Josh (; ) is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film directed by Mansoor Khan, produced by Venus Films and distributed by B4U Films. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Chandrachur Singh, Sharad Kapoor, and Priya Gill. The film, primarily in Hindi with occasional Konkani, was set and filmed in Goa.Aysha Iqbal Viswamohan, Vimal Mohan John. Behind the Scenes: Contemporary Bollywood Directors and Their Cinema. SAGE Publications India, 2017 With some plot points inspired by the 1961 musical West Side Story, the film is set in the year 1980, amidst the backdrop of real estate deals and communal violence in Goa.
Josh was released on 9 June 2000, and emerged a moderately successful venture at the box office, grossing worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics with praise for its music, cinematography, action sequences and cast performances, but criticism for its script. At the 46th Filmfare Awards, Josh received five nominations, including Best Film and Best Director.
Plot Two rival street gangs—Eagles, made up of local residents, and Bichhoos (Scorpions), consisting of immigrants—operate in the town of Vasco, Goa. The Bichhoos are led by Prakash Sharma, while the Eagles are led by Max Dias. Prakash, a delinquent, uses his gang for underhanded activities in the Vasco real estate market. Max and his twin sister Shirley are orphans and members of a local motorcycle crew alongside the Eagles. The gangs are sworn enemies and have divided the town into territories to prevent clashes, with Fr. Jacob or the town Inspector usually intervening when they fight.
Rahul, Prakash's brother, is a well-educated masterchef working in Mumbai. After two years away, he returns to Vasco intending to take his family back to Mumbai. However, while touring the town, he rediscovers his affection for it. In Eagles territory, he meets Shirley and falls in love with her, deciding to remain in Vasco and open a pastry shop. His involvement with Shirley draws him into the gangs' rivalry. Max and the Eagles disapprove of Rahul's presence and destroy his shop, leaving him heavily indebted to his landlord.
Desperate for money, Prakash plans to take control of the village ground, which historically belonged to Alberto Vasco, the landlord of the village and the man after whom the town is named. Rahul discovers that Alberto passed the ground to a woman named Mary Anne Louise. Investigating the address listed for Mr. Vasco, he learns that Mary had rented Rose villa at 13, Churchill Road, from Lady D'Costa twenty-two years earlier. Mrs. D'Costa reveals that Mary was Max and Shirley's mother, and that the twins are Alberto Vasco's illegitimate children, born in 1958.
Rahul intends to reveal their parentage to Shirley in a letter, but Prakash intercepts it. Realising that the twins' inheritance could be worth 20 lakhs, Prakash plots to have Rahul marry Shirley and to kill Max so that he can obtain the land. When Prakash attempts to kill Max, a fight ensues and Max accidentally shoots him while defending himself. Max is arrested, and the trial creates a rift between Shirley and Rahul, as Rahul initially believes Prakash had approached Max to ask for Shirley's hand in marriage and that Max killed him without justification.
Before Max is sentenced, Rahul discovers the truth and defends him in court. He produces documents proving that the disputed land is Max and Shirley's inheritance: Alberto Vasco, having distanced himself from his children, had placed it in their mother's name. The judge therefore rules that Max acted in self-defense and acquits him. Max apologises to Rahul and asks for his blessing to marry Shirley, ultimately reconciling the two gangs and uniting the Eagles and Bichhoos.
Cast Shahrukh Khan as Max Dias, Shirley's twin brother Chandrachur Singh as Rahul Sharma Sharad Kapoor as Prakash Sharma, Rahul's brother. Aishwarya Rai as Shirley Dias, Max's twin sister. Priya Gill as Rosanne, Max's love interest (special appearance) Sharat Saxena as Police Inspector Vivek Vaswani as Savio Aanjjan Srivastav as Mr. Mascarenhas Suhas Joshi as Rahul's mother Nadira as Mrs. Louise Ali Asgar as Deven Sushant Singh as Gotiya Puneet Vashisht as Ronnie Raymond Albuquerque as Alberto Vasco Shraddha Nigam as Prakash's girlfriend Rajesh Khera as Matwyn Manav Gohil as Ganpat
Production Director Mansoor Khan made a comeback to filmmaking with Josh after a hiatus of five years. He had initially approached Salman Khan for the role of Max Dias, but Khan declined the film as at the time he was dating Rai and was uncomfortable playing her brother and Shah Rukh Khan then signed on. Mansoor was keen on bringing Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan together for Josh, approaching him for the role of Rahul Sharma, but the latter rejected the film as he found the role given to him too small. The role was eventually played by Chandrachur Singh.
To enhance his on-screen resemblance to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan donned blue contact lens for the film. The production journey of "Josh" spanned four years, involving a meticulous creative process.
Music
A. R. Rahman was signed as the music composer at first, but opted out due to scheduling conflicts with other films. After Rahman opted out, Mansoor Khan roped in Anu Malik to complete the music quickly and release the film on time. The song "Hai Mera Dil" is based on "Sealed with a Kiss" written by Peter Udell and Gary Geld, and "Djobi Djoba" performed by Gipsy Kings. In a notable debut, Shah Rukh Khan showcased his vocal talent by singing the song "Apun Bola". According to Box Office India, with around 18,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack was the year's ninth highest-selling album.
# Title Singer(s) Length Lyricist(s) 1 "Apun Bola" Hema Sardesai and Shahrukh Khan 04:25 Nitin Raikwar 2 "Hai Mera Dil" Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik 04:08 Sameer Anjaan 3 "Hum To Dil Se Haare" Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik 05:06 Sameer Anjaan 4 "Mere Khayalon Ki Malika" Abhijeet Bhattacharya 04:50 Sameer Anjaan 5 "Zinda Hain Hum To" Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Jolly Mukherjee and Hema Sardesai 04:44 Nitin Raikwar 6 "Sailaru Sailare" Mano and Suresh Peters 05:25 Sameer Anjaan 7 "Hai Mera Dil" (Instrumental) 04:08 8 "Hum To Dil Se Haare" (Instrumental) 05:07
Reception
Box office Josh grossed in India and $1.127 million (5.01 crore) in other countries, for a worldwide total of , against its budget. It had a worldwide opening weekend of , and grossed in its first week.
In India, the film opened on Friday, 9 June 2000, across 300 screens, and earned nett on its opening day. It grossed nett in its opening weekend, and had a first week of nett. The film earned a total of nett, and was declared "Average" by Box Office India. It is the 5th-highest-grossing film of 2000 in India.
Among overseas territories, Josh had an opening weekend of $575,000 (2.55 crore) and went on to gross $800,000 (3.56 crore) in its first week. The film earned a total of $1.127 million (5.01 crore) at the end of its theatrical run. Overseas, It is the 9th-highest-grossing film of 2000.
+ Collections Breakdown Territory Territory Wise Collections Break-up India Nett Gross: Distributor Share: Total Gross: International (Outside India) $1.127 million (5.01 crore)Worldwide
Critical reception The film received mixed reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama noted "On the whole, Josh is a well-made film with great performances and a hit musical score. But the Goan ambience will restrict its prospects in some states due to lack of identification. Also an average second half and a weak climax are major limitations".
Awards
46th Filmfare Awards:
Nominated
Best Film – Ratan Jain Best Director – Mansoor Khan Best Villain – Sharad Kapoor Best Music Director – Anu Malik Best Female Playback Singer – Alka Yagnik for "Hai Mera Dil" 2nd IIFA Awards:
Won
Best Art Direction – Nitin Chandrakant Desai
Nominated
Best Director – Mansoor Khan Best Supporting Actor – Chandrachur Singh Best Villain – Sharad Kapoor Best Music Director – Anu Malik Best Story – Mansoor Khan
References
External links