Book Review: ‘QSQT’, A Wild Card That Turned The Tide In Bollywood

Gautam Chintamani’s book delves into the creative adventure behind the iconic film.

Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in a still from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.

I’d watched Mansoor Khan’s 1988 film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) probably as a child of 11 or 12. I watched it on TV and I’ve never watched it again in the more than two decades that have passed by. So I was pleasantly surprised when I could remember many of the film’s scenes and even dialogues while reading Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak; The Film That Revived Hindi Cinema by Gautam Chintamani. The Aamir Khan - Juhi Chawla starrer had obviously left a strong impact. When I revisited the film again now, it was endearing to find QSQT’s pull quite intact after so many years.

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak; The Film That Revived Hindi Cinema by Gautam Chintamani. (Photo courtesy: HarperCollins)

And this is what makes the 150-odd pages book an important one. As Chintamani points out - unlike films like Aradhana, Zanjeer or Bobby, we don’t name QSQT off the top of our heads while talking about seminal Bollywood films. And yet, that’s what it was. QSQT had truly turned the tide in what’s been the bleakest decade in the Hindi film industry.

Conceived by the legendary Nasir Hussain, QSQT saw the debut of writer-director Mansoor Khan, actor Aamir Khan, and cinematographer Kiran Deohans. It established the careers of actors Juhi Chawla, Raj Zutshi among others, music directors Anand-Milind and playback singers Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik.

A poster of the film. 

Essentially a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, the film revolves around two generations and families of thakurs, and the young love of the star-crossed Raj and Rashmi. On the outset, neither the story nor the setting had anything particularly unique about it. But the book, from a bird’s eye view, traces the convergence of the young talents to create this tender film that reflected a realism not seen till then in Hindi commercial cinema. QSQT not only overturned the era of the angry young man and revenge-action dramas, but also ushered in a new kind of romantic hero in Bollywood.

Writes Chintamani:

For over a decade and a half since Bachchan’s breakthrough role in Zanjeer (1973), there hadn’t been any real threat to the Angry Young Man model, and some of the best roles of the generation that followed Bachchan - such as Sunny Deol’s in Arjun (1985), Anil Kapoor’s in Meri Jung (1985) and Sanjay Dutt’s in Naam (1986) - were reminiscent of the Salim-Javed creation... For a brief period following Love Story (1981) ... the manner in which the audience had reacted seemed to suggest that they were receptive to change. But... Kumar Gaurav fizzled out... QSQT’s all-round success suddenly provided a tangible alternative to the Bachchan-esque hero for the first time in fifteen years. 

Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in a still from QSQT.

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak is a delight to read for any Bollywood buff. Lucidly written, it is peppered with numerous anecdotes - from Mansoor’s tussle with the veteran Majrooh Sultanpuri over the lyrics of Papa Kehte Hai, Aamir forced to hide the news of his marriage to Reena Dutt by Hussain, Juhi requesting neighbouring autorickshaws to put up posters of the film on their vehicles, Mansoor digging in his heels when both Hussain and the distributors insisted on a happy ending for the film, and so on. There are some rare photographs as well.

(From left) Mansoor Khan and Aamir Khan discuss the script with Nasir Hussain. (Photo courtesy: HarperCollins) 

But what truly elevates the book from a mere reportage is Chintamani’s insight into the minds and personalities of these bunch of creative people - especially Nasir Hussain and his son Mansoor Khan. It’s fascinating how Hussain, in a bid to make the film relatable to the young, managed to pass on the baton to Mansoor, a hardcore Bollywood non-enthusiast, simply with the story of QSQT.

As Chintamani puts it:

Once the narration was over, though, Mansoor and Nasir Hussain disagreed on many things, but the set-up and the strong premise convinced Mansoor, and he ended up offering suggestions about the tone and the approach. Hearing Mansoor out, his father simply told him that if he felt he could improve it, he may want to try writing... Among Mansoor’s biggest concerns about telling a story featuring thakurs was whether he would end up faking the whole thing. ‘I had never seen a thakur in my life and a part of the hesitation was also because I didn’t speak Hindi as comfortably at the time’.

(From left) Nasir Hussain, Mansoor Khan, Raj Zutshi and Aamir Khan with other crew members on the sets. (Photo courtesy: HarperCollins)

Chintamani’s greatest achievement perhaps lies in being able to shine the torch on the elusive Mansoor Khan’s psyche. A man of many interests (read electronics, anthropology, astromomy, engineering, amateur radio, and so on), Mansoor, unlike regular Tinseltown children, was neither attracted to the craft nor the glitz. QSQT was also his own journey of finding his creative direction, which later led him make another iconic film Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.

He writes:

Mansoor’s intuitiveness overrode most of his interests, and it was a matter of time before he chose a world where, unlike in the film business, the desire to outperform himself every time was not as overwhelming. 

Chintamani also explores at length the creative process behind what became QSQT’s iconic music. From playing an active role in the creation of the melodies by Anand-Milind to redoing the entire sound mix, Mansoor took the music to a new level.

Where the book strongly lacks, however, is crisp editing. There’s just too much repetition in the way the author tries to establish the fact that QSQT stood out and brought in a new wave in Hindi cinema. Towards the end of the book, it simply becomes tedious.

What would have also really helped to bring the people - and the book- to life is more quotes. While there are some, most of the story is told as a linear third-person narrative. It’s obvious that Chintamani has put in a lot of research, but more direct speech would have livened up the book considerably.

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak also leaves us wondering at the lack of voices from some of the other members of the crew. Chintamani lets us into the thoughts of some of the more famous ones - Anand-Milind, Deohans and so on, but it would have been interesting to know what some of the other (presumably experienced) crew members felt while working with this director who had a radical way of thinking and working.

Also, how was the film received by the media when it released? The book has no indication of that whatsoever. Or even, how did the actors who debuted then or immediately afterwards (like Salman Khan) or other filmmakers feel about QSQT at that point of time? These dimensions would have perhaps added to the book.

But all said and done, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak is a wonderful companion to the film, and a must read for anyone interested in the evolution of Hindi cinema.