Majboor is one of Bollywood’s most untouched classics. It is a complete suspense thriller with a flawless story and screenplay, which is packed with equally flawless performances.
The film revolves around a simple middle-aged man Ravi (AmitabhBachchan), who works as a travel agent. He is the sole income earner in his family which consists of his aging mother, younger brother and crippled sister who he loves dearly.
Over a period of time Ravi starts experiencing intense pain in his head and it is later discovered that he has a brain tumor. He is now worried that if he dies, there will be no one to look after his family. That’s when Ravi strikes upon an idea. Ravi's client Surendra Sinha (Murad), was kidnapped and killed and his murderer was not found. The police, however, had a slight suspicion that perhaps it was Ravi who committed the crime because he was the last person to see him alive. Surendra Sinha´s brother, Narendra Sinha (Satyen Kapoo) has offered a5 lakhs reward to anyone who captures the killer. Ravi decides to play a trick in which he takes the blame on his shoulders and gets the 5 lakhs so that if he does die, his family will have the 5 lakhs to live on thereafter.
Ravi is prosecuted for the crime (though he did not do it) and given the death sentence. Prior to his death sequence Ravi has another seizure and an operation is conducted which surprisingly removes Ravi´s tumor. Ravi realizes what he has done and he doesn't want to die. The only way Ravi can live again is if he catches the real killer of
Surendra Sinha. So begins Ravi´s mission to find the real killer. Alongside him is his girlfriend (Parveen Babi).
The movie's major addictiveness is its story, screenplay and dialogues by Salim-Javed. The plot of the movie sounds simple, yet the execution and breakneck pace of the film works far beyond simplicity. Undoubtedly, amongst the classics that this duo has delivered in terms of writing in Bollywood history, Majboor rates amongst their best. It’s amazing how this duo has written a tightly packed, near flawless and gripping suspense thriller.
Performance wise the film belongs to the one man who steals the show Amitabh Bachchan. He breathes life into the character of Ravi and one is actually convinced that we are watching "Ravi" on screen and not Amitabh Bachchan. ‘Majboor’ definitely rates in Amitabh´s top ten performances. His facial expressions, explosive dialogues and overall performance is simply remarkable. Parveen Babi is simply ok in her short role, which could have been played by most other actresses of that time like Zeenat Aman or Rekha. But the movie doesn't provide much scope for a female character since the film’s script is a character of its own.
Pran’s portrayal of Michael is also excellent. His entry into the movie has a strong impact on the viewer and his scenes in the film certainly make it much more enjoyable. He infuses more life into the second half of the movie and matches Bachchan step to step in the second half in terms of histrionics. Satyen Kapoo, Farida Jalal, Mac Mohan and Iftekar all play their parts well.

Musically the film stands out on one number that is played three times in the movie and is perfectly placed. Dekh Sakta Ho Main Kuch Bhi Hote Hue and Nahin Main Nahin Dekh Sakta Tujhe Rote Hue are numbers that stand out (especially the latter which was a hit number at its time). Laxmikant Pyarelal have excelled in the music department.
Director Ravi Tandon does a fine job of directing a suspense thriller. He maintains the film at a breakneck pace without divulging into any unwanted comedy sequences keeping the film tightly knit. The romance sequences seem to flow well with the movie, though there aren't too many. Tandon also extracts superlative performances from his entire cast and is complimented well by Salim-Javed´s terrific script.
Certain portions will remain in your memory long after the film is over. Some include, Amitabh’s first run in with Iftekar when he has to recall what he did that night after he left Surendra Sinha’s car. The scene where Amitabh has his first mind seizure; The scene where he purchases a fish tank and has another mind seizure; The scene where the doctor tells him he has brain tumor and several others have quite a lasting impression on the viewer.
Overall Majboor is a hands down classic till this day-and the movie remains a suspenseful and thrilling ride right to the end. Even by today’s standards Majboor is perfect in its essence. The film is clearly a classic thriller from some of Bollywood’s best talents.