comparing this to other classics. So what does the film have to offer on its own merits?

Well the technical values are very good for the time the film was released in 1978. Also the music and song score is the most memorable part of the film, especially the song `Tumse Door Rehke`. The film also contains some fine performances from great artistes like Waheeda Rahman, Amitabh Bachchan, and as mentioned earlier Kader Khan.

The special effects are okay but some mistakes are detected when simultaneously presenting (or splicing) both young and old Amitabh Bachchan characters. Also the embarrassing of `Dance the Kung Fu` makes the film more dated. Overall, the film does have a theme well associated in many other Big B films. But on a individually basis it doesn`t have much more to offer. The film did do well at the box office but currently this film is mostly viewed by die-hard Big B fans who never tired of films such as this.

Video

For the first time ever in the UK this film is presented in a uncut format. Pervious releases by Esquire and by EROS International on VHS have had numerous problems with this film. Mostly the problems were associated with the 35mm print negative used as they were full of blemishes that was beyond belief. Colour was also incorrectly coded while scenes had mysteriously disappeared, including the short and brief credits sequences at the beginning.

Now DEI have managed to get access to the interpositive 35mm print for the first time since the film`s original theatrical release. While the 35mm negative is not as pristine as one hoped for, due to age and poor treatment this presentation of it on this DVD, it is the best ever presentation for the film for the home format. The DVD has kept the intentions of the director as it has been framed according to the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1.

Some minor wear and tear in the form of small white dots appear randomly but never as such intruded on viewing. Much DVNR process is used on this DVD to hide the majority of blemishes and does so well giving the film at times a freshness feel to it. Because of this process a couple of scenes have digital filtering problems which won`t bother majority of viewers as they are minor circumstances. Some viewers might get disturbed by the white lines during chapter 5 and 12, but it is certainly an improvement over the previously releases.

No major compression artefacts are seen while grain problems, shimmering, and moiré effects were viewable only in a fraction of scenes and will go unnoticeable. Picture information is best described as being sharp, and really brings out visual information with clarity and detail that can only impress especially for a film this age.

Colour definition and saturation was also the best ever seen for this film. But with age and damage to the 35mm negative comes some moments of brown hues which flickers at times, this can be seen during chapter 13. Other parts of the 35mm print negative damage can be seen in chapter 17.

Contrast levels and black details also had some problems due to the damage of the source material. But DEI have tired to make sure that it is presented as best as it can and as such I don`t have much complains about it under the circumstances.

Audio

The soundtrack has been kept to its original mono source. While limited to one mono track the dialogues are audible and the sound effects are good enough for the ears. Some distortion was detected through slight hissing and crackling, mostly during chapter 9. This is the result of the original sound negative which is decaying with age.

Features

The most disappointing aspect of the DVD was the box and menu designs. DEI could have produced something rather special to add value to the product. The English subtitles used was very well laid out font wise and grammar wise. But for widescreen televisions they are unfriendly. If the subtitles are placed a little higher then the film could be zoomed on 16x9 televisions sets for comfortable viewing.

The only extra on this DVD is the original theatrical trailer with a running time of 3 mins and 15 seconds and has a nostalgic feel to it. A nice inclusion indeed!

Conclusion

With the original negative being badly damaged there was much DEI couldn`t do. Still they have done a great job with this title by bringing it to the digital age by making the film look good for the first time ever for the home format. Worth the purchase.