"The victory of the underdog" theme makes for great entertainment. The story takes place in a hill-station, which is a centre of many boarding schools. And all the schools have their share of financially rich students.....except Model School, where all the relatively poorer students go to. And among big schools like Rajput, Xavier's, Lawrence and Queens....Model High is a misfit. So, the students studying there are ever-ridiculed, and labeled as no-hopers. But there's one student who can win laurels for his school.....the honest, hard-working Ratan who's the "gem of Model High School". Ratan's family includes his father and brother Sanjay who also studies in the same school (but is diametrically opposite to his brother). Sanjay is least interested in anything else apart from whiling his time away and having fun with his group of "pyjamachaap" friends. Cut to the main plot.....there's an annual inter-school bicycle race, which is always won by the Rajput College brat Deepak Tijori. He and his friends are the greatest bullies around. But Ratan is determined to win this race this time......but courtesy a fight with Deepak Tijori and gang, he falls from a cliff and is badly injured. Model High's only hope.....Ratan cannot participate in the race now, and the school has to be content with its usual "pyjamachaap" image. Not quite!!! Ratan's good-for-nothing brother Sanju takes up the challenge on behalf of his brother, and despite no one giving much of a chance in the race......no prizes for guessing who turns out the winner in the end!
What really makes Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar compelling viewing is director Mansoor Khan's simple yet excellent narrative. Most of the characters are pretty etched out as well. Some great relationships are portrayed in the movie.....that of Sanju and his father (played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda). The coldness between the two of them is brought out in the movie pretty well. Secondly, between Sanju and his best friend Anjali who turns out to be his love eventually. Sanju never sees the love Anjali has for him, until she's the only support he has when he's alone in life. Thirdly, between the two brothers Ratan and Sanju.....who are as dissimilar to each other as one can think of......but are still so close to each other. One of the best sibling relationships portrayed in a Hindi movie....far different from the overly melodramatic brotherly love that one is used to seeing. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the actors.......so there's Deepak Tijori who truly irritates you with his brattish attitude, the hot (but not very emotive) Pooja Bedi as Devika, Kulbhushan Kharbanda as the father who admires his elder son and is frustrated and aloof with his younger son (but loves him nevertheless), Ayesha Jhulka (in her only memorable role) as Anjali who has always loved Sanju but does not get the reciprocation from him, Mamik as the sincere Ratan.......and of course, Aamir Khan who's the soul of the movie. As usual, the actor gives a marvelous performance as Sanju. Three cheers for this actor who's defied his chocolate-boy looks to emerge as the most-varied actor of his time. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the melodious music......almost all songs are great to hear, with "Pehla Nasha" being the highlight.
All, in all.......the movie does inspire you, and after you've seen it....you do feel like doing something similar for your own school/college as well.
