Radha Ka Sangam (1992)

I ended up liking this movie so much that I had to run out and order a dvd with subtitles so I could understand the plot. It’s a reincarnation story, but the bulk of the movie is about the love story between Govinda (Govinda) and Radha (Juhi Chawla) some years in the indeterminate past. They are as cute together as I could possibly hope for, and Radha is a respectable heroine who kicks some ass with her elephant and actually speaks up when her family is trying to marry her off to the wrong brother. Also, Juhi is absolutely gorgeous, as always.

Of course, they are from different villages so there’s some ridiculous disguises and dishooming that has to happen, and Radha is kidnapped by the bandit Sumer Singh (Kiran Kumar). Govinda rescues her and is about to kill him, when Radha steps in to tie a rakhi on his wrist. Even with subtitles, I’m not sure why she does this, but it’s a really smart move on her part because from that point on he’s their friend and is also the mysterious old man telling to this story to present-day Govinda and Radha.

Yes, we get it. They're Radha and Krishna.

Although Radha and Govinda finally manage to get married, things just go downhill from there. As Govinda’s mother (lovely Mala Sinha) prepares to welcome her new daughter-in-law into her home, the duplicitous money-lender steps in to take possession of her house in payment for debts incurred by Govinda’s no-good brother. Mom collapses, drama ensues, and just when they think they’ve worked it all out and Radha and Govinda can finally get on with the suhaag raat business, No-Good Brother kills the money-lender and frames Govinda for the murder. He’s carted off to jail, where there is much moping as he paces his cell in chains worthy of a A Christmas Carol, writing Radha’s name on the wall in his own blood.

It's not love until there's significant blood loss.

I love strong, tragic mothers. It's such a trope, but it gets me every single time.

The melodrama just keeps on coming, even after Sumer Singh gets Govinda out of jail. Their story has to end unhappily, necessitating that they reunite in the next birth, after all. The present-day segment is mercifully short and stars Govinda’s unfortunate mullet. It's an awkward bookend to the meat of the story, but I still really liked it for the melodrama and Juhi being stunning every single time she's on screen.

Here, have some more Juhi. I just couldn't stop screencapping her.