Wednesday, October 14, 2009

It's the 4DK Animalympics! Round 5


Allah Rakha from Coolie

Skill Set: Aerial combat, optic surgery, courier service

There has been some speculation that Allah Rakha from Coolie and Sheroo The Wonder Bird from Dharam Veer are one and the same, but that's simply not possible. Sheroo, after all, was a name star who got prominent billing in the earlier Dharam Veer. It's inconceivable that he would have accepted an uncredited role like that of Allah Rakha, even for the opportunity to work with Amitabh Bachchan. Still, despite being unable to prevent Amitabh from impaling his spleen on that table corner in Coolie's ill-fated fight scene, Allah Rakha shows a level of heroism approaching that of Sheroo by engaging in a dogfight with a helicopter during the film's prologue. Said scene is a joyful piece of unalloyed awesomeness that makes everything in Coolie that follows it pale by comparison, earning Allah Rakha his rightful place among the animal royalty paid tribute to here.

(Screen grab courtesy of Memsaab.)
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6 comments:

  1. houseinrlyeh aka DenisOctober 14, 2009 at 1:43 PM

    Damn you, Todd, now I have to watch Coolie!

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  2. memsaabOctober 14, 2009 at 4:37 PM

    I think House must have meant that he GETS to watch Coolie now.

    I just got Ketan Desai's film called Allah Rakha, except Allah Rakha is played by Jackie Shroff. I don't see how he can really compare.

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  3. ToddOctober 15, 2009 at 7:05 AM

    I found Coolie maddeningly convoluted -- even by Manmohan Desai's standards. (Marvel at that concept for a moment.) Still, it definitely had its moments. And if that was Jackie Shroff playing Allah Rakha, that was quite a convincing bird costume.

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  4. memsaabOctober 17, 2009 at 6:52 AM

    Ha! That's funny. I thought Coolie was one of MD's more simple stories. I could have been drunk when I watched it though and missed a bunch of stuff.

    Jackie Shroff plays Allah Rakha in Ketan Desai's film "Allah Rakha" :) although I haven't seen it yet so not sure he doesn't wear a bird costume!

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  5. dustdevil lizDecember 5, 2010 at 7:20 PM

    I watched Coolie tonight, and Allah Rakha should have gotten above the title billing, for the helicopter fight alone. I'm also pleased to know that wirework stunts aren't reserved for human actors in Bollywood.

    The Animalympics are great reference work--I'll come back often!

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  6. ToddDecember 6, 2010 at 8:06 AM

    Thanks, Liz! And you're right. Even though I'm partial to Sheroo The Wonder Bird, I have to admit that Allah Rakha is amazing.

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