Batwara

Last updated

Batwara
Batwara poster.jpg
Directed by J.P. Dutta
Written byJ.P. Dutta
Produced bySalim Akhtar
Starring Dharmendra
Vinod Khanna
Mohsin Khan
Shammi Kapoor
Dimple Kapadia
Poonam Dhillon
Amrita Singh
Asha Parekh
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Amrish Puri
Narrated by Amitabh Bachchan
CinematographyIshwar R. Bidri
Edited byDeepak Wirkud
Music by Laxmikant–Pyarelal
Distributed byAftab Pictures
Release date
  • 14 July 1989 (1989-07-14)
Running time
181 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹est.30-33 million [1]
Box office₹100 million [1]

Batwara is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by J.P. Dutta. The film features an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Mohsin Khan, Shammi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Poonam Dhillon, Amrita Singh, Asha Parekh, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Amrish Puri. The film centres around a long-standing friendship between an aristocratic (Khanna) and a low-caste cop (Dharmendra) is broken due to the former turning vengeful due to the death of his brother at the hands of the peasants, and that how the latter stands up to him.

Contents

Batwara released worldwide on 14 July 1989, and received mostly positive reviews from critics. Commercially, it was a hit at the box office and was the 9th highest grossing film of 1989.

Plot

Sumer and Vikram are two close friends, whose close bond is well known in the village. Sumer serves as a cop. Vikram belongs to the landlords.

The film is set post-independence, and a new land sealing law is drafted by the Government, which states that individuals cannot own land beyond a certain limit. This is a big blow to the Thakurs, since they own hundreds of acres of land. As per the new law, they would have surrendered the excess land to the government, which would be distributed to the farmers. The Bade Thakur and his eldest son Deven cannot come to terms with this new change. Deven plans a plot, in which he will distribute the land amongst their relatives by back dating the transaction dates. For this, they would need signature / thumb impressions of the farmers who are tilling the land (the land is mortgaged to the Thakurs). The Sarpanch (Village Head) is on their side and agrees to help in manipulating the records as well as convincing the farmers to give their approval.

They have a meeting, wherein the farmers are adamant about sticking with their land. A heated argument leads to Deven getting panicked and shooting from his rifle, killing one villager. This infuriates the rest, and the mob lynch him. Vikram rushes back to his village to perform the last rites of his brother. He cannot bear the pain of the loss of his brother and sets off towards the dwellings of the farmer with his rifle. He kills many farmers and sets fire to their homes. From there, he escapes to the ravines and joins the bandits. Vikram gets his gang. In return, the bandits get money and protection from the influential Thakur family. Meanwhile, Vikram's youngest brother Rajendra who is also a cop, returns to his village. He is disappointed to see that his brother has turned into a bandit. His father urges him to protect Vikram from the law and exact revenge from the villagers who have defied their supremacy. Rajendra, true to his vow as a cop, refuses to do this.

When Sumer returns to his village, he cannot come to terms with what has happened and is deeply anguished that his best friend has done it. He marries his love interest, Jina, immediately, since she is orphaned as her brother was killed by Vikram. Sumer meets Vikram and declares that this is the end of their friendship. Meanwhile, Bade Thakur (Vikram's Dad) invites Hanumant Thakur (Rajendra's Junior Cop) to suppress the rebellion led by Sumer. Hanumant says that his hands are tied by his boss Rajendra. Bade Thakur arranges for his transfer, and Hanumant takes charge from Rajendra. He then releases a reign of terror. In one such incident, he kicks pregnant Jina, which causes miscarriage. This infuriates Sumer, and he attacks the police station, kills all the cops and assumes that Hanumant has also died, but he survives. He loots the arsenal from the police and distributes it to the villagers. Now Sumer also turns a bandit and joins with the rival gang of Vikram.

This gives rise to a game of cat and mouse. Sumer loots the granary of the Thakurs, and Vikram loots the money they earned after selling the produce in the market. In response, Sumer loots the Haveli (Mansion) of the Thakurs. At this point, Rajendra is restored back to his position and takes charge of the situation. Vikram now plans to burn up the entire village. Meanwhile, Vikram's gang leader plots to get him killed in a police encounter by leaking this information to the police for a hefty price. As planned, Vikram arrives in the village, but is trapped by the police. He manages to escape, but most of his gang members are killed. Sumer plans to retaliate by raiding the Haveli of the Thakurs once more. It is now clear that there would be a major showdown between the two rivals. Rajendra gets to investigate the rebellion and comes across brutalities committed by Hanumant. He plans to get him and his accomplices suspended from the police force. Hanumant plans to eliminate Rajendra in the upcoming showdown between the two rivals. This is overheard by a cop, who relays this to Vikram. At this point, the two ladies (Sumer's wife and Vikram's wife) intervene. They reveal how the gang leaders of their respective gangs are betraying them for money.

Sumer and Vikram now join hands, first eliminate the leaders of their respective gangs and then reach the designated point where the showdown is supposed to happen. The police are already present there and have trapped them well. They feign to surrender and kidnap Hanumant. Later, they rekindle their memories of childhood and kill Hanumant like a hunting a wild boar. Meanwhile, bullets are piercing their bodies like a cold hailstorm (just as they had described in one of their childhood memories).

Cast

Soundtrack

The lyrics were penned by Hasan Kamal.

  1. "Ye Ishq Dunk Bichhua Ka, Are Isse Raam Bachaye" – Lata Mangeshkar, Ila Arun
  2. "Thare Vaste Re Dhola Nain Mhare Jage" – Anuradha Paudwal, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Alka Yagnik
  3. "Jo Mai Aisa Janati Prit Kiye Duhkh Hoy" – Anuradha Paudwal, Kavita Krishnamurthy
  4. "Aa Idhar Aa Meri Jaan Tujhko Mai Jawani Ka Jalwa Dikha Du" – Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sudesh Bhosle, Mohammed Aziz
  5. "Zindagi Wafa Kare" - Suresh Wadkar, Mohammed Aziz

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoolan Devi</span> Indian bandit and politician (1963–2001)

Phoolan Devi, popularly known as the Bandit Queen, was an Indian dacoit (bandit) who became a politician, serving as a member of parliament until her assassination.She was a woman of the Mallah subcaste who grew up in poverty in a village in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where her family was on the losing side of a land dispute which caused them many problems. After being married off at the age of eleven and being sexually abused by various people, she joined a gang of dacoits. Her gang robbed higher-caste villages and held up trains and vehicles. When she punished her rapists and evaded capture by the authorities, she became a heroine to the Other Backward Classes who saw her as a Robin Hood figure. Phoolan Devi was charged in absentia for the 1981 Behmai massacre, in which twenty Thakur men were killed, allegedly on her command. After this event, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh resigned, and calls to apprehend her were amplified. She surrendered two years later in a carefully negotiated settlement and spent eleven years in Gwalior prison, awaiting trial.

<i>Bandit Queen</i> 1994 film by Shekhar Kapur

Bandit Queen is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language biographical action-adventure film based on the life of Phoolan Devi as covered in the book India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi by the Indian author Mala Sen. It was directed by Shekhar Kapur and starred Seema Biswas as the title character. The music was composed by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie and Best Direction for that year. The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, and was screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival. The film was selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

<i>Aatank Hi Aatank</i> 1995 Indian film

Aatank Hi Aatank is a 1995 Indian Hindi-language action crime film written, edited and directed by Dilip Shankar. Highly inspired by The Godfather, it stars Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla and Archana Joglekar.

<i>Kshatriya</i> (film) 1993 Indian film

Kshatriya (transl. Warriors) is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language action film directed and co-written by J. P. Dutta. It features an ensemble cast of Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt, with Rakhee Gulzar, Meenakshi Seshadri, Raveena Tandon, Divya Bharti and Sumalatha.

<i>Hathyar</i> (1989 film) 1989 Indian film

Hathyar (transl. Weapon) is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language action crime film written and directed by J. P. Dutta. It features an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Sanjay Dutt, Rishi Kapoor, Amrita Singh, Sangeeta Bijani, Asha Parekh, Paresh Rawal and Kulbhushan Kharbanda. The film focuses on how poverty forces a youngster (Dutt) to turn to crime by joining forces with the biggest don in town (Dharmendra), much to the chargin of his mother (Parekh), his lover (Singh) and his friend and the don's brother (Kapoor).

<i>Mela</i> (1971 film) 1971 Indian film

Mela is a 1971 Indian Hindi-language family drama movie directed by Prakash Mehra. This was Prakash Mehra's second directorial venture after Haseena Maan Jayegi (1968).

<i>Insaaf Kaun Karega</i> 1987 Indian film

Insaaf Kaun Karega is a 1987 Indian action film directed by Sudarsan Nag and written by K. C. Bokadia. It stars Dharmendra, Rajinikanth, Jaya Prada, Madhavi. It was a hit at the box office.

<i>Rajput</i> (film) 1982 Indian film

Rajput is a 1982 Hindi romantic action film starring Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Tina Munim and Ranjeeta Kaur. It was directed by Vijay Anand. The film took many years for its completion. As per Boxofficeindia.com, it was the ninth highest-grossing film of 1982.

<i>Shankar Shambhu</i> 1976 film

Shankar Shambhu is a 1976 Bollywood action film starring Feroz Khan, Vinod Khanna & Sulakshana Pandit in the lead roles. It is directed by Chand and produced by A. K. Nadiadwala.

<i>Patthar Aur Payal</i> 1974 film

Patthar Aur Payal is a 1974 Bollywood action film directed by Harmesh Malhotra and produced by K.P. Singh. The film stars Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Ajit, Rajendranath, Iftekhar and Jayshree T.

<i>Phulwa</i> Indian television series

Phulwa is an Indian television drama on the Colors TV. It is set against the backdrop of Chambal forest near Morena, Madhya Pradesh. The story is loosely based on the life of Phoolan Devi, the dacoit-turned politician.

<i>Mohabbat Ki Kasam</i> 1986 Indian film

Mohabbat Ki Kasam is a 1986 Bollywood action melodrama film directed by K. Pappu. It stars Amjad Khan, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Tanuja, with special appearances from two of Bollywood's biggest stars, Dharmendra and Rajesh Khanna. Produced by P. B. Pictures, it features music by Kamalkant. The lyricist was Kulwant Jani. The director of photography was Sushil Chopra, the film also features Vinod Mehra, Shoma Anand, Moon Moon Sen, Anita Raj, Paintal and Imtiaz Khan, forming an ensemble cast.

<i>Mardon Wali Baat</i> 1988 Indian film

Mardonwali Baat is a 1988 Bollywood action film directed by Brij, with the starcast Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi, Sanjay Dutt, Jaya Prada in lead roles. The music was composed by R. D. Burman. It is the final film of director Brij. The film flopped, according to Trade Guide 1988's annual list.

<i>Mahaveera</i> (film) 1988 Indian film

Mahaveera is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language film, directed by Naresh Saigal and starring Raaj Kumar, Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar, Dimple Kapadia in pivotal roles.

<i>Nyaydaata</i> 1999 Indian film

Nyaydaata is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language film starring Dharmendra, Jaya Prada, Harish Kumar & Ritu Shivpuri.

<i>Dharam Kanta</i> 1982 Indian film

Dharam Kanta is a 1982 Hindi-language action film, produced and directed by Sultan Ahmed under the Sultan Productions banner. It stars Raaj Kumar, Waheeda Rehman, Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Reena Roy, Sulakshana Pandit, Amjad Khan in the pivotal roles and music composed by Naushad. The movie was a hit on its release and completed silver jubilee

<i>Waqt Ki Deewar</i> 1981 Indian film

Waqt Ki Deewar is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced by T.C. Dewan under the Modern Pictures banner and directed by Ravi Tandon. It stars Sanjeev Kumar, Jeetendra, Sulakshana Pandit, Neetu Singh in lead roles and music composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal.

<i>Pratigya</i> (1975 film) 1975 Indian film

Pratiggya is a 1975 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film. Produced by Dharmendra and B. S. Deol, the film is directed by Dulal Guha. The music was by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and the lyricist was Anand Bakshi. It stars Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Ajit, Johnny Walker, Jagdeep, Mukri, Mehar Mittal and Keshto Mukherjee.

<i>Khoon Aur Paani</i> 1981 Indian film

Khoon Aur Paani is a 1981 Hindi-language action film, produced by A. A. Nadiadwala under the A.G.Films Pvt. Ltd. banner and directed by Chand. It stars Feroz Khan, Jeetendra, Rekha, Parveen Babi and music composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal.

Kaun Rokega Mujhe is a 1997 Hindi-language action thriller film of Bollywood, directed and produced by Kamal Raj Bhasin and starring Chunky Pandey and Nagma in the lead roles. This film was released on 12 December 1997 under the banner of Kamal Raj International. The music directors of the film were Laxmikant–Pyarelal.

References

  1. 1 2 "Batwara (1989) Hindi Movie Review, Budget and Box Office Collection". Bollywood Product. 8 July 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.