Agneepath

On the island of Mandwa, a teacher named Dinanath Chauhan opposes Kancha, who wants to open the village to the drug trade, and is hanged in front of the villagers. His son Vijay is twelve that day. Years later he returns as a man who has risen in Bombay's criminal world, with one purpose: to face Kancha. Karan Malhotra directs. Hrithik Roshan plays Vijay, Sanjay Dutt plays Kancha, Rishi Kapoor plays Rauf Lala, with Priyanka Chopra and Zarina Wahab. It is a remake of the 1990 film of the same name, in which Amitabh Bachchan played Vijay and won a National Film Award. That film did no business and became a cult over time. This version changes the story substantially: the village, the character of Kancha and the ending are all rewritten. Sanjay Dutt shaved his head for the part and the character's appearance was placed at the centre of the marketing; Kancha became one of the most discussed villains in Indian cinema of the period. Rishi Kapoor's Rauf Lala is the reverse of everything an actor known for romantic roles had done, and is the most praised performance in the film. It was a large commercial success. Who it is for: viewers who like Bollywood revenge drama and star centred crime films. Who it is not for: it runs close to three hours, the violence is heavy, and the narrative slides into melodrama in the second half.