Mard ( 'Man') is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language action film, directed by Manmohan Desai. Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Amrita Singh. The movie was remade in Tamil as Maaveeran. Amitabh Bachchan was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actor category. Mard was the second highest-grossing film. of the year. and the eighth highest-grossing film of the 1980s (1980 to 1989). Furthermore, when adjusted for inflation, Mard is one of the highest-grossing films released during the Diwali festival, approximately more than 450cr nett. in today's time.
Plot
The film opens in India. It is the early 20th century when India remains part of the British empire. The opening sequence shows a group of British soldiers plundering an Indian fort and taking its riches by air England. They are stopped by the valiant Raja Azad Singh (Dara Singh), who is immensely strong and manages to lasso the light aircraft, subdue several English soldiers and recover the stolen jewels. Around this time, Raja Azad Singh's wife Rani Durga (Nirupa Roy) gives birth to a baby boy, who is named Raju. Raja carves the word mard (man, intending to convey strength and bravery) into the newborn's chest, noting proudly that the baby is smiling throughout, and can apparently feel no pain. (His words, mard ko dard nahin hota, meaning "a true man feels no pain", are a recurring dialogue throughout the movie.) The British commission conducts an investigation, led by a sympathetic and liberal Englishwoman, Lady Helena; the investigation uncovers the atrocities of the English troops and results in several officers being officially reprimanded. Lady Helena is a close confidante of Raja Azad Singh and is generally supportive of Raja and the idea of India gaining independence from British rule.
The English officers General Dyer (Kamal Kapoor) and Inspector Simon (Bob Christo) conspire with a snivelling, weak-willed local doctor Harry (Prem Chopra) to capture Raja. Harry sedates Raja; weakened thus, Raja is captured and imprisoned in a dungeon. Rani Durga escapes on Raja's faithful steed Bahadur. But she is shot, and the horse brings baby Raju to a local orphanage for safekeeping until Rani Durga can recuperate and reclaim him. The wife of a poor blacksmith spots baby Raju in the orphanage, asks after him and eventually adopts him. When Rani Durga returns, she is shocked to find her baby gone and she loses the ability to speak. The penniless Rani Durga eventually becomes a washerwoman. The traitor Harry is appointed mayor of the town for his part in the capture of Raja.
Raju grows up to become a strong youth under the care of the loving blacksmith and his wife. His day job is to run a tanga. One day, he happens across an arrogant and oppressive young woman who blithely runs her car over an old lady. Raju gives chase, intercepts the young woman, and compels her to apologise to the old lady. The young woman is of high birth, and her bodyguard Zybisko (Manik Irani) engages Raju, but Raju fends him off quite easily. The young woman turns out to be Ruby, the daughter of mayor Harry. Ruby apologises. But she is charmed by Raju's rugged looks and candour. He initially refuses her advances to maintain his independence. But she eventually falls in love, changes his heart, and invites him to her birthday party.
Harry and General Dyer continue their relentless quest for power. Their first move is to demolish the basti (slum colony) in front of Harry's mansion. Raju rallies the basti dwellers to oppose the demolition crew and picket Harry's mansion. Harry arrests Raju and is about to execute him when Lady Helena arrives on the scene. Lady Helena stops the demolition (citing lack of documentation), reprimands Harry, and releases Raju. Harry tries to buy off Raju, but Raju douses the cases with liquor, sets it afire, and uses the soot to blacken Harry's face. (No, it is certainly black money, for it burns black, he observes!) A frustrated Harry tries to have him a shot, but Ruby intervenes, professes her love for the tanga wallah (tanga driver), and threatens to completely disavow her father if any harm should befall him. Unable to subdue or subvert Raju, a frustrated set of cronies (Harry, Dyer, Simon, and others) fret and fume.