Angry Young Men Review: An Absolute Delightful Watch For Salim-Javed's Fans And Cinephiles

Angry Young Men Review: From 'Kitne Aadmi The' to 'Mere Paas Maa Hai', writer duo Salim-Javed's creative minds gave birth to a new age of Hindi cinema that was never seen before. Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar are a legendary writer duo who is known for their incredible work in the 70s and 80s Era and brought a revolution to the Indian film industry. The image of the protagonist changed from being a romantic hero to a man who is fed with the injustice happening around him and this led to the rise of 'Angry Young Man'. Salman Khan Films, Excel Media & Entertainment and Tiger Baby have produced a docu-series called 'Angry Young Men', which narrates how Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar became the legendary writer duo and celebrate their legacy.

Angry Young Men Review: 4/5

The docu-series starts with Salman Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Dharmendra, Mahesh Bhatt and several other celebrities closely associated with Salim-Javed, personally or professionally, talk about how the duo gatecrashed into Hindi cinema and changed everything. 'Angry Young Men' shows the raw and vulnerable side of Salim-Javed, different from their legendary status. The duo reveals how they came to Mumbai with their big dreams but did not give up despite facing hardships both personally and financially. The series also does not shy away from pointing out some faults in their writing and reveals how many people from the industry found them arrogant.

Salim Khan revealed that he first entered the film industry as an actor, whereas, Javed Akhtar was working as an assistant director. With no luck and success in their individual careers, they shifted their focus to writing and became a duo. They introduced the concept of mass appeal in cinema as the audience connected with their stories and their names slowly became the USP of the movies. Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Yash, Ranveer Singh, Rajkumar Hirani and several other celebrities who are stars today narrate the influence of Salim-Javed in cinema and how the prints of their legacies are still seen today.

'Angry Young Men' first showcased how the duo were unapologetic and courageous in demanding their rights from the producers, who did not want to give them credit. Salim-Javed painted their names on the posters of 'Zanjeer' across Mumbai and then started getting recognition for their incredible work. The legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini, and Jaya Bachchan reveal how well-written their characters were and challenged them as actors.

The series also points out that the portrayal of men in their stories was a result of their own struggles which they subconsciously narrated through their heroes. At the time of unrest in the country, the angry young man in the form of actors like Amitabh Bachchan resonated with citizens. These heroes were portrayed as rebels with a cause, tired of facing injustice in their lives, and decided to take matters into their own hands.

Writers like Juhi Chaturvedi and Varun Grover also gave credit to Salim-Javed for making the way for other aspiring writers. Writers have been some of the most pivotal parts of a movie but never their due credits even today. Both Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar demanded more fees than the lead heroes in their movies and established themselves as prominent names.

Apart from celebrating their legacies, 'Angry Young Men' does not shy away from highlighting that the roles of actresses in those movies were limited to their interactions with the heroes. Even though characters like Hema Malini's Basanti from 'Sholay' or Jaya Bachchan's Mala from 'Zanjeer' were strong women with big ambitions and opinions, their roles were mostly supposed to romance, sing and dance.

Final Thoughts:

'Angry Young Men' is a true celebration of the spectacular, revolutionary and impactful work of Salim-Javed, who dared to dream and fought for their rights. The prints of their legendary work can still be seen in today's cinema as well. The series does an incredible job of portraying Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar in an unapologetic manner and highlights their lives beyond their work. The docu-series is a delightful watch for every person who has grown up watching Salim-Javed's work, dreams of becoming a writer and is a cinephile.