Damini (1993): Honesty requires a lot of courage

Damini was a movie released in 1993, styled as the movie made about a courageous woman. At that time, it was common knowledge that Rajkumar Santoshi was extremely enamored of Meenakshi Seshadri, and this movie was a show of his dedication. It was a woman oriented film, a role that Meenakshi Seshadri had literally never got in her career; and the movie turned out to be a great movie. The movie starred, besides, Meenakshi, Rishi Kapoor (as her husband who is stuck in the moral land where he has to choose between his wife and his family), Sunny Deol (as the drunkard lawyer who is impressed by Damini and recovers to fight for her), Amrish Puri (as the lawyer fighting against Damini) and Kulbhushan Kharbanda (as her father-in-law who turns against her when she starts her fight for justice).
The movie had some great music by Nadeem Shravan and was produced by the combination of Aly Morani, Karim Morani and Bunty Soorma. The movie also earned Sunny Deol an award for his performance as Best Actor (Filmafare and National Award) in a supporting role. And of course, some of the dialogs in the movie that were spoken by Sunny Deol enhanced his reputation as a he-man; sample these:

* "Yeh Dhai kilo ka haath jab kisi pe padta hai na aadmi uthta nai uth jata hai.."
* "Tum kabhi chidiyaghar gaye ho pinjare mein band sher pe bache bhi mungfalian faenkte hai khuli zameen par sher ka saamna karoge to mard hone ki galatfahmi door ho jayegi "
* "tareeqh per thareeqh ..tareeqh per tareeqh..tareeqh per tareeqh..milti hai to sirf tareeqh"
* "judge order order kahta rahega aur tum pitte rahoge"

The movie is about the love between Rishi Kapoor (who is the son of a wealthy family), and Damini (Meenakshi) who is from a much poorer family. Rishi sees Meenakshi giving a performance, and falls in love with her. He woos her, and finally marries her, even though his family is not happy with his choice. Things are fine, till the day of Holi when Damini sees the maid Urmi being raped on the terrace by the younger son of the family along with friends. She is shocked, and eventually decides to reveal the truth, even though it would mean jail for her brother-in-law and disgrace for the family.
Rishi Kapoor is morally struck by this, since his family cannot understand why Damini would do this, and put pressure on him to get his wife to withdraw her testimony. However, Damini is not willing to withdraw, and the family (along with the lawyer Amrish Puri) get her declared as insane and committed to an asylum. In danger over there, Damini runs away and runs into a drunk and out of work lawyer, Sunny Deol, who saves her from the hoodlums who are chasing her. He is impressed by her story, and decides to fight her case, leading to several confrontations with Amrish Puri. In the end, Rishi Kapoor supports her in court, and several of the family members are convicted for the rape and for trying to subvert justice, along with Amrish Puri.

Videos of songs from the movie:

Damini - Tandava Dance



Dialog - Taarikh pe taarikh



Dialog - between Sunny and Amrish (Dhai kilo ka Haath; Judge order order karta rahega)



Jabse Tumko Dekha Hain Sanam



Gawah Hain Chand Taare






Lyrics from the movie Damini:

Bin Saajan Jhoola Jhuloon (Sung by Sadhana Sargam Kumar Sanu)

--FEMALE-- Aa aa aa aa, aa aa aa - 2 (Bin saajan jhoola jhuloon Main vaada kaise bhooloon) -
2 Jee karta hai yeh mera main udke gagan ko chhoo loon
--MALE-- (Main pankh lagaake
aaya Saawan ka mausam laaya) - 2 Pyaar mere maine tujhe apne dil mein basaaya --FEMALE-- Bin
saajan jhoola jhuloon Main vaada kaise bhooloon (Harpal tere pyaar ko tarse mera dil Door mere
aankhon se hai sapnon ki manzil) - 2 Itne akeli hoon main, yaadon ki saheli hoon main Ab to ek
paheli hoon main, aaja
--MALE-- (Main pankh lagaake aaya Saawan ka mausam laaya) - 2 Pyaar
mere maine tujhe apne dil mein basaaya
--FEMALE-- Bin saajan jhoola jhuloon Main vaada kaise
bhooloon Jee karta hai yeh mera main udke gagan ko chhoo loon
--MALE-- Main pankh lagaake
aaya Saawan ka mausam laaya Pyaar mere maine tujhe apne dil mein basaaya
--FEMALE-- Bin saajan
jhoola jhuloon Main vaada kaise bhooloon
--MALE-- Tadpe kitne saal tak, aur na ab tadpa Kehti
hai yeh dooriyaan, seene se lag jaa
--FEMALE-- Tera rasta dekhte rehte the yeh nain Tu na jaane
saajna kaise kate din re
--MALE-- Ho, phoolon pe jawaani aayi, rut kya suhaani aayi Nayi
zindagaani laayi, na jaa
--FEMALE-- (Bin saajan jhoola jhuloon Main vaada kaise bhooloon) -
2 Jee karta hai yeh mera main udke gagan ko chhoo loon
--MALE-- Main pankh lagaake aaya Saawan
ka mausam laaya Pyaar mere maine tujhe apne dil mein basaaya
--FEMALE-- Bin saajan jhoola
jhuloon Main vaada kaise bhooloon Jee karta hai yeh mera main udke gagan ko chhoo
loon
--MALE-- Main pankh lagaake aaya Saawan ka mausam laaya Pyaar mere maine tujhe apne dil
mein basaaya

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Jabse Tumko Dekha Hai Sanam Lyrics

jab se tum ko dekhaa hain sanam kyaa kahe kitane hain bechain
jab se tum ko chaahaa hain sanam kyaa kahe kitane hain bechain

pahalee najar mein kiyaa ayesaa jaadoo, naa hosh hai, naa hain dil pe mere kaaboo
ye soch ke ghabaraoo, aashik naa ban jaaoo
jab se tum ko maangaa hain sanam nind hain naa muze kahee chain

toone churaalee meree nind saaree, kitanee sataaye muze bekaraaree
teree yaad jo aatee hai, koee dard jagaatee hai
jab se tum ko paayaa hain sanam dekhoo sapane din rain

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