Amitabh Bachchan film, based on real-life story of Mumbai gangster, was a flop and made fans ‘tear up seats’. It gained superstar a National Award and later became a Rs 193-crore grosser

Agneepath hit the theatres in 1990. Sadly, it did not set the box-office on fire. Yet, despite the lukewarm box-office response, the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer became one of movies which achieved cult status and eventually emerged as a blockbuster when it was remade in 2012 and starred Hrithik Roshan in the lead. The film was based on the life of Manya Surve, a notorious Mumbai underworld figure. Its title, Agneepath, was borrowed from a poem of the same name penned by eminent poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, father of the superstar. Recited in the opening sequence, the poem establishes a central theme that runs throughout the movie, both directly and symbolically.

An Ode To The Angry Young Man

Agneepath included themes that were often seen in Amitabh Bachchan's Angry Young Man movies. One example is the hospital scene where Vijay regains his strength and leaves in a victorious way, which reminds people of Amitabh Bachchan's actual accident that happened while making the movie Coolie in 1983. The scene where he meets his end also reminds us of the famous dialogue from the English-speaking part in Namak Halaal (1982).

The movie also uses elements from Deewaar (1975), especially through its good mother character, played by Rohini Hattangadi, who continues the tradition of Nirupa Roy’s strong and moral mother figure. Vijay's early years working as a boot polisher in the city show how much this connection means to him. Just like his role in Deewaar, he starts from a simple background and climbs up to become a major player in the criminal world, following a storyline that's typical for a Bachchan character. His death in his mother's arms during the intense final scene makes the film even more like the older classic.

The Film Touched A Nerve With The Audience

In an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Big B said he had to dub the entire film after release, as the audience grew furious when they detected the voice of Vijay was not Amitabh Bachchan’s.

“There was a man who used to visit Kalyanji-Anandji’s home with a similar heavy tone, so I thought, why not model Vijay’s voice after that? Later, I found out that man came from an underground background, which fit the essence of Vijay’s character perfectly. So, the character’s first shot was inspired by him. When the movie was released, though, the producer called to say theatres were having issues…” he reminisced.

He recalled how the audience were tearing up the seats and demanding the sound department fix the issue, as it didn’t "sound like Amitabh". This led him to redub the entire film in his own voice.

The Movie Did Not Set Box Office Not Fire

While Vijay Deenanath Chauhan might have sworn to his father to walk in the path of fire, Agneepath certainly did not set the box-office on fire. According to Alchetron, the movie, despite being the tenth highest-grossing film of 1990, had earnings way below its enormous budget and was therefore declared a flop. However, it earned Big B his first National Award for best actor.

The Movie Finally Got Its Due More Than Two Decades Later

The film was remade by Karan Malhotra in 2012 and starred Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. The movie emerged as a blockbuster, earning more than Rs 190 crores at the box office.

About Agneepath

The movie revolves around a young man named Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, who is on a mission to avenge his father, schoolmaster Deenanath Chauhan, who was killed ruthlessly by Kancha Cheena, an underworld don, when he tried to prevent the latter from making their village, Mandwa, the headquarters of an illegal heroine smuggling business.