Waris (meaning "Heir") is the story of three contestant princes. The three choices we have are Ramkumar #1, played by Prem Chopra who appears to be the legit one, Ramkumar # 2, played by Jeetendra who seems to enter this situation in persual of a girl, and the cartoonish Ramkumar #3 played by Mehmood who is accompanied by a shady mistress played by Aruna Irani. The story line manages to keep one in suspense but it's a difficult thing to deal with all the colorful craziness the drama is wrapped in. So let us examine the wrapping to see if you want to open it.
First of all it must be established that Waris is 60's/70's happy-jumpy style similar to Humjoli. Jeetendra haters should avoid this one, but the Dixie Wetsworth's of this world and devotees of his younger material will be rewarded by the pool dance. The comedic "relief" on the part of Mehmood and Miss Irani is aggressive and unavoidable. On top of all this, there are large, sturdily built science fiction-esqe sets involving gigantic silver iris doors and elimination shoots in the villain's lair, and beeping alarm lights installed in the walls of the estate!
The unusual dance numbers are worth a mention. The first is a bombastic eve teasing sequence by Jeetendra in which he pretends to be struck by the girls' car and then imposes himself on Hema by screaming and jumping around. Then we have an American beach movie type of deal where Hema and Jeetendra's characters boogie around the pool in 60's swim gear, eventually stripping off their cover-ups to frolic in the deep end. Next, an absolutely bizarre number where the young Neetu's character is being abducted by a goon, and Mehmood and Aruna begin fighting the goons by parodying famous dance numbers and movie scenes including references to Shammi Kapoor and Bhoot Bungla. Pretty soon, Hema and Jeetendra get stranded while driving their car somewhere and a sensuous duet is made of their having to sleep in the car overnight due to a rainstorm (one in the front seat, and the other in the back seat, respectively). The grand finale involves Hema feigning possession by Kali during her wedding ceremony, and Mehmood comes dressed as an exorcist.
Should you see Waris? Three Conclusions (one for each Ramkumar):
1.) Yes!: I'd only actively recommend Waris to someone who really likes classic musicals, 60's bubblegum beach-blanket flicks and are accustomed to the Masala genre. If that's your thing, Waris will be a fun time pass for you.
2.) Watch Something Else: If a weird trip is what you are looking for in old Hindi movies, this one won't be it. Because the sets are well-made, and the presentation is of that tight Technicolor quality, the "so bad it's good" element is absent. Instead, go to Farz, a cheesier, more B rated option which was made a couple of years prior and features some of the same actors.
3.) Don't: For the average movie watcher accustomed to newer Bollywood, it's possible that Waris will be too cornball off-the-wall to keep your attention.
