'Mohra' turns 27: What worked for the Akshay-Raveena-Suniel Shetty scorcher?

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Sushmita Sen

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Last updated on Jul 01, 2021, 10:34 am

Mohra celebrates its 27th anniversary today. The Rajiv Rai-directorial, known for its superhit songs, had many interesting twists and turns throughout the story, and that has made the movie an eternal favorite. From Rs. 1.59cr as an opening weekend collection to Rs. 12.01cr as a lifetime box office collection, Mohra became Bollywood's second highest-grossing film of that year and was declared a blockbuster.

The movie made its leads bankable actors

The film was a landmark for its three lead actors. Raveena Tandon established herself firmly in Bollywood with Mohra, while Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty started looking bankable. Naseeruddin Shah as the antagonist made his act superbly menacing, and Paresh Rawal was an adorable constable.

Shetty's biceps, Kumar's martial arts moves made a perfect combo

Rai, who made thrillers like Vishwatma and Tridev with Sunny Deol and Jackie Shroff, decided to cast almost new heroes for his third action-thriller, Mohra. Shetty and Kumar were then budding stars and were gaining fans rapidly. They were roped in, and eventually Shetty's biceps combined with Kumar's martial arts moves gave the film the necessary fireworks. The villains were also classy and evil.

The music itself was the biggest selling point

The name Mohra is synonymous with its songs. All were wonderful compositions. Viju Shah revamped Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Dama Dam Mast Kalandar into the Tu Cheez Badi track, and made Tandon the Mast Mast girl for eternity. Her sensuous charm in Tip Tip Barsa Paani can never grow old and now, it's difficult to imagine Katrina Kaif doing the same in Sooryavanshi.

'Main Cheez Badi Hoon' was added after 'Mohra' became hit

Interestingly, Main Cheez Badi Hoon mast mast was not in the early prints, but added after the movie became a hit. And let's not forget Na Kajre Ki Dhaar, which remains a popular wedding song. It was originally composed for a different movie.

Tandon got fever after shooting 'Tip Tip Barsa Paani'

It wasn't easy for Tandon to shoot this rain-song. In an interview, she revealed that the cold water gave her a fever, plus, she was on her periods. The actress was even barefoot for this track that was shot "at the construction site where stones and nails were lying." Now, Kaif is set to fill those shoes alongside Kumar, who's "excited" to recreate it.

Kumar's post on recreating 'Tip Tip Barsa Paani'

'I was never comfortable doing provocative songs,' Tandon said

In a later interview, Tandon admitted that she wasn't "comfortable doing provocative songs." She told Asian Age, "Today, if I am asked to dance to those lyrics, I'd probably think twice." For Tip Tip, "we shot it like any rain song in our films where the heroine gets drenched in a chiffon saree. The reference point being Srideviji in Kaate nahin kat te."

Tandon, Kumar's love story that ended on a bitter note

Kumar and Tandon's chemistry scorched the screens, and off camera too love started blossoming between the two. They dated for five years and were even engaged, before Kumar called it off. "It was only an engagement which broke up later. But excuse me, we were not married at all," Kumar had said. Around their break-up phase, they worked together in the 1998 movie, Barood.