Before Sadak 2's release on 28 August, looking back at Mahesh Bhatt's 1991 original

Mahesh Bhatt’s _Sadak 2_, the sequel to Sadak, is all set to release on Disney+ Hotstar on 28 August. The film, starring Sanjay Dutt, Alia Bhatt and Aditya Roy Kapur, is about the unlikely bond that forms between the trio when they take a road trip to the Kailash mountain. The journey towards self-realisation is, however, marred by a self-proclaimed guru (Makrand Deshpande) who has his own sinister wishes. For the unversed, the original Sadak that released on 15 November 1991, had seen Dutt essay the role of Ravi, a young man who drives a taxi to earn his bread and butter as well as forget his troubled past. One day Ravi goes to meet his friend Gotya at the brothel where he falls in love with Pooja (essayed by Pooja Bhatt) who has been forced into prostitution. The young couple wishes to start a life together, but their love story faces difficulties with Maharani, the head of the brothel, turning against them. The film follows their journey as Ravi fights Maharani to set Pooja free. [caption id=“attachment_8760081” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  A still from Sadak (1991). YouTube[/caption] Sadak was inspired by Martin Scorsese’s 1976 drama Taxi Driver. Sanjay Dutt’s character Ravi is loosely based on Travis Bickle, essayed by Robert De Niro. Bickle is a Vietnam War veteran suffering from depression. Ravi, on his part, suffers from PTSD, has insomnia and is haunted by his past. Sadashiv Amrapukar played Maharani, the heartless transgender brothel owner who forces Pooja into prostitution. The saree-clad, bindi-sporting’ character is considered to be one of the finest portrayals of villains in the history of Hindi cinema. The film is still remembered for its soundtrack and score that include songs like ‘Jab Jab Pyar Pe’ and ‘Tumhe Apna Bananke Ki.’