28 Years Later: Analyzing the Impact of Raj Kanwar’s ‘Jeet’

Upon the release of Raj Kanwar’s *Jeet*, a question was posed to Karisma Kapoor regarding the film’s namesake, as her mother, Babita, had also been in a film titled *Jeet* with her future husband, Randhir Kapoor. Karisma responded in a unique manner, differentiating her film from her parents’ earlier work. She acknowledged the lack of familiarity with her parents’ version but described the new film as a fresh take on *Devdas*. In reality, the film produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by Raj Kanwar drew its inspiration from Prakash Mehra’s *Muqaddar Ka Sikandar*. Sunny Deol portrayed Karan, the persistent lover, a role previously associated with Amitabh Bachchan. Karisma Kapoor played Kajal, the woman Deol’s character was in love with, originally portrayed by Rakhee Gulzar. Tabu took on the role of Tulsi, the *tawaif* devoted to Karan, who was dedicated to Kajal. When asked about the casting of Tabu, Sajid Nadiadwala referenced Meena Kumari’s performance in *Pakeezah*. However, the parallels are not exact. Tabu’s performance received criticism. Salman Khan’s presence, added later in the narrative, was primarily for the sake of star power. This was one of the initial projects for Salman with producer Nadiadwala, occurring during a period of fluctuating career fortunes. Despite its entertainment value and success, *Jeet* didn’t greatly impact the actors’ careers. Director Raj Kanwar’s contributions often went unrecognized, as was evident in the case of *Andaaz*, where Suneel Darshan received the accolades, and *Jeet*, where Sajid Nadiadwala was acknowledged.