Sridevi with Vinod Khanna on stage: Launch of Chamatkar in 1987! Which later became... Garajna!

Sridevi and Vinod Khanna at the launch of Garajna (a film that was eventually shelved) back in 1987. Keen observers will note, that's not what the words spell out in the background. When the film was launched in 1987, it was originally titled Chamatkar! For some reason or another, the name changed during production. The film had the cast of Chandni in it i.e. Vinod Khanna, Sridevi and Rishi Kapoor; but unlike that film, this movie never saw the light of day, did not have great music, had a confused production and from what little we've seen, looks a little on the 80s tacky side. 

Nice to see a happy and smiling Sridevi on the dais. Usually, she's so shy and reticent. The wig, the outfit, the makeup... yeah, defo the 80s! 

There are many fans who are hoping the film will release now, especially in honour of all the stars who have sadly died. But we are highly skeptical.... 

When Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin was released a decade after its launch, the movie was a colossal flop which the leading actors were hugely embarrassed by and disappointed with. Akshay Kumar threatened to take the producer to court - but never followed through. He laughed about the film's ending on Koffee with Karan. Wouldn't similar fate hit Garajna? A risible mess that would impugn the legacy of its stars more than honour them?! 

The shrill kitsch of the 1980s, there's no way the film could have aged well - I mean there are parts of the trailer that make us cringe even though Sridevi looks so gorgeous in many of the scenes. There is no way it can live up to current standards; movies today, even the B-grade ones, are more natural, and Hindi movies are so polished on screen. Garajna looks shoddily shot, edited, the music sounds so dated - I mean in 2020, in this decade are we planning to nod along to Taxi Taxi yeh dil ki Taxi?! Doubt.

From the trailer, TBH, well... the movie doesn't look good - Sridevi does. Obviously. But is that enough? 

There's also the economics of a film release that needs to be considered, there is no point of recovery. Perhaps now, on an online platform, someone could release it, for the truly diligent fans.. but we aren't holding our breath! 

We have dozens of stills of Garajna here.