Agneepath (English: The Path of Fire) is a 1990 Indian action-drama film directer is Mukul Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan as the protagonist Vijay Deenanath Chavan along with Mithun Chakraborty, Madhavi, Neelam Kothari, Rohini Hattangadi and Danny Denzongpa as the antagonist Kancha Cheena. The film was produced by Yash Johar.The title was taken from a poem of the same name called ‘Agneepath’ which was penned by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Amitabh’s father, and which is recited at the beginning of the movie and creates a thematic link that ontinues through the movie, particularly in the climax, both literally and metaphorically.Agneepath has grown into a strong cult film over the years. It is considered a milestone in Bachchan’s career, and in the league of his all-time great movies. Amitabh Bachchan received his first National Film Award for Best Actor at the 38th National Film Awards for his performance.
Mithun Chakraborty received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. The film, despite being the tenth highest-grosser of 1990, had collections way below its high budget, and thus, the film recorded as flop at the box-office. The film was remade in 2012 with the same title, by Johar’s son Karan Johar, as a tribute to his father. This movie seems to have some inspiration from 1983 Al Pacino hit movie Scarface.
- Directer : Mukul S. Anand
- Producer : Yash Johar
- Screenplay : Santosh Saroj, Kader Khan
- Story : Santosh Saroj
- Starring : AmitabhBachchan,MithunChakraborty,Madhavi,Neelam Kothari,Danny Denzongpa,Rohini Hattangadi,Alok Nath
- Music : Laxmikant Pyarelal,Jean Michel Jarre,Anand Bakshi (lyrics)
- Cinematography : Pravin Bhatt
- Editer : Waman Bhonsle
- Distributer : Dharma Productions (India)
- Release date : 16 February 1990
- Running time : 174 minutes
- Country : India
- Language : Hindi
- Box office : ₹102.5 million (US$1.4 million)
Agneepath Film Story:
Much-loved village schoolmaster Deenanath Chauhan (Alok Nath) strongly opposes the plans of Kancha Cheena, an underworld don (Danny Dengzongpa) and his band of gangsters to set up a base for heroin smuggling. After being discredited in a set-up scandal and lynched by the manipulated villagers, his family is evicted and made destitute much to Cheena’s advantage. Swearing revenge after his father’s murder and the attempted rape of his mother Suhasini Chavan (Rohini Hattangadi) go unpunished, and with a burning desire to clear his father’s name, his son Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) takes on the responsibilities of caring for his mother and sister Siksha (Neelam) that, by a strange twist of fate, cause him to become a gangster in his own right. Working his way up the ladder and attaining notoriety as an underworld kingpin, Vijay suffers an assassination attempt by fellow gangsters after he refuses to co-operate with their drug-smuggling operations.
Left to die, he is discovered by Krishnan Iyer M.A. (Mithun Chakraborty) who transports him to hospital and saves his life, and who eventually finds employment as Siksha’s bodyguard. During his time in hospital, Vijay is cared for by Nurse Mary Matthew (Madhavi).Vijay avenges his assassination attempt by killing his killers one by one, but his mother strongly disapproves of his murderous and gangster tendencies and drives him away from home after chastising him for dirtying the good name of his father. Vijay, hurt and upset, seeks solace in Mary’s arms and begins a relationship with her. Siksha is then kidnapped and held in a slum by a gangster who wants to avenge the death of his associates killed by Vijay, and an unsuccessful rescue attempt by Krishnan ends up with the two of them brawling. Vijay hears of this and arrives to kill the gangster in a fit of rage.
But this close encounter between Krishnan and Siksha causes a growing intimacy between the two of them and they fall in love with each other. Vijay is outraged and strongly protests against the relationship to his mother, but is rebuffed again when his mother disowns him a second time and considers Krishnan her “good son”. Stung and deeply hurt by this slight, he again seeks solace in Mary and later marries her and resolves to do things “in the right way” to gain his mother’s favour.After cutting a deal with Kancha Cheena to allow him access into his old village, Vijay sets in motion a number of strategies that undercut Cheena’s criminal operations and gain him the legal ownership of the village. Revenge is a dish best served cold as Vijay informs Cheena of his identity as the son of Dinanath Chavan, lands Cheena in jail and arranges for Cheena’s associates to testify against him in court. Vijay returns the village to his mother and finds himself back in her favour, but Cheena ensures his release by arranging for the witnesses to be gunned down and Vijay’s family to be kidnapped and held hostage. This is the last straw for Vijay who is forced to return to his criminal ways and to walk the “Path of Fire” in order to rescue them. An almighty struggle takes place as Cheena bombs every building and demolishes the whole village before he is killed by Vijay’s bare hands. But Vijay does not survive; he dies of a bullet wound in the lap of his mother at the site of his old house.
His mother realises that everything Vijay had done until then had been for the ultimate purpose of restoring the good name of Dinanath Chavan, and she weeps over his body piteously along with Krishnan, Siksha and Mary.
Star Cast Of The Film :
- Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Chavan
- Mithun Chakraborty as Krishnan Iyer M.A.
- Madhavi as Mary Mathew
- Danny Denzongpa as Kancha Cheena (Underworld Kingpin)
- Neelam Kothari as Siksha Chavan
- Goga Kapoor as Dinkar Rao
- Alok Nath as Master Deenanath Chavan
- Rohini Hattangadi as Suhasini Chavan
- Sharat Saxena as Terralin (Rival Gang leader)
- Tinnu Anand as Nathu Vikram
- Gokhale as Commissioner M. S. Gaitonde
- Archana Puran Singh as Shanti aka Laila
- Avtar Gill as Usman Bhai (Rival Gang leader)
- Shammi as Tara Bai
- Bob Christo as Gora
- Shakti Kapoor as himself in the song Ali Baba
- Asha Sachdev as Chanda Bai
- Deepak Shirke as Anna Shetty (Rival Gang leader)
- Pradeep Rawat as Vijay’s Henchman
- Master Manjunath as Young Vijay Chavan
- Anjan Srivastav as Police Constable
Song Of The Film:
- “Kisko Tha Pata” : SP Balasubramanyam, Alka Yagnik
- “I Am Krishnan Iyer M. A.”: SP Balasubramanyam
- “Ali Baba Mil Gaye Chalis Choron Se”: Runa Laila, Aadesh
- “Ganpati Apne Gaon Chale” : Sudesh Bhosle, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Anupama Deshpande
Awards:
- Nominee / work Award
- Amitabh Bachchan National Film Award for Best Actor
- Mithun Chakraborty Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
- Rohini Hattangadi Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
“Ganpati Apne Gaon Chale” Song:
Song Credits :
- Singers : Sudesh Bhosle, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Anupama Deshpande
- Music Director : Laxmikant-Pyarelal
- Lyricist : Anand Bakshi
- Edit & Gfx : Nadeem Akhtar (Paperboyz Studioz)
