Ghatak: Lethal

Amrish will get you emotionally invested, Danny will have you cursing at the screen and Sunny will satisfy your thirst for revenge. After Ghayal this is my favourite Sunny action movie.

Of all the Indian action films I have seen recently, including Sholay, China Gate, and Bichoo, I would have to place Ghattak at the top. There may be others but I have yet to see them. The action and fight scenes are very well done and realistic which shows that considerable effort went into making them just right. Too often, we see ultra special effects try to make up for sloppy editing and slip-shod action. Nothing looked fakey in Ghattak which enhanced the overall effect and proved that Bollywood can make decent action flics after all. Ghattak was also not marred by feeble comedy attempts and the songs blended well with the action so that nothing slowed the pace of the film.

Sunny Deol has been my hero for a very long time, and I consider Ghatak to be the film in which he plays his most intense and endearing role.

Plot: Shambu Nath (played the late Amrish Puri) lives in Banaras. Shambu Nath has been coughing up blood for some time, so his adopted son Kashi Nath (Sunny Deol), wants him to go and visit his son Shiv Nath (K.K Raina) who has married and moved (without his father's consent) to the outskirts of a big city and has setup a small business of a bookstore there.

They arrive, and are welcomed by Shiv. Shiv arranges for a medical checkup at a hospital for Shambu.

One day it so happens that Kashi defends a helpless woman (played by Ila Arun) against some thugs. This sparks off a raging war between the leader of the thugs called Katya played by (Danny Denzongpa).

Will Shambu be cured? Will Kashi prevail against the tyranny of Katya? See the film to find out.

The film is directed by Shree Rajkumar Santoshi who has directed such blockbuster hits like Damini (1993), Ghayal (1990), Pukar (2000), Andaz Apna Apna(1994) and China Gate(1998).

Other notable stars in the film are Om Puri, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Tinnu Annand, Mukesh Rishi, Rohini Hattangadi, and Viju Khote.

Ghatak is one of my all time favorite movies and easily my best Sunny Deol movie .The dialogues of Ghaatak are excellent because they are very very realistic.One can watch this movie only to hear brilliant dialogues.The songs are very good especially Nigahon Ne cheraa hai and Koi Jaaye to le aaye by Alka Yagnik.This movie is a must watch for every person who want to understand what is the true meaning of one's right in life.Only Sunny Deol could do full justification to the role of a macho,manly,honest and tough person like Kaashi's character in this movie.Amrish Puri has also acted brilliantly in this movie.Ghaatak is definitely a must watch movie for any Bollywood fan.You will never repent after watching this movie completely if you believe in meaningful cinema.

Rajkumar Santoshi's Ghatak makes its point loud and clear. However, it's not preachy and provides a proper plot with entertainment. Still, I feel this is one of his most underrated pictures. This was the third film with the hit trio of Rajkumar Santoshi, Sunny Deol and Amrish Puri. How one wishes they did more films together after that.

Shambu Nath is sick and needs treatment. His adopted son, Kashi takes him to mumbai to live with Shambu's real son and family. After a few days, Kashi notices something about the people in the city. He notices that they fear the gangster of that area by the name of Kathiya. One circumstances leads to another and Kashi has found himself in a war with Kathiya. However, the war is more than just a war against a gangster, Kashi is fighting against cowardice.

The best thing about the film is that it's not boring and keeps the viewer intrigued all through. Not to forget, the movie has a handful of hard-hitting scenes.

-The murder of Sachdev in the beginning. -Sunny's first scene with Danny -Danny torturing Sunny and Amrish -Sunny's revenge -Climax

However, the best scenes involve Sunny Deol and Amrish Puri together. The scene when Sunny breaks down in front of his dying father is heart-breaking.

Music is good.

Rajkumar Santoshi's direction is excellent and there's no doubt on how good of a director he is when he has the right script.

All the actors play their part perfectly. Tinnu Annand, Mukesh Rishi etc. All are great. Meenakshi is also first rate.

However, the 3 performances that make Ghatak special are of Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri and Danny. Sunny Deol is perfect for the role of the fearless man trying to live a decent life. He proves how underrated he is an actor. Amrish Puri is just brilliant! He's loud when required and controlled when he needs to be. A perfect act. Danny is a strong villain, and to go up against a strong hero such as Sunny, one needs a villain strong as Danny.

Overall, a great story about the underdog's fight against a very scared society. Recommended!