The increasing use of artificial intelligence in recent times has made image and video editing easier than ever. Some filmmakers even consider the possibility that AI can take over filmmaking soon. But India was ahead of the curve long before AI gained the world’s attention. A recently circulating clip from 1985 film ‘Zulm Ka Badla’ showcases the early example of creative use of technology in cinema. It’s a scene where characters Rakesh Roshan and Jagdish Raj play, Inspector Anil Verma and DIG Verma respectively. In this scene, it shows the lead actress’s picture change almost in the blink of an eye.
In the scene, DIG exposes Anita Raj’s character Geeta Verma who is also known as Mrs. D’Sa. The unusual visual effects, especially in scenes where DIG rubs a picture with a simple cloth have become viral on social media due to the way Indian film-makers of that time applied technology to their films, with the movie being helmed by K Prasad in which DIG Verma adopts his friend’s daughter Geeta. After she marries his son, Anil, the plot twists around when a gangster named Anil is found dead and the father and son start suspecting Geeta for that crime.
The scene has created humorous and interested online, as viewers have commented on how filmmakers achieved such special effects in the 80s. An Instagram user humorously described the scene shared: “Photoshop in those days.”
Watch the viral clip:
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Witty remarks from the social media users
A use joked, “No need for PC and Software. The only need is cotton cloth.” Another hilariously said, “Ye technology Hindustan se bahar nahi jaani chahiye (This technology should not go outside India).” Someone remarked, “Daddu used sand paper to remove her head scarf” while another user questioned, “Pose kaise badal gaya (How did the pose change)?”
Released in 1985, ‘Zulm Ka Badla’ starred Rakesh Roshan, Jagdish Raj, Anita Raj, Danny Denzongpa, Shakti Kapoor, Neelam Mehra, Chandrashekhar, Dinesh Hingoo, Manik Irani, and Jagdeep.
