Raakh (English: Ashes) is a 1989 Hindi film starring Aamir Khan, Pankaj Kapoor and Supriya Pathak Gajanan Bangera Jagdeep in lead roles . The revenge thriller film was directed by Aditya Bhattacharya, son of director, Basu Bhattacharya.

The film was Aamir Khan's first movie after blockbuster QSQT and wasn't accepted well by the audience at the time, however it received much critical acclaim and subsequently three National Film Awards in 1989 and developed considerable following over the years.^[1][2] The film also marked the debut of ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan, and film editor A. Sreekar Prasad.^[3] The film did not do well at the box office and was a flop.

Plot[link]

A big city. After the police riots of 1990, the State Forces were disbanded and replaced by a central one. The police now had more powers. The crime rate continued to escalate. In the wealthier quarters of the city though, life went on… but it was an uneasy calm.

Aamir (Aamir Khan) had just turned 21. He is from a rich family. The only colour in his otherwise mundane life was his obsession for Neeta, an older, more pragmatic woman, who did not quite feel the same about Aamir.

One night, on their way back from a party, Neeta is gang raped by a local boss, Hassan Karmali and his friends, and Aamir watching helplessly, can do nothing. Unknown to Aamir, an off-duty police officer is a silent witness to the incident. Frustrated, possessed by impotent rage and a sense of injustice, Aamir has to find release. He leaves home... Ironically, he turns to Sub-Inspector Kapoor – The silent witness. Kapoor, pretending to be unaware of the incident agrees to help Aamir…. (years ago Kapoor had taken on the Karmali clan, an unwise move that nearly destroyed his career.)

Aamir now feels he has a friend. Till one day, realizing the truth he is shattered. Soon after, S.I. Kapoor is suspended. His life begins to spiral downwards. Now alone, frightened, without a job and with nothing to lose… he sees in Aamir the means to fulfill his dark, unresolved dreams.

Together they set about eliminating their common enemy – members of the dreaded Karmali family. Kapoor the embittered cop becomes a dark mentor to the innocent but fearless Aamir. Neeta, unaware of the changes in Aamir’s life, has decided to put her past behind her. She begins, slowly but painfully, to reconstruct her life.

Meanwhile, Aamir slips into vortex of terrifying violence – a road to certain doom. Theirs is a war with no victors, a battle that has no glory. Amidst the lies of a logical life, sometimes the only truth is in madness, in losing control….

Fire purifies as it consumes.

Cast[link]

• Aamir Khan - Amir Hussein
• Supriya Pathak - Nita
• Pankaj Kapur - Inspector P.K
• Jagdeep - Ustad
• Gajanan Bangera- Inspector
• Naina Balsaver - Naina
• Homi Wadia - Hassan Karmali
• Madhukar Toradmal - Karmali Seth

Crew[link]

• Art Direction: Partho Sengupta ^[4]

Re-release[link]

This film was to be re-released in theaters in India on 12 June 2009 after 20 years with digitally re-mastered prints, film producers together with Palador Pictures. It was to be followed by DVD release in August 2009. The scheduled re-release eventually did not happen due to certain undisclosed reasons, ostensibly because it fell during producer-multiplex owner standoff during the period.^[3][5][6]

Awards[link]

• 1989: National Film Award
  • Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Kapur
  • Special Jury Award: Aamir Khan
  • Best Editing: A. Sreekar Prasad
• 1990: Filmfare Award
  • Best Actor: Aamir Khan: Nominated
  • Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Kapur: Nominated

References[link]

External links[link]

• Raakh at the Internet Movie Database
• Raakh at Yahoo! Movies