[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Agni Varsha

  • 2002
  • 2h 10m
IMDb RATING
4.6/10
422
YOUR RATING
Agni Varsha (2002)
DramaFantasyRomance

In a drought-stricken kingdom, two rival priests, Yavakri and Parvasu, try to appease the rain god through their respective methods that lead to adultery, treachery, and murder.In a drought-stricken kingdom, two rival priests, Yavakri and Parvasu, try to appease the rain god through their respective methods that lead to adultery, treachery, and murder.In a drought-stricken kingdom, two rival priests, Yavakri and Parvasu, try to appease the rain god through their respective methods that lead to adultery, treachery, and murder.

  • Director
    • Arjun Sajnani
  • Writers
    • Girish Karnad
    • Anil Mehta
    • Arjun Sajnani
  • Stars
    • Jackie Shroff
    • Kumar Iyengar
    • Raveena Tandon
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.6/10
    422
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Arjun Sajnani
    • Writers
      • Girish Karnad
      • Anil Mehta
      • Arjun Sajnani
    • Stars
      • Jackie Shroff
      • Kumar Iyengar
      • Raveena Tandon
    • 4User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
    • 57Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos5

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast34

    Edit
    Jackie Shroff
    Jackie Shroff
    • Paravasu
    Kumar Iyengar
    • Senior Courtier
    Raveena Tandon
    Raveena Tandon
    • Vishakha
    Nagarjuna Akkineni
    Nagarjuna Akkineni
    • Yavakri
    Ashfaq Rauf
    • King
    Milind Soman
    Milind Soman
    • Arvasu
    Sonali Kulkarni
    Sonali Kulkarni
    • Nittilai
    Gopal Piplani
    • Junior Courtier
    Prabhu Deva
    Prabhu Deva
    • Rakshasa
    • (as Prabhudeva)
    Tarun Kapoor
    • Courtier
    Raghubir Yadav
    Raghubir Yadav
    • Actor Manager (Sutradhar)
    • (as Raghuvir Yadav)
    Mohan Agashe
    Mohan Agashe
    • Raibhya
    Veena Sajnani
    • Actor Manager's Wife
    Sandeep B.G.
    • Vishwa
    Zul Vellani
    • Andhaka
    Amog
    • Child
    Amitabh Bachchan
    Amitabh Bachchan
    • Indra (Special Appearance)
    Nikita
    • Child
    • (as Nikita)
    • Director
      • Arjun Sajnani
    • Writers
      • Girish Karnad
      • Anil Mehta
      • Arjun Sajnani
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews4

    4.6422
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10SURJYAKIRAN

    Sparks Fly in Sajnani's "The Fire and The Rain"

    The first major Indian motion picture to have been "showered" with praise by the American media (with raves from the New York Times and L.A. Times) is quite worthy of the acclaim it has received.

    Adapted from a play, (which was derived from the Hindu epic the Mahabharata) Sajnani's film is for those who can look beyond the action on screen and deduce various ideas and philosophies from the story being told. The film is loaded with symbolism and deeper meaning, and manages to raise quite a few provocative questions about divinity and society.

    The other great attraction here, besides the allegorical plot, is the cinematography. The entire film has been set to celluloid by the camera of Anil Mehta (who has previously helmed the lavish Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and the epic, Oscar nominated LAGAAN: Once Upon A Time in India). A famous and attractive historical site in India (the temple ruins of Hampi) is portrayed fantastically in the film by Mehta. His wide-angle panoramic scenes must been seen to be believed.

    Other aspects of the film are just about alright. Performances are functional, but Sajnani seems to have been torn as to whether he wanted his characters to be completely melodramatic and stage-like or somewhat restrained. As a result, the actors deliver very confused expressions and dialogs throughout the film. Still, actors Jackie Shroff and Raveena Tandon manage to leave quite an impact in their roles. The show-stealer, however, is screen legend Amitabh Bachan. His 'divine' little role is the one that will linger in the cine-goers mind long after its two hour duration comes to an end. The song-and-dance sequences provide a fine break from the dramatics of the film, but one or two of the songs could have been cut. Background music is pretty well done, but the same cannot be said of the special effects.

    Despite the merits of the film, I can't help but feel the film could have managed a much stronger impact if Sajnani had opted for a less linear mode of story telling. Something similar to Tarantino's Pulp Fiction could have worked wonders for the film. As it is now, the film is pretty convoluted and has some continuity and pacing issues. Editing is the film's most glaring shortcoming.

    In any case, the film is a worthy effort from India and worth a watch. I would especially recommend it to those who are interested in Hindu theology or philosophy.
    9Dashamlove

    Excellent Movie raised further by Brilliant Performances

    After a long drought comes this film that is not only smart and well crafted, but also different. The film boasts of a good script that is in keeping with the period - Hampi as the background looks gorgeous and the cinematography does it justice. The music is excellent and strangely fits into the narrative of this largely Art film.

    Arjun Sajnani, the Director has kept a firm grip on the film and has to be commended for not straying inspite of the complexities of the characters. This could easily have become a film where the Director's introspection of these powerful characters upstages the story - but Arjun Sajnani keeps the story on the tracks.

    Finally, the performances are simply brilliant - one has come to expect great performances from Mohan Agasay - but this has to be one of his best. Nagarjuna suprises with his evil role played to perfection. Raveena proves that she has grown as a mature performer and Jackie Shroff has given a restrained performance. Prabhudeva has given an eye-opening performance as the Rakshas.

    The real find of the movie is Milind Soman whose sensitive potrayal of Aravasu is really the heart of the story. Soman as an actor is more often than not shackled by his Greek God looks - but in this movie his performance is so perfect that you leave thinking about the naive Aravasu - a helpless innocent. Milind and Sonali Kulkarni carry the movie with their performances as two innocent lovers caught inadvertently in circumstances wrought by basic, destructive human emotions.

    This movie is a must-see for cinema lovers. One of those rare Indian mythologicals that refuses to play to the typical category that most mythologicals are slotted into. I thought it did justice to both the play ' Fire and Rain' by Girish Karnad and also to the medium of cinema where it has been adopted.
    8ravenus

    After long, a movie of substance

    In these days of paper-thin plots and the MTV-inspired pastiche that passes of as 'style' you seriously wonder if you'd ever again get to see a reasonably thoughtful, cultured film; and then a film like 'Agni Varsha' drops into view. I must say I was expecting to be very disappointed, that it'd be a half-baked venture with a few sops. But man, was I wrong. The film isn't flawless and some of the bad patches are serious, but it has a genuine thought process and its heart is in the right place

    Raveena Tandon immerses herself into the sensuous Vishaka and, given her past body of work, comes across as stunning, yes, positively stunning. Director Sajnani comes across splendidly in most part, with a feel for the genuinely dramatic element and a fearless use of erudite symbolism. The film harks back in spirit to Benegal's "Bharat -Ek Khoj" serial where multiple techniques were used, blending cinematic and theatrical elements into a meaningful whole. A few failings, mainly in the spirit of enhancing the film's commercial value, but still what vision!
    10hofnarr

    "The plays the thing, wherein we'll catch the conscience of the King"

    Beginning with a request to stage a play with a cast including that of the outcast Brahmin brother of the high priest after a 7 year drought and ending with said play, Agni Varsha is a splendid Bollywood production where numerous motifs thread in and out of the story, having for me, anyway, a decidedly Shakespearean flavor. Elements of Romeo and Juliet, the thought that "the fault is not in the stars but in ourselves" and other Shakespearean themes perfuse the story(ies). But as Goethe said, "Everything's been thought of before; the trouble is to think of it again." Whether the thoughts first came in Indian literature or Shakespeare is irrelevant.

    It's sometimes difficult for me to get into a film when I'm at a low energy level, but this film's energy buoyed me right along. There's nothing like a good Bollywood musical to take your mind of trivial worries of the day:)

    More like this

    Ararat
    6.3
    Ararat
    Betty Fisher et autres histoires
    6.8
    Betty Fisher et autres histoires
    Confidences intimes
    7.0
    Confidences intimes
    Les filles ne savent pas nager
    5.9
    Les filles ne savent pas nager
    Séduction en mode mineur
    6.1
    Séduction en mode mineur
    Lovely & Amazing
    6.7
    Lovely & Amazing
    The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
    6.9
    The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
    L'Anglaise et le Duc
    6.8
    L'Anglaise et le Duc
    Les blessures assassines
    6.8
    Les blessures assassines
    Rivers and Tides
    7.9
    Rivers and Tides
    Le triomphe de l'amour
    5.8
    Le triomphe de l'amour
    Pauline et Paulette
    7.0
    Pauline et Paulette

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Raveena Tandon does her hottest scene in this film, where she kisses a man on the mouth, gets stripped topless and completely bares her back on-screen.
    • Soundtracks
      Anchal Ki Chhaya
      Composed By - Sandesh Shandilya

      Lyrics By - Javed Akhtar

      Performed By - Pamela Jain

      Duration - 5:34

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 30, 2002 (India)
    • Country of origin
      • India
    • Language
      • Hindi
    • Also known as
      • Agnivarsha: The Fire and the Rain
    • Filming locations
      • Hampi, Karnataka, India
    • Production companies
      • Sunny Films
      • iDream Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $51,549
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $18,887
      • Sep 1, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $51,549
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 10 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Agni Varsha (2002)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Agni Varsha (2002) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.