Ram Jaane Review

This film was one of the early products of King Khan's attempts to portray diverse roles. It is worth noting that this action packed movie was released just months before the evergreen romantic DDLJ, where the bloody Ram Jaane transforms into a hearty Raj through an exhibition of some awesome versatility. Ram Jaane is a powerful movie, and when viewed with the right perspective, is as thought provoking as entertaining.



Shah Rukh is an abandoned child who grows in a basti with his friend Vivek Mushran. As for the name Ram Jaane, it is the usual refrain from anyone whom he asks for his name. Since he cannot know his real name, he does the next best thing - he adopts the refrain as his name.

Also in the basti is the girl of his dreams, Juhi Chawla. While Juhi and Vivek go to school, Shah Rukh teams up with Pankaj Kapoor and works for Tinu Anand, a smuggler. In an encounter with a rival gang, Tinu is killed and Shah Rukh in turn shoots Tinu's killer. Shah Rukh is jailed and leaves all his property in the custody of Pankaj Kapoor. On his release, he asks for his share, which Pankaj refuses to concede under the pretext that the whole business is run by Gulshan Grover, a politician, and that he (Kapoor) is merely his pawn.

Shah Rukh's romantic life too runs into rough weather, as Juhi loves Vivek and not him. Vivek, seizing the opportunity, asks Juhi to reform Shah Rukh as a true measure of her love. While Juhi asks Shah Rukh to give up his ways of life in return for her hand, he insults her as woman with loose morals and drives her away. Things worsen when Gulshan Grover plans to grab Ram Jaane's beloved basti for a building contractor. Ram Jaane finds a mission and goes about it in the usual Bollywood style. Yet, the climax is riveting and poignant.



Shah Rukh Khan turns in an energetic performance. His flamboyant dialogue delivery and colorful and eccentric dress code appeal to the classes and the masses alike - at least to the latter. The music by Anu Malik is quite catchy. The film didn't do well at the box office, but is still worth a watch if you don't mind lots of emotion and violence.