Agneepath (1990 film)

Agneepath (Hindi pronunciation: [əɡnɪpətʰ], transl. The Path of Fire) is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language action crime film directed by Mukul S. Anand, written by Santosh Saroj and Kader Khan, and produced by Yash Johar under the Dharma Productions banner. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, a man who enters the Mumbai underworld to avenge the wrongful death of his father and the injustices suffered by his family. The supporting cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Rohini Hattangadi, Danny Denzongpa, and Alok Nath.

The film’s title is derived from a Hindi poem of the same name written by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan’s father. The poem is recited during the film and serves as a recurring thematic motif. The narrative was reportedly inspired in part by the real-life gangster Manya Surve.

Released theatrically in 1990, Agneepath received mixed initial reception and underperformed at the box office despite being the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. However, the film gained cult status over time and has since been re-evaluated for its stylized direction, intense performances, and socio-political themes. Bachchan won Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 38th National Film Awards—his first in that category. At the 36th Filmfare Awards, Chakraborty and Hattangadi won Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

In 2012, the film was remade in under the same title by Karan Malhotra and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Hiroo Yash Johar's son Karan Johar as a tribute to be as a Yash Johar.