Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja

About the film

Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (transl. The Queen of Beauty and the King of Thieves) is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film starring Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Anupam Kher, Johnny Lever and Jackie Shroff It was the highest-budget Hindi film at that time. The film was directed by Satish Kaushik and written by Javed Akhtar. The project, announced in 1987, was initially directed by Shekhar Kapur, who left the project halfway through; he was subsequently replaced by Satish Kaushik.

Plot

Jagmohan Laal, aka Jugran, is a crime lord who wants to climb up the crime ladder. When Customs Officer Verma tries to arrest him, he escapes. To save his skin, Jugran kills his twin brother Manmohan and takes his identity. The world is led to believe that Jugran is still on the run. Jugran kills Verma and Dr. Ashok, destroying both their families in the process. While Verma's orphaned sons, Ramesh and Ravi, are separated from each other, Dr. Ashok's daughter, Seema, is left with her distraught mother, who has lost her sanity.

Many years later, Jugran has become a big name in the criminal underworld. He lives a double life, acting also as his twin brother Manmohan, who is highly respected in society. Ravi Verma, meanwhile, has become an Inspector and Ramesh has become a crook – a safecracker by the name of Romeo. The brothers are unaware of each other's identities, but there is one thing that binds them together: one has a lock, the other has the only key that can open the lock. Seema too has become a crook, called Simmi, and her path starts crossing with Romeo's. Romeo is now working for Seth Girdharilal, who mentors many thieves and thugs like him.

Only Ravi knows that Jugran killed his father. One day, Seema runs into "Manmohan", and realizes that it was he who had killed her father. Jugran himself needs somebody to pull a Rs 100 crore robbery. He meets her (as Jugran) and tells her that he will need her help to involve Romeo in the operation. Simmi hesitates, until Jugran reveals that he knows the identity of her father's murderer. She meets Romeo and tries to seduce him, but Romeo berates her. Simmi reveals her story to him. Romeo is surprised to see Simmi's mother, since it means that Simmi is actually his childhood sweetheart, Seema.

Reception

Despite high expectations, the film failed badly at the box office. Arun Katiyar of India Today wrote, "In the end, however, it is Kaushik's determination to make a commercial film that tells a tale of revenge and lost-love with startling dignity that wins-and gravity be damned."

Music

The music was performed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with the lyrics being penned by Javed Akhtar.

"Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja" (Rap) - Bali Bhramabhatt, Suneeta Rao

"Romeo Naam Mera, Chori Hain Kaam Mera" - Vinod Rathod

Key details