Ratan Jain has the OG SRK fans in an essential chokehold after disclosing that a sequel to Baazigar (1993) may just be in the works — that too with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead! If true, this is huge, but it goes without saying that actually seeing the final cut on the screen will take years to materialise, as has been the case with most SRK projects in recent times. So in the meantime while you revisit the original, here's some fun trivia for you.
Did you know then, that Baazigar was actually inspired by Hollywood film, A Kiss Before Dying (1991)? The James Dearden directorial with Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Sydow and Diane Ladd leading the cast, in turn was the official screen adaptation of Ira Levin's 1953 novel of the same name. The core premises of Baazigar and A Kiss Before Dying are reflective of each other.
While an obsession-fueled tragic past is what defined the trajectory of SRK's Ajay, a bloodied pursuit of marrying into legacy is the path Matt's Jonathan treaded. As a matter of fact, Ajay's tainted childhood bludgeoned by deceit is what characterises SRK's first steps into his villain era, as essentially being in the anti-hero zone. The character of Jonathan Corliss on the other hand, is entirely motivated by greed, sparked during a mundane yet cannon childhood memory rooted in lack.
{{/usCountry}}While an obsession-fueled tragic past is what defined the trajectory of SRK's Ajay, a bloodied pursuit of marrying into legacy is the path Matt's Jonathan treaded. As a matter of fact, Ajay's tainted childhood bludgeoned by deceit is what characterises SRK's first steps into his villain era, as essentially being in the anti-hero zone. The character of Jonathan Corliss on the other hand, is entirely motivated by greed, sparked during a mundane yet cannon childhood memory rooted in lack.
{{/usCountry}}This difference in motivations is what makes both these films very different from each other, though the cat-and-mouse dynamic, slick smooth moves and pensive investigation experienced through their runtimes are strikingly similar. A very obvious instance is the jarring rooftop scene. Both Shilpa Shetty's Seema as well and Sean's Dorothy are mercilessly tipped off the roof by their alleged lovers.
Both their sisters find themselves entangled with the same man who murdered them, unaware of their true identities. What however, essentially elevated Baazigar, was the tear-jerking flashback montage, which shows Ajay's father being duped out of his business by Seema's father, in a way providing a justification of sorts for the extreme means wielded by him.
Essentially a Bollywood-isation of the core plot of A Kiss Before Dying, Baazigar was a massive hit, heralding the first rushes of SRK's concrete favour with the audience, a well that never runs dry.
Will you be revisiting Baazigar any time soon?