Satyameva Jayate (2018 film)

Satyameva Jayate (transl. Truth alone triumphs) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language vigilante action crime film written and directed by Milap Milan Zaveri.That produced and distributed by T-Series, the film marks the second collaboration between Abraham and Bajpayee, after Shootout at Wadala (2013).

Principal photography for Satyameva Jayate began on 5 March 2018. It was released in global cinemas on 15 August 2018, coinciding with India's Independence Day. Opening on 2500 screens, the film received mixed reviews from critics and clashed with Reema Kagti's sports drama Gold starring Akshay Kumar. Nevertheless, Satyameva Jayate was well received by the audience and broke various opening day records for an A-rated film. The film was successful at the box office, and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood film of the year, grossing ₹1.10 billion (US$14 million) worldwide. A sequel titled Satyameva Jayate 2 was released in 2021.

Premise

The story follows vigilante Virendra "Veer" Rathod, who kills corrupt police officers. Shivansh Rathod, an honest police officer is called to hunt Veer down after the body count begins to rise.

Plot

Veer is a painter and a vigilante who kills corrupt cops by setting them on fire. Without his identity revealed, he wins public support for wiping out the corrupt, and also forms a close relationship with a vet named Shikha. Worried by the rising body count and seeing other cops terrified, Commissioner Manish Shukla summons Shivansh, an honest officer, to hunt down the killer. Using a voice altering application, Veer calls Shivansh and threatens to kill a corrupt officer. Shivansh is tricked into believing a police station would be targeted, while Veer fights off and kills the targeted corrupt cop at a petrol pump. Realizing his mistake, Shivansh begins investigating further and discovers the killing pattern to be as per the acronym "Satyameva Jayate" and the next target to be from a station beginning with the letter Y. Shivansh and his team locate the station and begin surveillance as they wait for the killer. Disguised as a cop, Veer enters the police station and thrashes a corrupt cop torturing an innocent suspect.

After he sets him on fire, Shivansh hears the screams and rushes to the station to find the cop burning. Veer manages to flee and later greets Shivansh at his home, where they both are revealed to be brothers. Veer and Shivansh visit a hospital where the burnt officer is found to be alive. Veer excuses himself to go to the bathroom and secretly enters the room, setting the officer on fire once again. Hearing the sirens go off, Shivansh rushes to the room and gets hit by an explosion as he opens the door. Veer returns to the bathroom, injures himself and pretends being attacked by the killer from behind. Later, Shivansh gathers all the corrupt policemen at a safe house, but Veer manages to burn it down and proceeds to take Shikha on a date, which gives him an alibi for a day. Later, Veer covers himself in blood and thrashes a corrupt officer during Ashura. He publicly kills him, following which Shivansh chases after him but finds himself held on gunpoint by Veer. Shivansh then explains how Veer's paintings of terrorized men, that resembled the murdered officers, revealed Veer to be the killer. Shivansh then asks Veer to turn himself in, but he declines and manages to flee.

Along with Commissioner Shukla, Shivansh is called by Veer at the same spot where their father died. Shikha, revealed to be Shukla's daughter, is in Veer's custody. Shivansh is shocked after Veer makes Shukla pour kerosene on himself and reveal he framed their father as he didn't allow anyone in the police force to bribe. Veer decides to turn himself in, before Shukla summons his army of cops to eliminate the brothers. In the ensuing fight, Veer leaves many cops dead, and Shukla cornered. After multiple requests to stop, a reluctant Shivansh ends up shooting Veer before he can kill Shukla. However, realizing the kerosene poured on Shukla's body is still fresh and finding a match lying near his father's medal that reads "Satyameva Jayate", a dying Veer lights it and kills Shukla by setting him on fire. Shivansh and Shikha then approach Veer, who asks Shivansh to recite with him the oath their father taught them. They recite it together, but in the middle, Veer dies in Shivansh's arms.

Cast

• John Abraham as Veerendra "Veer" Rathore, Shivansh's younger brother
• Manoj Bajpayee as Shivansh Rathore, Veer's older brother
• Aisha Sharma as Dr. Shikha Shukla, Veer's love interest
• Manish Chaudhari as Commissioner Manish Kumar Shukla, Shikha's father and the main antagonist
• Amruta Khanvilkar as Sarita Rathod
• Sandeep Yadav as Minister
• Devdatta Nage as Inspector Shankar Gaikwad
• Chetan Pandit as Inspector Shiv Rathod, Shivansh & Veer's father
• Ganesh Yadav as Inspector Damle
• Nora Fatehi in a special appearance in "Dilbar" song
• Aditi Sanwal as Girl in Car (cameo appearance)
• Rajesh Khera as Inspector Satish Bhosle

Release

The film was released on 15 August 2018 to coincide with Indian Independence Day. The film was released along with Akshay Kumar's Gold. It was released on 2500 screens in India.

Upon release the songs "Paniyon Sa" and "Tajdar E Haram" both became hits, whereas "Dilbar" became the blockbuster song of the year.