<p>In 1977, within the secluded island village of , Deenanath Chauhan, a revered school teacher, commands immense respect among the villagers. Consumed by envy over Deenanath’s widespread admiration, the village chief enlists his nefarious son, Kancha Cheena, to tarnish Deenanath’s reputation and further his own sinister ambitions. Kancha, with aspirations of transforming Mandwa into a hub for a burgeoning drug empire, manipulates the villagers by proposing a deceptive plan to expand the local salt industry. Sensing Kancha’s ulterior motives, Deenanath warns the villagers against surrendering their lands. In retaliation, Kancha orchestrates a chilling conspiracy: he hires his men to rape and murder a young girl and cunningly frames Deenanath for the heinous act. Exploiting the villagers’ trust, Kancha incites a mob and publicly executes Deenanath by hanging him from a tree. This harrowing event is etched into the memory of a twelve-year-old Vijay, Deenanath’s son, who, alongside his pregnant mother Suhasini, is forced to flee the village. They find refuge in a chawl in , , but Vijay’s heart burns with an unrelenting desire for vengeance against Kancha. Amid their struggles, Suhasini gives birth to a daughter, Shiksha, while Vijay forms a bond with a local girl, Kaali Gawde. As Vijay starts growing up, he is drawn to the enigmatic and notorious Rauf Lala, a human trafficker and Kancha’s adversary. Rejecting a chance to testify against Lala, Vijay ingratiates himself into Lala’s criminal enterprise. However, this path of violence estranges him from Suhasini, who leaves with Shiksha after Vijay kills Kaali’s abusive father in a fit of rage. Fifteen years later in 1992, Vijay rises through the ranks to become Lala’s trusted lieutenant. Meanwhile, Commissioner Eknath Gaitonde, who has observed Vijay’s journey, covertly attempts to curb the crime syndicates of Mumbai. Kancha, seeking to extend his drug empire into the city, dispatches his emissary Shantaram to bribe influential officials, including the Home Secretary of Maharashtra, Borkar. However, Vijay, ever strategic, intercepts Borkar’s smuggling operations and forces him to capitulate, securing a monopoly for Lala’s syndicate. In recognition of this triumph, Lala rewards Vijay with control over Dongri. Vijay’s ascent is marked by cunning duplicity; he conspires with Shantaram to eliminate Lala’s son, Mazhar, ultimately betraying and killing Shantaram to cover his tracks. With Mazhar dead, Lala hospitalized and his younger son Azhar being mentally disabled and mute since childhood, Vijay seizes control of the empire, dismantling its criminal underpinnings including the abolishment trafficking of teenaged girls. This maneuver draws the attention of Kancha, who invites Vijay to Mandwa, proposing an alliance. Vijay’s intentions, however, remain resolutely personal. He demands Mandwa in exchange for Mumbai, a proposition that unsettles Kancha, who retaliates by decimating Vijay’s allies. To secure the deal, Kancha stipulates the assassination of Gaitonde. Meanwhile, a recovering Lala discovers Vijay’s betrayal and abducts Shiksha with the intent to sell her. Upon learning this, Vijay returns to Mumbai, engaging in a brutal confrontation that culminates in Lala’s death. Reunited with Shiksha and supported by Kaali, Vijay steels himself for the ultimate reckoning. As Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations unfold, Kancha’s lieutenant, Surya, grows suspicious of Vijay’s allegiance. Attempting to eliminate Gaitonde, Surya is intercepted and slain by Vijay in a public spectacle, further solidifying Vijay’s resolve. Sensing the danger looming over Vijay’s life Kaali and Vijay confess their love for each other and get married. Tragedy strikes when Kaali is fatally shot and murdered by Kancha’s henchmen in a shooting spree soon after they complete their wedding rituals. Devastated yet undeterred, Vijay decides to avenge the deaths of Deenanath and Kaali. He journeys to Mandwa, orchestrating a series of explosions that reduce the island to ashes. In an epic confrontation, Kancha overpowers Vijay by severely injuring him despite plea from Suhasini and Shiksha. Being tied up by Kancha and on the way to be hanged, Vijay musters up strength and exacts poetic justice by hanging Kancha from the very tree that bore witness to his father’s execution. However, the battle leaves Vijay gravely wounded. Succumbing to his injuries, he dies in his mother’s arms, his final vision a poignant reunion with his father and his younger self, calling him forward on the path of fire– Agneepath. Karan Johar explained in an interview with that he harboured intentions of remaking the original ever since its release in 1990. Although the film had received critical acclaim over the years, its commercial failure at the time of release had devastated his father, producer Yash Johar. Eventually, the idea of a possible remake materialised on the sets of Karan Johar’s fourth directorial venture , in which Karan Malhotra was his associate director. Johar told Malhotra of his desire to remake the original film and asked him to revisit it again. On not directing the film himself, Johar commented, “I am happy directing films on love, romance, and drama. That’s what I do best. I don’t think I will be good at an action film. So I am not taking the reins of the film in my hand”. However, Johar maintained that the new film would belong to a different milieu as compared to the original. He stated, “We are adapting the film from the original but ours would be a new age version that would fit in well with today’s time. We really hope that we are able to do justice to the original and make the remake exciting for today’s generation.” Karan dedicated the film to Yash Johar as a tribute. In an interview with , he added that the protagonist of the film would be “more of an underdog”, while the antagonist would be “more flamboyant and menacing” than the original. Several changes were made to the storyline of the original film, including the omission of certain characters and the addition of new ones. The characters of Krishnan Iyer M.A., played by and Nurse Mary Matthew, played by were done away with and new characters such as Rauf Lala and Kaali Gawde were introduced in the script. Moreover, the characterisation of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan was changed, unlike the original which was inspired by ‘s role in (1983). In an interview with , Malhotra explained the adaptation by saying, “The similarity (between the original and this film) lies only in the fact that it is a revenge film; a son seeking revenge for his father’s death. Unlike Mr. (Amitabh) Bachchan’s film, my film starts and ends in Mandwa and is primarily about the conflict between the mother and the son. It’s a completely new film with a lot of new characters.” He additionally termed to be a “crazily dramatic masala Bollywood film”. While media reports initially suggested that was being considered to portray the role of Vijay, Malhotra approached Roshan for the role. Roshan, however, was sceptical on taking up a role earlier played by and agreed to star in the film only after months of deliberation. He said, “The script had so much passion that I felt very emotional and I made up my mind to do it”. On casting Roshan, Malhotra explained, “Hrithik has the charm of a boy and the attitude of a man. Also, he has a certain vulnerability, which I was looking in my characterisation of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan.” While explaining the character of Vijay, Malhotra added, “Nobody can play Vijay the way Amitabh Bachchan did, and I would have wanted my Vijay to be subtle even if it wasn’t Hrithik. I wanted the negative characters in my film to be bigger. This made Hrithik’s victory seem bigger.” Roshan did not look up Bachchan’s performance in the original for inspiration, as he considered his role to be completely different in Malhotra’s vision. However, he faced several difficulties while filming, having suffered from a severe back injury, which caused him considerable pain, throughout the shooting schedule. During an interview with he quoted, ” is the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. I didn’t know what the film had in store for me. I’ve never been so tired in my life. I have exhausted my body completely.” Kapoor was subsequently cast as Rauf Lala, an underworld don; alien to the opportunity of playing a completely negative character in his entire career, he was initially hesitant to sign the film. Later, in an interview with he stated that when Malhotra had offered him the role, he considered it to be a joke and thought that he would be the reason for the film’s failure. Kapoor subsequently insisted on a test look before principal photography could begin, so that he could comfortably fit into the Muslim character of Lala, who wears in his eyes, a cap and is dressed in traditional . While shooting for the action sequences, Kapoor suffered several bad falls and bruises, but continued shooting and was thereby praised by Roshan for his professionalism. For the role of Kancha, the antagonist, Dutt was cast. According to Malhotra, the script of demanded that the villain be more powerful than the hero, and due to Dutt’s bulky frame, he was considered perfect for the role. The character of Kancha demanded that Dutt go bald, but due to a prior commitment to the film , which was being shot simultaneously, he could not do so for the sake of continuity. Therefore, Hollywood make up artist Robin Slater created a “bald” look for Dutt, with the use of . However, due to the summer heat in Diu, the make-up would eventually drip down Dutt’s face, which impelled him to finally shave his head. Malhotra admitted to being inspired by ‘s bald look in the film (1979) while designing Dutt’s character. Dutt explained his look by saying, “Kancha is suffering from an ailment that leaves him hairless. I shaved my head for the role, not once but twice, and the eye-brows and eye-lashes have been digitally removed.” Furthermore, Dutt worked out in the gym twice a day in order to bulk up for the role. During pre-production, media reports suggested that several actresses including , Chopra and were being considered for the role of Kaali Gawde. However, Chopra was approached over the others, and she agreed to do the film instantly. While initial reports suggested that Chopra would be playing the role of a in the film, they were later denied as rumours; in an interview with , she clarified that she was playing a prostitute’s daughter. On Chopra’s character, Malhotra commented, “Despite being a male dominated film, the part played by is very prominent. It isn’t that of a simple or ordinary lover. She is there for Vijay unconditionally and without any expectations. With all the dangerous people around her, she is like this pretty flower standing there with a smile on her face.” Chopra wanted to visit a to prepare for her role, but Malhotra insisted that she don’t for safety reasons. Among the supporting roles, Zarina Wahab was cast as Suhasini Chauhan, Vijay’s mother, a role originally played by . Wahab agreed to do the film due to her close association with producer Johar, who had earlier directed her in a brief role in . For the role of Shiksha Chauhan, newcomer Kanika Tiwari from Bhopal was auditioned and cast among 6500 girls. Filming for the song “Chikni Chameli” was demanding on , as she ended up with cuts and blisters on her feet, due to the long, stretched-out schedules. of took place in the of , which was used to double as the village of Mandwa. Johar had to complete several formalities before shooting could begin, due to the sensitive nature of the territory. Malhotra, however did not shoot in the port of itself, as it was “too congested”. While shooting for the film in Mumbai, a picture of Roshan, filming a sequence was leaked to the media. Worried over this, Johar increased the security on the sets and banned the use of cell phones. Additionally, Chopra faced difficulties in allocating dates to shoot for the film, as she was simultaneously shooting for ‘s . According to Malhotra, most of the action stunts in the film were shot by Roshan and Dutt themselves, while were used to film a few scenes. Several accidents took place during the filming of . Chopra’s caught fire, while shooting for an elaborate song. Roshan too scalded his hands while shooting for the same scene. Roshan also suffered from an eye injury during the shoot of a song, when colours were flung into his eyes by some junior artists. During a schedule in October, Roshan suffered from a major back injury while lifting a man weighing 110 kilograms, which was a part of an elaborate action sequence. Shooting was stalled for some time following the incident, while Roshan recuperated in a hospital. While was assigned as the cinematographer of , he opted out of the film after filming certain portions for unknown reasons. Kiran Deohans was later contracted to replace him. was contracted as the for the film, along with a team of 200 people. He explained the creation of Kancha’s den by saying that he built a -like structure with tantric paintings on the walls, resembling an old fort built by the Portuguese (who had historically occupied Diu). Vijay’s home, on the other hand, was a “small sack-like thing” on the terrace of a , which was built on open ground with a hundred houses. Cyril added, “We wanted a tree to be at the edge of a hillside, protruding out due to erosion, with not enough soil. We made this banyan tree with fibre as we wanted it to have a particular look.” This tree forms a visual thread to represent Kancha’s atrocities in the film. The song “Chikni Chameli” featuring Kaif was shot in , Mumbai, where the entire set of Dutt’s villa was recreated. The music of was composed by , with lyrics written by . The songs were composed with the help of being extensively used. While explaining the process involved in composing the soundtrack, Ajay said that Malhotra narrated the story to them for over four hours, whilst humming the background score that he wanted. This was followed by innumerable discussions which made them “understand each other well”. He also mentioned that the song ” ” was a remake of their own song ” ” from the film (2006). acquired the rights to the album for (US$1.1 million). derives its name from a poem of the same name written by . The poem, which is recited through the film provides a metaphorical link to represent Vijay’s quest for vengeance. Several critics consider to be a homage to the era of the melodramatic, over-the-top action films of the 1980s and 90s. Critic Rajeev Masand analysed, ” is a throwback to those heightened action dramas of the 90s, so every dialogue is delivered as a punch-line; our hero may be battered and stabbed, yet he’ll rise like the Phoenix, and the women are flung around to be raped or sold as sex slaves.” He added, “The film is enhanced by uncompromising, brutal action, and by its striking camerawork, especially those scenes framed against a monsoon sky, heavy with dark clouds.” Writing for , Mayank Shekhar explained that the film, like several other Bollywood films, was inspired by the Indian epic tale of the . He also added that “the external logic of a star-driven, fantasy fed film” would “not be easy to gulp for many.” While writing a critique for , Suparna Sharma quoted, ” is more than a remake or a homage to the original. It’s about a son righting a wrong and this emotion makes us connect with the film immediately.” The first official trailer of was launched at a press conference in Mumbai on 29 August 2011. Dharma Productions the event live on the production house’s YouTube channel. The event was attended by the entire cast: Roshan, Kapoor, Dutt and Chopra. The trailer of the film was the third most watched trailer in India, behind the films, and . The film associated itself with to provide a discount of (59¢ US) to customers buying a meal at the joint. Additionally, few winners were offered a chance to win a lunch date with Roshan. As part of the promotional campaign, Roshan, Dutt and Chopra visited on 19 January 2012, to interact with fans at a shopping mall, followed by an invitational party. The actors travelled to several places in India including New Delhi, and other cities to promote the film. also released an based on the film. Prior to its theatrical release, the (CBFC) certified the film with a after demanding a few cuts, due to a high proportion of violence present in the film. Explaining the certificate, Pankaja Thakur, CEO of CBFC stated, ” has a lot of bloodsheds but none of us felt disturbed by it. The violence is not the type that can psychologically damage a child and the softer scenes of the film managed to offset the darker part of it”. The film’s posters subsequently featured disclaimers reading, “This film is certified U/A. We advise parental guidance due to violence in the film.” The board consequently praised Johar for the step. Initially scheduled to release on 28 December 2011, was postponed by a week to 26 January to coincide with the . The film eventually released at around 2650 screens worldwide. The satellite rights of the film were originally sold to for a sum of (US$4.8 million), a month before the theatrical release, which marked a distant first for the studio, whose earlier rights were often sold either to or . Somehow, this meant that the deal would appear in later stages, and after being one of the films, several films produced by the studio in 2017, 2018 and 2019 would be sold to Zee TV. Dharma Productions released the DVD of on 13 March 2012 across all regions in the format, with a censor rating of . The DVD includes special features such as the “making of the film” and “deleted scenes and songs”. It is available in and Stereo format with English and Arabic subtitles presented in . The film is now available on and , with its renewed satellite rights now owned by . Upon release, received positive reviews from film critics in India with praise directed towards its direction, screenplay, music, cinematography and performances (particularly those of Roshan, Dutt and Kapoor). of gave the film a score of 4.5 out of 5, and said, ” is an uncomplicated story of revenge, is hard-hitting yet entertaining, dwells on strong emotions and aggressive and forceful action, yet is dissimilar from the original. It is a fitting tribute to the masterwork.” Subhash K. Jha of gave it 4 out of 5 stars, while commenting, “Every component of the film falls into place, with a resounding thump. Agneepath is brilliant in its brutality. It’s a riveting and hectic homage to the spirit of the cinema when revenge reigned supreme. And content was king. This new takes us back to the era when there was no computer or cellphones. And communication with the audience was immediate and electrifying.” Kaveree Bamzai of rated the film 4 out of 5, noting, “Melodramatic, choir-inducing sentiment, ecstatic. is that rare mainstream movie written well.” Aniruddha Guha of gave the film 3.5 out of 5, reviewing, “An adaptation rather than a remake, the film assumes a life of its own once the central plot has been established. The film then charts a journey of his own.” Piyali Dasgupta of gave it 3.5 out of 5, stating “Watch this film because this one is unadulterated Bollywood entertainment.” Daily Bhaskar gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, while adding, “On the whole, totally rests on star power which will lure the cine-goers to halls but how far will it impress them remains to be seen.” Avijit Ghosh of gave the film 3 stars out of 5, and said, “Try to wipe out the movie’s earlier version from your mind. You might find it more enjoyable.” Sukanya Verma of gave it 3 out of 5, while commenting, ” , less of a remake, more of a tribute. The makers of should have just called it .” Kunal Guha of gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying that, “The biggest dilemma of remaking a movie is how much to retain and what to retain. If the new story takes violent shifts, you lose the audience who came to revisit the original. If you photocopy scene-by-scene, you risk failing to connect with the audience who is accustomed to present sensibilities. The only safe bet: a ‘khichdi’ of the past and the present, like this one.” Mayank Shekhar of gave the film 3 out of 5 stars while remarking, “This is the kind of genuine theatre experience, now getting rare, which remains most precious in the life of a film-goer. Reason can take over later. I had a ball!” Sonia Chopra of gave it 3 out of 5, and mentioned, “Debut director Karan Malhotra shows great promise in making the film visually arresting and maintaining the consistency of performances. But remaking a cult film means you have big shoes to fill. If you’re a loyalist of the late Mukul Anand’s , you’re likely to have reservations with this one. But if you leave the comparisons aside and are willing to forgive the faults, is worth a watch essentially to savor Hrithik’s performance.” of gave 3 out of 5 and said, “It is in the end, an old-fashioned revenge drama treated in that melodramatic, over-the-top style. You’re not likely to be bored by the intense action and the solid performances, but prepare to be exhausted by just how long this film plays on.” Overseas, the film received positive reviews. Russel Edwards of reviewed, “Debuting helmer Karan Malhotra stokes up a fiery revenge tale in , an expensively pumped-up, relentlessly energetic retelling of the 1990 Amitabh Bachchan cult favorite of the same name. Toplining Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan and veteran actor Sanjay Dutt donning the hat as the antagonist, this dynamic Hindi action extravaganza boosts its potent story with an aggressive style that will ensure audiences feel every blow.” Farah Andrews of praised the film while saying, “Fans of the 1990 original starring Amitabh Bachchan and Danny Denzongpa as Vijay and Kancha may be wary about the remake, but take it from us, the revamped flick is well worth a watch.” Rabina A. Khan of wrote, “Director Karan Malhotra has made an impressive film under the able guidance of his mentor, Karan Johar. It scores on all directorial aspects – design, sound, edit, costumes, camera, a phenomenal cast, dialogues, and a very gripping screenplay.” broke the record of the , with a nett of (US$2.6 million) on its opening day, surpassing the previous record held by . Subsequently, the film netted (US$7.3 million) over its extended four-day weekend. The film’s collections sustained well on its first Monday and it netted around (US$890,000), taking its five-day total to (US$8.2 million) nett. It netted (US$770,000) on Tuesday and another (US$590,000) nett on Wednesday. The movie brought its first-week total to (US$10 million) nett, thereby emerging as a major commercial success. The film collected (US$2.7 million) in its second week, thus taking its two-week total to (US$13 million) nett. The film collected (US$900,000) nett in its third week, taking its three-week nett collections to (US$14 million). It collected (US$310,000) in its fourth week, taking its four-week nett collections to (US$14 million). was thus declared a “superhit”. has collected (US$14 million) in its lifetime run in India. Its final distributor share was (US$7.7 million). After a successful opening in the domestic market, made (US$2.0 million) in its four-day weekend, overseas. At the time of release, the film holds the record for the twelfth largest opening ever internationally. The film has grossed around $6 million in overseas markets.</p>