1995 - KARAN ARJUN

Directed by : Rakesh Roshan
Produced by : Rakesh Roshan
Written by : Sachin Bhowmick, Ravi Kapoor, Anwar Khan
Starring : Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Amrish Puri, Rakhee, Kajol, Mamta Kulkarni, Amrish Puri
Distributed by : Film Craft
Release date : January 13, 1995
Running time : 175 min
Language : Hindi

Sinopsis

The story is about two brothers Karan Singh (Salman Khan) and Arjun Singh (Shahrukh Khan) being raised by a single mother Durga Singh (Raakhee) in a rural Indian village. It is revealed that their father, who is supposedly working in the city, was killed by their uncle Durjan Singh (Puri), who wanted to stop their father from inheriting the family fortune on the Thakur, or governor from the village. The governor, nearing death, calls Karan and Arjun to see him for the first time in about twenty years, and gives them the inheritance. However, Durjan returns from the local temple and threatens the brothers, who withdraw and leave. Durjan then reveals to his uncle that he killed his uncle's son. He then strangles the Thakur. He and his two brothers-in-law, Shamsher and Nahar, along with their bandits, chase after the brothers and brutally kill them.

Durga refuses to accept the loss of her sons, and goes to the temple to pray to the goddess Kali. That same night, they are reborn into separate city families as Vijay and Ajay. Durga continues to pray regularly at the shrine, often being mocked by Durjan Singh's family.

Ajay's mother dies while he is still a toddler, and his father is an alcoholic who does not feed him. He has several disputes with his father over his habits, such as smuggling alcohol into his medicine flasks. Ajay (Salman Khan as reincarnation of Karan) nearly kills one of the other children in his village when he insults his father for drunkenness. Ajay grows up to be a champion prizefighter (No Rules), and uses the proceeds to buy medicine for his father. When his father needs a liver operation, Ajay needs to win a very large sum of money for funds, which he is promised if he throws the fight. After allowing himself to be beaten terribly, Ajay gets flashbacks of his previous death at the hands of Durjan Singh and his sons, and forgets the deal then begins to beat his opponent, with one punch sending his opponent flying several feet in the air. However, a shady businessman, Saxena (played by Ranjeet) offers him the money he needs. However, when Ajay arrives at the hospital, Ajay's father has already died, and he cremates his father, returning the remainder to Saxena.

Meanwhile, Vijay (Shahrukh Khan as the reincarnation of Arjun) has grown up with his benevolent uncle, and a stablehand (Johnny Lever), after the death of his parents. He is an extremely skilled horseman and slingshot user, and courts the smitten Sonia Saxena (Kajol), who has been sent by Saxena to learn riding.

Out of debt, Ajay agrees to work for Saxena. They go to the airport to meet Suraj Singh (Aasif Sheikh), Durjan Singh's son, who has arrived home from a business trip. Saxena and Durjan have arranged a marriage to consolidate their business empires. Suraj's attempts to attack Ajay after his snobbish remarks are rebuffed lead to Ajay threatening to rip his arm off. It is revealed that Saxena and Durjan are gun-runners. One of their business partners has stolen their goods, and then killed all of the men sent to retrieve them. However Ajay is sent and then batters him into submission. Ajay is seen rebuffing the advances of his childhood admirer Bindiya (Mamta Kulkarni) - You don't look like a girl from any angle.

Meanwhile, Vijay is discovered to be Sonia's secret love. Suraj arrives at Vijay's ranch with his father's bandits and attempts to murder Vijay. Although the fight is inconclusive, the bandits shoot Vijay's uncle in the arm and burn down the premises. Vijay then attacks the engagement party, beats up Suraj. Ajay is then called to fight Vijay. After laying waste to each other, and to the estate, the family photo on Durga's wall falls off, prompting her to run to the shrine and pray. A lightning bolt then prevents Vijay and Arjun from killing one another. Saxena returns with a shotgun and tries to kill Vijay. Ajay struggles and stops him, while shouting Run Arjun run. Vijay escapes, but Saxena has Ajay imprisoned by (corrupt) policemen.

Saxena and Durjan decide to evacuate their clans to Durjan's country estate to force the wedding in private. Sonia vows to commit suicide, so Vijay and the stablehand vow to rescue her. Upon arrival in the village, Vijay is recognized as Arjun by Durga and the entire village. After seeing Ajay in the family photo. Arjun returns to fetch him. Along with Bindiya, they ambush the police convoy which is transferring Ajay. The brothers are reunited with their mother, but Ajay refuses to believe that he is Karan.

Upon hearing rumours from the servant that Karan and Arjun have come back, Shamsher and Nahar Singh. After inferring that they have not been able to rape anyone recently ("hunting women"), the brothers decide to harass Durga. After Arjun comes to her defence, they nearly kill him with their swords. Ajay has flashbacks to his previous death, and re-assumes his identity as Karan. The brothers then repel Nahar and Shamsher with a brutal (synchronized) counter-attack.

The battered brothers are reprimanded by Durjan Singh and Saxena, who refuse to believe the reincarnation. Karan and Arjun subsequently organize a heist and steal all of Durjan's latest shipment of machine guns. Durjan threatens to kill his brothers-in-law, whom he suspects of defrauding him. The brothers decide that they will capture Karan and Arjun to prove their story. They take dozens of village children hostage with death threats to bait Karan and Arjun. After initially gaining the upper hand and towing the brothers along the ground behind the vehicle, the brothers stop to taunt Durga. However, this allows Karan and Arjun to recover, and after another bout of synchronized fighting, they find seize the swords and encounter a pair of horses, and then slash Nahar and Shamsher to death. Durga garlands them with the garlands that they gave her 20 years ago to mourn their sons.

The dead brothers are dumped outside the estate, with the guns returned. Durjan thinks that they have killed one another for the money. Saxena wants to cancel the wedding, citing the mysterious occurrences but Durjan threatens him too. Saxena apologizes to Sonia, and tells her to run to Vijay/Arjun. They are reunited, but then all of the bandits arrive with machine guns on jeeps, along with Durjan and Saxena. Saxena reveals that he used his daughter as bait to show Durjan how low he was. Karan impales one of the bandits with a spear, allowing Arjun and Sonia to escape amid the distraction. A large fight then erupts, with the brothers aided by the villagers, who pelt the bandits with anything available (eg, pots and pans). Karan and Arjun eventually kill all of them, and Arjun shoots Suraj after a long struggle. Suraj is sent back on a horse to Durjan and Saxena. Durjan then kills Saxena so that Sonia runs out, whom he takes hostage. Karan and Arjun arrive. Durjan vows to kill them in front of Durga, but they stop the bullets with their hands. They then beat him and shoot him dead. Durga then garlands Durjan.