Moksha (2001 film)

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Moksha
Moksha Salvation 2001 film poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Ashok Mehta
Screenplay byHriday Lani
Raj Marbros
Dialogues byHriday Lani
Story byAshok Mehta
Produced byAshok Mehta
Neerja Mehta
Starring Arjun Rampal
Manisha Koirala
CinematographyAshok Mehta
Edited byNandu
Music bySongs:
Rajesh Roshan
Score:
Salim–Sulaiman
Production
company
Ashok Mehta Visuals Pvt. Ltd
Release date
  • 30 November 2001 (2001-11-30)
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹5 crore [1]
Box office₹82 lakh [1]

Moksha: Salvation is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film produced and directed by Ashok Mehta in his directorial debut. [2] The film stars Arjun Rampal and Manisha Koirala. [3] The film won the award for Best Cinematography and Best Audiography at the 48th National Film Awards. [4]

Contents

Plot

The story revolves around Vikram Saigal, a law graduate who is dissatisfied with his current situation. He is an idealist and aspires to fight against corruption and societal issues to make a change in the world. Hritika, a young girl, is enamored with him and tries to win his heart. At first, Vikram rejects her advances, but after she presents him with an expensive painting, they become a couple.

Vikram's idealism leads him to want to establish a free legal service for the poor. However, he finds it difficult to find like-minded lawyers to support his cause. His father and boss think he is too young and naive to understand the ramifications of providing free legal services, and he becomes more disillusioned. Eventually, he plans to rob a bank to obtain the money needed to establish his free legal institute.

Together with Hritika, Vikram hatches a plot to rob a bank. Hritika keeps getting nightmares about the robbery and tells her friend about it who suggests her to not go for it. On the day of the planned robbery, an informant alerts the bank authorities, causing them to be on high alert. Vikram suspects Hritika as she was the only know who knew about the plan, and kills her during their date.

A courtroom battle ensues, with Vikram representing himself, court find him not guilty. After the verdict, Hritika's best friend reveals that she, not Hritika, was the informant who alerted the bank. Overcome with guilt, Vikram attempts to take his own life but is unable to do so. He decides to rob the bank again, this time with an unloaded gun. He enters the bank with the intention of sacrificing himself, and ultimately dies from a gunshot wound by cops.

Cast

Production

In 1995, cinematographer Ashok Mehta decided to turn director with a film that would star Sanjay Dutt in the lead role. However, Dutt was unable to act in it due to his legal court case proceedings, and Mehta opted for another actor. John Abraham was considered for the role before Arjun Rampal was selected for the protagonist at the recommendation of Shekhar Kapur. Manisha Koirala was signed as the heroine.

Mehta began filming Moksha in 1997 but financial issues kept delaying the shooting. It took several years to complete the film.

Soundtrack

Moksha
Soundtrack album by
Rajesh Roshan
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Label Venus Records & Tapes

All tracks was composed by Rajesh Roshan and lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. Duo composer Salim–Sulaiman had provided four instrumental tracks for this album. The full album was released on 9 September 2001. [5]

#TitleSinger(s)MusicLength
1"Jaan Leva" Sukhwinder Singh, Kavita Krishnamurthy Rajesh Roshan 5:41
2"Humko Pyar Hai"Kamaal Khan, Sneha PantRajesh Roshan8:31
3"Mohabbat Zindagi Hai" Madhushree Rajesh Roshan5:50
4"Nani Maa" Dominique Cerejo Rajesh Roshan7:26
5"Seep Mein Moti" (Female) Pamela Jain Rajesh Roshan5:22
6"Nani Maa" (Lori) Mahalakshmi Iyer Rajesh Roshan5:17
7"Seep Mein Moti" (Male) Shaan Rajesh Roshan5:26
8"Jaan Leva" (Remix) Sukhwinder Singh, Kavita Krishnamurthy Rajesh Roshan4:30
9"Beautiful World"Instrumental Salim–Sulaiman
10"Beginning of The End"InstrumentalSalim–Sulaiman
11"Change Is The Only Constant"InstrumentalSalim–Sulaiman
12"Salvation"InstrumentalSalim–Sulaiman

Reception

Box office

The film was a box-office bomb, grossing ₹ 8.2 million against a ₹ 50 million production budget. [1] Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh believed that circulation of pirated VCDs much before the film's theatrical release hampered its box-office prospects greatly. [6]

Critical response

Writing for Bollywood Hungama, Taran Adarsh gave the film one star, writing, "On the whole, MOKSHA is a dry and dull film that won't find flavour with the audience." He praised Anil Mehta's cinematography and Rampal's performance saying "Arjun Rampal excels in a role availability that was difficult to portray. He takes giant strides as a performer and proves that he's an actor with an amazing range." [6] Priyanka Bhattacharya of Rediff.com called it "Arjun's 70 mm portfolio!" by stating "Moksha was supposed to be Arjun Rampal's debut film. The director has taken special care to present it just that way. The camera has focused on Arjun the way a painter would on his muse. In that sense, Moksha is more a 70-mm portfolio for Arjun Rampal than a story." [7]

Awards

Ashok Mehta won National Film Award for Best Cinematography at 48th National Film Awards, the jury stated "For providing wide range of tonal variation and outstanding compositions to cater to the changing moods of the film's narrative." The film also won Best Audiography award. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Moksha – Movie". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "rediff.com, Movies: Maverick Ashok Mehta finds salvation!". Rediff.com . Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "rediff.com, Movies: On the sets of Moksh". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  4. 1 2 "48th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals . 27 March 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "rediff.com, Movies: The music review of Moksha". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  6. 1 2 Bollywood Hungama. "Moksha: Salvation Movie Review by Taran Adarsh - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama . Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  7. ↑ Bhattacharya, Priyanka (30 November 2001). "Arjun's 70 mm portfolio!". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
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