Some unknown facts about the cult film "Tridev"

The 1989 blockbuster Bollywood action thriller film "Tridev" was directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by Gulshan Rai. Remembered for its gripping story, star-studded cast, and unforgettable music, the film is now considered a cult film. The film was released on 7 July 1989 in Mumbai, and its mahurat was held at Natraj Studios in Andheri. The film's closing party was held at the Oberoi Hotel in Nariman Point, and the media premiere was held at Satyam Theatre in Worli, where auditions were also screened.

The film's success was celebrated with a silver jubilee party at the Shalimar Hotel in Kemps Corner, which earned it blockbuster status.

The story of "Tridev" has three powerful protagonists with different personalities and goals. But the three of them join hands together to arrest a notorious don Bhujang (Amrish Puri). Actually, Bhujang had done a lot of wrong and injustice to all three of them. Bhujang is a ruthless underworld don, Bhairav Singh, also called Bhujang. The trio of three heroes to catch Bhujang included Sunny Deol as Inspector Karan Saxena, Naseeruddin Shah as Jai Singh, and Jackie Shroff as Ravi Mathur. Madhuri Dixit played the role of Divya Mathur, Sangeeta Bijlani and Sonam played the role of Natasha and Renuka.

The story of the film revolves around the fight against corruption and crime, in which the three heroes deal with different aspects of justice and bravery. Inspector Karan is a dedicated police officer committed to law enforcement. Jai Singh is Bhujang's persecuted son. And Ravi is the son of a police commissioner who stands against injustice. The combined efforts of the three heroes to bring down Bhujang's empire make for a thrilling tale full of action, drama and suspense.

Behind the scenes, "Tridev" is notable for its technical prowess and timeless story. The cinematography by Romesh Bhalla perfectly captured the intensity of the action sequences and the beauty of the cityscape of Mumbai for the time being.

The most memorable aspect of "Tridev" is its music, composed by the legendary duo Kalyanji-Anandji. Its soundtrack will forever be remembered, with songs like "Oye Oye  Gazar Ne Kiya Hai Ishara", "Gali Gali Mein Phirta Hai", "Main Teri Mohabbat Mein"  becoming evergreen hits. The song "Oye Oye", in particular, became synonymous with the youth environment of those days. The music of the film not only enhanced the story but also gave a boost to the careers of many playback singers, including Alka Yagnik. Her song "Gali Gali Mein Phirta Hai" became a standout song.

An interesting anecdote from the making of the film Tridev is the media preview at Satyam Theatre in Worli. The first show of the film involved auditions, a unique method that created buzz and excitement in the film fraternity. The PRO of the film was Bunny Reuben, who promoted a film in those days in a way that even social media or TV cannot do today.

The film's massive success is reflected in its box office figures, which grossed ₹17 crore in 1989. This is equivalent to approximately ₹182 crore or US$21 million in 2023 terms. The film goes down in cinema history as the third highest grossing Hindi film of 1989 after "Maine Pyar Kiya" and "Ram Lakhan".

"Tridev" won three Filmfare Awards at the 35th Filmfare Awards in 1990, further cementing its legacy in Indian cinema.

"Tridev" also spawned several remakes, including a Telugu version titled "Nakshatra Poratam". This Telugu version doubled the appeal of the story among Indian audiences. The film's blend of action, drama, romance, and music became a norm for many Bollywood thrillers.

"Tridev" is a classic Bollywood action thriller that had all the ingredients needed to be a success. An interesting behind-the-scenes story is that the PRO, Ruben, played the role of a public relations officer in the film.

Some more interesting facts about this film are as follows: Actor Anupam Kher is of the same age as Sunny and Jackie, but in the film, Anupam has played the role of a father.

Sangeeta Bijlani once said, "(Director) Rajiv Rai saw me in a fashion show and offered the role. In those days, fashion shows were not like today; instead, talent had to be shown there."

Naseeruddin Shah's brilliant, loud voice made the theme song of the film 'Tridev' the main attraction of the film.

This film was one of the last big films of music composers Kalyanji-Anandji and Viju Shah's first film as co-composer.

According to reports, Naseeruddin Shah's role was first offered to Mithun Chakraborty, but Mithun rejected it due to being busy with other films. After this, Chunky Pandey was offered this role, but he too could not do the film.

The film's muhurat took place on 18 October 1987, and Dharmendra gave the muhurat shot.

Initially, the censor board talked about banning the film. They told Rajiv that it was a violent film in which his three main characters were shown going against the law of the land. The censor board did not pass the film for three months. But Rajiv Rai fought and won.

After the success of the film, Rajiv Rai wanted to cast the same lead characters in his next film, "Vishwatma" (1992), as in Tridev.

But finally Chunky Pandey was cast in place of Jackie Shroff as Jackie could not travel out of the country for shooting in those days due to the birth of his son, Tiger Shroff.

Neelam was initially offered the role opposite Jackie Shroff. But she did not have the required dates. Then Sangeeta Bijlani was signed.

The song "Tirchhi Topiwale" from the film was taken from Gloria Estefan's song "The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You".

Tridev was one of the top five grossing films of 1989.

In 1996, this film was copied again as 'Rangbaaz'. A scene from Tridev was also shot in it. The scene where Sunny Deol's house explodes. That scene was used in Rangbaaz where you can see Sunny Deol from a distance.

The year 1989 proved to be a milestone in Jackie Shroff's career. He gave three consecutive hits like Ram Lakhan, Parinda and Tridev and also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Parinda.

When Rajiv Roy offered Tridev to Naseeruddin Shah, Naseeruddin thought that Rajiv Roy wanted him for a small character role in the film. He had no idea that Rajiv Rai wanted him for the lead role. So he was surprised to hear the offer and accepted the film. Rajiv and Naseeruddin always had a good friendship.

The song Oye Oye was the biggest hit of 1989. Everyone was singing Oye Oye in those days.

Madhuri Dixit did not have much footage in this film as compared to Sonam and Sangeeta Bijlani. All three heroines were new in those days. Madhuri signed Tridev before the release of Tezaab, when she had not yet gained star status.

Director Rajiv Rai and Tridev actress Sonam came close during the making of this film and later got married.

According to reports, Sanjay Dutt was first offered the role of Ravi Mathur, but he refused the role as he did not feel the right fit for it.

During the shooting, in the first climax scene, Sonam had to stand in the middle among three heroines during the song "Oye Oye". But in 1988  Madhuri Dixit became an overnight star with the song "Ek Do Teen from film Tezaab". Then Rajiv Rai put Madhuri Dixit in the middle among three heroines.

The song "Tirchhi Topiwale" became very popular as soon as it was released.

Sonam, who plays Raza Murad's daughter in the film, is actually his niece in real life.

This film was one of Naseeruddin Shah's first commercial films, and in an interview, he said that he did the film for the money.

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