Vaidehitaman at 19:34, 25 April 2026

2026-04-25T19:34:39Z

New page

{{Short description|1996 Indian film by Rajkumar Santoshi}}
{{About|the 1996 film|the 2006 film|Ghatak (2006 film)}}{{use Indian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Ghatak
| image = Ghatak Lethal.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Rajkumar Santoshi]]
| producer = Rajkumar Santoshi
| screenplay = Rajkumar Santoshi {{infobox|decat=yes|child=yes|label1= Dialogues by|data1= Rajkumar Santoshi Shyam Gupta}}
| story = Rajkumar Santoshi
| starring = {{Plainlist|
*[[Sunny Deol]]
*[[Meenakshi Seshadri]]
*[[Danny Denzongpa]]
*[[Amrish Puri]]
*[[K. K. Raina]]
*[[Mukesh Rishi]]
}}
| cinematography = Ishwar Bidri
| editing = V. N. Mayekar
| music = '''Score''': [[Vanraj Bhatia]] '''Songs''': [[R. D. Burman]] [[Anu Malik]]
| studio = Santoshi Productions
| distributor = [[Bharat Shah]]
| released = {{Film date|df=y|1996|11|15}}
| runtime = 158 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INR}}6.25 crore<ref>{{Cite web|access-date=21 February 2026|date=9 November 2024|title=This Sunny Deol film took 5 years to be made, lead actress left Bollywood after release, quit acting, movie earned Rs..|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/report-this-sunny-deol-film-ghatak-took-5-years-to-be-made-lead-actress-left-bollywood-after-release-quit-acting-movie-earned-rs-3117094|website=[[DNA India]]}}</ref>
| gross = {{Estimation}} {{INR}}32.7 crore <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=202&catName=MTk5Ng==| title=Ghatak Collections | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131022154/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=202&catName=MTk5Ng== | access-date=5 June 2008| archive-date=31 January 2009 }}</ref>
}}

'''''Ghatak''''' (subtitled as '''''Lethal''''') is a 1996 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[action drama film]] written and directed by [[Rajkumar Santoshi]]. The film stars [[Sunny Deol]], [[Meenakshi Seshadri]], [[Danny Denzongpa]], and [[Amrish Puri]].

The film was released on 15 November 1996, and was a blockbuster, grossing {{INR}}32.7 crore at the box-office to become the [[List of Hindi films of 1996|highest-grossing Hindi film of the year]].<ref name="GL">{{cite web|url=https://www.india.com/entertainment/this-film-of-sunny-deol-was-a-blockbuster-earned-5-times-its-budget-leaving-salman-and-aamir-khan-stunned-film-was-earned-rs-8165635/|title=This film of Sunny Deol was a blockbuster, earned 5 times its budget,.....|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251105180059/https://www.india.com/entertainment/this-film-of-sunny-deol-was-a-blockbuster-earned-5-times-its-budget-leaving-salman-and-aamir-khan-stunned-film-was-earned-rs-8165635/|access-date=4 November 2025|archive-date=5 November 2025}}</ref> It won three awards at the [[42nd Filmfare Awards]]: [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] (Puri), [[Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] (Santoshi), and [[Filmfare Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]] (Mayekar). It also received three nominations: [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] (Santoshi), [[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] (Deol), and [[Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role|Best Villain]] (Denzongpa). The film was remade in [[Telugu cinema|Telugu]] as ''[[Aaptudu|Aapthudu]]'' (2004), starring [[Dr. Rajasekhar|Rajasekhar]] and [[Anjala Zaveri]].

==Plot==
Kashi Nath is a kind-hearted wrestler and the dutiful adopted son of Shambhu Nath, living in [[Varanasi|Banaras]]. Shambhu Nath, who was a freedom fighter awarded with the ''Tambra Patra'', is an honourable and respectable man in town. Kashi, along with Shambhu, comes to [[Mumbai]] for medical treatment for Shambhu and stays with his elder brother, Shiv Nath. Kashi meets Gauri in Mumbai and starts liking her. He learns that the locality is being terrorized by the tyrannical gangster, Katya, along with his six brothers. Before Kashi's arrival, a resident named Sachdev tried to initiate a revolt against Katya, but got ruthlessly killed by him, thereby making Malti, Sachdev's widow, go mad. Katya and his brothers become enemies with Kashi when he beats up their goons when they were roughing up Malti.

Shambhu is later diagnosed with [[Terminal illness|terminal]] [[throat cancer]] and only has a few days to live. When Kashi refuses to join Katya's gang, Katya becomes furious and humiliates Shambhu before the entire locality, by making him bark like a dog. After a series of dramatic events, Shiv is run over to death by Jeena, one of Katya's brothers. In retaliation, Kashi then kills Antya, another one of Katya's brothers, and gets arrested. Meanwhile, Shambhu passes away. When Kashi tries to disperse his father's ashes at the Ghat with the police, the police van gets attacked by Katya's brothers and goons. Kashi kills all of them, including Katya's three brothers, and reaches Katya's home. There he kills Jeena, thereby causing only two brothers to survive, including Katya; however, Kashi is captured in the process.

As Katya had Shambhu bark like a dog, he tries to make Kashi behave like an ox in front of the locality, to re-establish his supremacy. Gauri however stands up, arousing the audience to attack as well. Kashi frees himself from the shackles and beats Katya to death. Katya's entire gang is attacked by the residents of the locality. Katya's sixth and the last remaining brother, Bhiku, is killed by the mob. For retribution, Kashi makes Katya bark like a dog just like Shambhu. He then kills him in front of the residents, but loses control over himself as he keeps beating Katya's corpse. His nephew then brings him Shambhu's ashes from crematory rites which brings him back to senses. The ending is a bittersweet one, where Kashi loses every one he loved, but the locality has its freedom at last.

== Cast ==

* [[Sunny Deol]] as Kashi Nath
* [[Meenakshi Seshadri]] as Gauri, Kashi's girlfriend
* [[Danny Denzongpa]] as Katya
* [[Amrish Puri]] as Shambu Nath, Kashi's adoptive father
* [[Om Puri]] as Sachdev
* [[Mukesh Rishi]] as Jeena, Katya's brother
* [[Aanjjan Srivastav]] as Dhamu Kaka
* [[Tinnu Anand]] as Police Inspector
* [[K. K. Raina]] as Shiv Nath, Kashi's adoptive elder brother
* [[Viju Khote]] as Pinto
* [[Harish Patel]] as Katya's brother-in-law
* Suresh Bhagwat as Gopal
* [[Rohini Hattangadi]] as Savitri
* [[Ila Arun]] as Malti Sachdev
* [[Sheela Sharma]] as Sheela Shiv Nath
* [[Navni Parihar]] as Gauri's sister
* [[Tinu Verma]] as Bhiku, Katya's brother
* [[Deep Dhillon]] as Antya, Katya's brother
* Brij Gopal as Katya's brother
* Mukhtar Khan as Katya's brother
* Ranjeev Verma as Katya's brother
* [[Makarand Deshpande]] as Katya's goon
* [[Ponnambalam (actor)|Ponnambalam]] as Ring Fighter
* [[Shiva Rindani]] as Chandru
* [[Mamta Kulkarni]] as dancer in the song "Koi Aaye Toh Le Jaye" (special appearance)
* [[Amitabh Bachchan]] as Himself (cameo appearance)

==Production==
[[Kamal Haasan]] was originally signed to play the lead role and an advertisement was commissioned to appear in a ''[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]]'' magazine noting "Welcome back to the Hindi screen", pointing at the actor's return to Hindi films after 1985's ''[[Dekha Pyar Tumhara|Dekha Pyaar Tumhara]]''. However, due to no producer willing to back the actor in the film, [[Rajkumar Santoshi]] changed the star cast.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kamal Haasan: Lesser known facts|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/kamal-haasan-lesser-known-facts/photostory/45068468.cms|access-date=16 October 2017|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=7 November 2014}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The background score of the film was composed by [[Vanraj Bhatia]]. The music for all but one song was composed by [[R. D. Burman]]. Only one song "Koi Jaye To Le Aaye" was composed by [[Anu Malik]]. The lyrics were penned by [[Majrooh Sultanpuri]] and [[Rahat Indori]]. The song "Koi Jaye To Le Aaye" was remade as "Dil Dil Dil" in the 2025 Hindi feature film ''[[Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat]]''.

{{Infobox album
| name = Ghatak: Lethal
| type = Soundtrack Album
| artist = [[R. D. Burman]], [[Anu Malik]] and [[Vanraj Bhatia]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 20 October 1996
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
| length =
| label = [[Venus Records & Tapes]]
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! Title !! Singer(s) !! Music !! Lyricist!! Length
|-
| "Nigahon Ne Chheda"
| [[Suresh Wadkar]], [[Sadhana Sargam]]
| [[R.D. Burman]]
| [[Majrooh Sultanpuri]]
| 06:24
|-
| "Badan Mein Chandni"
| [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]]
| R.D. Burman
| Majrooh Sultanpuri
| 05:55
|-
| "Aaki Naaki"
| [[Asha Bhosle]]
| R.D. Burman
| Majrooh Sultanpuri
| 08:57
|-
| "Ek Dil Ki Diwani"
| Suresh Wadkar, Sadhana Sargam
| R.D. Burman
| Majrooh Sultanpuri
| 07:29
|-
| "Koi Jaye To Le Aaye"
| [[Alka Yagnik]], [[Shankar Mahadevan]]
| [[Anu Malik]]
| [[Rahat Indori]]
| 05:18
|-
| "Theme of Ghatak"
| (Instrumental)
| [[Vanraj Bhatia]]
| style="text-align: center" | –
| 02:28
|}

==Awards and nominations ==

=== [[42nd Filmfare Awards]] ===

==== Won ====
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] – [[Amrish Puri]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] – [[Rajkumar Santoshi]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]] – V. N. Mayekar

==== Nominated ====
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] – Rajkumar Santoshi
*[[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] – [[Sunny Deol]]
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role|Best Villain]] – [[Danny Denzongpa]]

=== [[Screen Awards]] ===

==== Won ====
* [[Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] – [[Amrish Puri]]

==Re-release==
This film was re-released on 21 March 2025, after 28 years at the Red Lorry Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-03-18 |title=Sunny Deol's 1996 film Ghatak to re-release in theatres on this date. Check details |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/sunny-deols-1996-film-ghatak-to-re-release-in-theatres-on-this-date-check-details-101742266594230.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319113506/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/sunny-deols-1996-film-ghatak-to-re-release-in-theatres-on-this-date-check-details-101742266594230.html |archive-date=2025-03-19 |access-date=2025-03-21 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-03-19 |title=Ghatak re-release: Can Sunny Deol's movie beat Salman Khan's blockbuster? {{!}} Mint |url=https://www.livemint.com/entertainment/ghatak-re-release-can-sunny-deols-movie-beat-salman-khans-blockbuster-11742368995351.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319084703/https://www.livemint.com/entertainment/ghatak-re-release-can-sunny-deols-movie-beat-salman-khans-blockbuster-11742368995351.html |archive-date=2025-03-19 |access-date=2025-03-21 |work=mint |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0116407|Ghatak: Lethal}}

{{Rajkumar Santoshi}}

[[Category:1996 films]]
[[Category:Films scored by R. D. Burman]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rajkumar Santoshi]]
[[Category:1996 Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Hindustani-language films]]
[[Category:1996 Indian films]]
[[Category:1990s action drama films]]
[[Category:1996 action thriller films]]
[[Category:Hindi films remade in other languages]]
[[Category:Films scored by Anu Malik]]
[[Category:Indian action drama films]]
[[Category:Indian action thriller films]]
[[Category:Films about social issues in India]]
[[Category:Indian films about cancer]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Maharashtra Police]]
[[Category:1996 drama films]]
[[Category:1990s vigilante films]]
[[Category:Indian vigilante films]]
[[Category:Indian films about revenge]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Amitabh Bachchan]]

Ghatak (1996 film) - Revision history

Vaidehitaman at 19:34, 25 April 2026