Angry Young Men is a fascinating glimpse into the lives and careers of Salim-Javed, the legendary screenwriting duo behind some of Hindi cinema’s most iconic films.
Directed by Namrata Rao, the three-part documentary dives deep into their remarkable partnership that gave birth to the angry young man persona of the 1970s.
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With insights from a glittering array of stars—Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, and Jaya Bachchan, to name a few—the series blends nostalgia with admiration, offering viewers a celebratory trip down memory lane.
However, despite the star-studded interviews and the emotional resonance of personal stories, the series stops short of providing any new revelations about the writers.
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We hear familiar anecdotes, revisit famous dialogues, and revel in the larger-than-life impact of their films, but the real substance—what made Salim-Javed so unique and how they achieved an almost unbeatable box-office streak—remains unexplored.
The series avoids probing deeply into their creative process, their famous fallout, or the controversies surrounding their work, such as the alleged plagiarism of films like Sholay, Don, and Majboor.
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While there are brief moments of honesty—particularly from Javed Akhtar’s ex-wife Honey Irani and Jaya Bachchan—the documentary tends to tiptoe around tougher questions.
There’s little attempt to critique or challenge their legacy, leaving audiences with a one-sided portrayal of these towering figures.
For younger viewers, the series offers a primer on the era of Salim-Javed, but for those who lived through their heyday, it feels more like a polished homage than a probing analysis.
Ultimately, Angry Young Men succeeds in evoking nostalgia and showcasing the duo’s contributions to Indian cinema.
But it leaves a lingering sense that there’s much more to be said—perhaps in a documentary that dares to dig deeper into the complexities behind the legends.
Angry Young Men is streaming Prime Video.
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