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| Aurangzeb | |
|---|---|
| File:Aurangzeb film poster.jpg Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Atul Sabharwal |
| Produced by | Aditya Chopra |
| Written by | Atul Sabharwal |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Songs: Amartya Rahut Vipin Mishra Score: Vipin Mishra |
| Cinematography | Karthik Ganesh |
| Edited by | Niraj Voralia |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Yash Raj Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 137 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | est. ₹35.41 crore[2] |
Aurangzeb is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Atul Sabharwal in his directorial debut, and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films.[3] The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Arjun Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Jackie Shroff with Amrita Singh, Tanvi Azmi, Sikandar Kher, Sasha Agha, and Swara Bhaskar in supporting roles.[4][5] Set in Gurgaon, the narrative follows the doppleganger of a criminal's son going undercover to expose a criminal syndicate.
The film was released on 17 May 2013, and received mixed reviews from critics.[6]
Plot[edit | edit source]
In Gurgaon, Inspector Vijaykant Phogat, fails a mission to eliminate businessman Yashvardhan Singh, leading to his downfall. Years later, his son ACP Arya Phoghat uncovers his father's secret—Vijaykant had another wife and child, and that child, Vishal, is an identical twin to Arya's brother, Ajay.
Arya and his corrupt uncle, Ravikant Phogat, devise a plan to expose Yashvardhan's illegal activities by using Vishal to pose as Ajay within Yashvardhan's house. Meanwhile, Vishal begins to bond with his father, Yashvardhan, and his brother, Ajay, while pretending to be someone else. As the plot thickens, Ravikant's ulterior motives of taking over Yashvardhan's business empire are revealed, leading to a series of betrayals, manipulations, and violent confrontations.
Ultimately, Ravikant kills Vishnu, a family member who poses a threat to him, and pressures Arya to kill Yashvardhan's family. However, Arya realizes his uncle's corrupt nature and, together with Vishal, works to thwart Ravikant's plans. In the final showdown, Vishal kills Ravikant after saving Arya, and justice is served. Ajay is jailed, but eventually reunites with his family once released. The story ends with Arya leaving Veera's home, ensuring the reuniting of the family while reflecting on the deep-rooted corruption in the system.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Prithviraj Sukumaran as ACP Arya Phogat, Vijaykant's son; Ajay and Vishal's half-brother
- Arjun Kapoor in a dual role as Ajay / Vishal Singh, Arya's half brother
- Rishi Kapoor as DCP Ravikant Phogat, Arya's Uncle
- Jackie Shroff as Yashvardhan Singh, Ajay and Vishal's father
- Amrita Singh as Neena Wadhwa, Yashvardhan's business partner
- Deepti Naval as Rama Phogat, Ravikant's wife
- Tanvi Azmi as Veer Singh, Ajay and Vishal's mother
- Swara Bhaskar as Suman Phogat, Arya's wife
- Sasha Agha as Ritu, Ajay's girlfriend
- Sikander Kher as Inspector Dev Phogat, Ravikant's son
- Sumeet Vyas as Sub-Inspector Vishnu Sharma, Ravikant's son-in-law
- Rasika Dugal as Trishla "Chhoti" Phogat
- Kavi Shastri as Inder Wadhwa, Neena's son
- Anupam Kher as Inspector Vijaykant Phogat, Arya's father and Ravikant's brother (cameo appearance)
Themes[edit | edit source]
According to Arjun Kapoor, Aurangzeb is "about hunger for power and survival of the fittest." The film's title is a reference to the Mughal emperor of the same name, who expanded the empire to its greatest extent.[7]
Soundtrack[edit | edit source]
The film's soundtrack was composed by Vipin Mishra and Amartya Rahut.[8][9]
| Aurangzeb | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Amartya Rahut, Vipin Mishra | |
| Released | 13 May 2013 |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Length | 29:58 |
| Label | YRF Music |
| Producer | Aditya Chopra |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Barbaadiyan" | Puneet Sharma | Amartya Rahut | Ram Sampath, Sasha Agha | 4:16 |
| 2. | "Jigra Fakira" | Manoj Kumar Nath | Vipin Mishra | Keerthi Sagathia | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Barbaadi" | Puneet Sharma | Amartya Rahut | K. Mohan | 4:32 |
| 4. | "Aurangzeb" | Vipin Mishra | Vipin Mishra | Marianne D'Cruz | 3:11 |
| 5. | "Aurangzeb - Rock Version" | Vipin Mishra | Vipin Mishra | Vipin Mishra | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Trial By Fire – Main Theme" | – | Vipin Mishra | Instrumental | 2:31 |
| 7. | "Battleground Gurgaon" | – | Vipin Mishra | Instrumental | 3:03 |
| 8. | "The Father's Truth" | – | Vipin Mishra | Instrumental | 3:27 |
| 9. | "Aurangzeb – Orchestral" | – | Vipin Mishra | Instrumental | 1:13 |
Reception[edit | edit source]
Critical response[edit | edit source]
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Template:Rotten Tomatoes prose
Meena Iyer of The Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the performances of Rishi Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Jackie Shroff.[10] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing that the performances of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Rishi Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor are the best thing about Aurangzeb.[11] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, writing "On the whole, Aurangzeb has a great premise, but great plots don't generally translate into great films. This one's way too lengthy and mediocre to leave any kind of impression whatsoever. Disappointing!".[12] Mohar Basu of Koimoi gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, praising the script and performances, but criticised the length and poor editing.[13] Ravina Rawal of Firstpost wrote "Aurangzeb is a story of potentially epic proportions but its struggle to be coherent and its final conclusion is unable to match the build-up and premise".[14]
Box office[edit | edit source]
The film collected ₹18.5 crore domestically, and was declared as a flop by Box Office India.[15][16]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Aurangzeb (2013)". British Board of Film Classification.
- ↑ "Aurangzeb Box Office Collection". Bollywood Hungama.
- ↑ Singh, Suhani (10 May 2013). "There are traits of Aurangzeb in most of the characters of the film: Atul Sabharwal". India Today. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ↑ "After Agneepath, Rishi Kapoor to play villain in Prithviraj starrer 'Aurangzeb'". The Times of India. 23 August 2012. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ↑ "First look: Arjun Kapoor's twin look in Aurangzeb". India Today. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ↑ "WATCH: Arjun Kapoor in first official trailer of Aurangzeb". Hindustan Times. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ↑ "There's an Aurangzeb in every character: Arjun Kapoor". The Times of India. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ↑ "Watch: 'Barbadiyaan',a club track from 'Aurangzeb' featuring Arjun Kapoor,Sasha Agha". The Indian Express. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ↑ "Aurangzeb". www.yashrajfilms.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ↑ Iyer, Meena. "Review: Aurangzeb". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ↑ Verma, Sukanya. "Review: Aurangzeb is VERY engaging". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ↑ "Aurangzeb Movie Review". Bollywood Hungama. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ↑ Basu, Mohar (17 May 2013). "Aurangzeb Review". Koimoi. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ↑ "Movie Review: Good acting can't save Aurangzeb from its incoherent plot". Firstpost. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ↑ "Aurangzeb - Movie - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ↑ "'Aurangzeb' is a dud! : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". 21 May 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2025.