I must admit that 'Hathyar' is JP Dutta's finest film till date and a highly underrated movie of our times. From the opening scene where a kid plays with a gun till the end when he remembers his father stopping him from doing so, it's a sheer delight. Hathyar, when released in 1989, was much ahead of its time and this was a major reason of its failing at the box-office. It's also Sanjay Dutt's best performance till date and I rate it above Vastav, which was too obvious. The camera work by JP Dutta loyalist, Ishwar Bidri, was awesome, whether showing the barren lands of UP to the concrete jungle of Mumbai. The scene where Sanjay Dutts shoots a member of the opposite gang at the Bandra swamp is sheer magic. Beside Sanjay Dutt, Dharmendra, Rishi Kapoor, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Paresh Rawal gave commendable performances. If released today, Hathyar surely would have loved by the movie goers. For me it's a must watch.
