Aurangzeb (film)
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| Aurangzeb | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Atul Sabharwal |
| Written by | Atul Sabharwal |
| Produced by | Aditya Chopra |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Karthik Ganesh |
| Edited by | Niraj Voralia |
| Music by | Score: Vipin Mishra Songs: Amartya Rahut Vipin Mishra |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Yash Raj Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 137 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | est. ₹36 crore |
| Box office | est. ₹36.5 crore |
Aurangzeb is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Atul Sabharwal and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. The film stars Arjun Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Rishi Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff, with Amrita Singh, Tanvi Azmi, Sikandar Kher, Sasha Agha, and Swara Bhaskar in supporting roles.[1] The film was released on 17 May 2013, to received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.[2][3]
Plot
[edit]The story takes place in Gurgaon and revolves around ACP Arya Phogat, whose father, Vijaykant Phogat, had once failed a mission to kill a criminal, Yashvardhan Singh, which led to his downfall. Years later, Arya uncovers his father's secret—Vijaykant had another wife and child, and that child, Vishal, is an identical twin to Arya's brother, Ajay.
Arya and his corrupt uncle, Ravikant Phogat, devise a plan to expose Yashvardhan's illegal activities by using Vishal to pose as Ajay within Yashvardhan's house. Meanwhile, Vishal begins to bond with his father, Yashvardhan, and his brother, Ajay, while pretending to be someone else. As the plot thickens, Ravikant's ulterior motives of taking over Yashvardhan's business empire are revealed, leading to a series of betrayals, manipulations, and violent confrontations.
Ultimately, Ravikant kills Vishnu, a family member who poses a threat to him, and pressures Arya to kill Yashvardhan's family. However, Arya realizes his uncle's corrupt nature and, together with Vishal, works to thwart Ravikant's plans. In the final showdown, Vishal kills Ravikant after saving Arya, and justice is served. Ajay is jailed, but eventually reunites with his family once released. The story ends with Arya leaving Veera's home, ensuring the reuniting of the family while reflecting on the deep-rooted corruption in the system.
Cast
[edit]- Arjun Kapoor as Ajay / Vishal Singh
- Prithviraj Sukumaran as ACP Arya Phogat, Vijaykant's son; Ajay and Vishal's half-brother
- Rishi Kapoor as DCP Ravikant Phogat
- Jackie Shroff as Yashvardhan Singh, Ajay and Vishal's father
- Amrita Singh as Neena Wadhwa, Yashvardhan's business partner
- Swara Bhaskar as Suman Phogat, Arya's wife
- Tanvi Azmi as Veer Singh, Ajay and Vishal's mother
- Sasha Agha as Ritu, Ajay's girlfriend
- Sikander Kher as Inspector Dev Phogat, Ravikant's son
- Anupam Kher as Inspector Vijaykant Phogat, Arya's father and Ravikant's brother (special appearance)
- Deepti Naval as Rama Phogat, Ravikant's wife
- Kavi Shastri as Inder Wadhwa, Neena's son
- Sumeet Vyas as Sub-Inspector Vishnu Sharma, Ravikant's son-in-law
- Rasika Dugal as Trishla "Chhoti" Phogat
Production
[edit]Filming took place primarily in Gurgaon and the NCR in India.
Themes
[edit]Aurangzeb is "about hunger for power and survival of the fittest." According to Arjun Kapoor, the film's title is a reference to the Mughal emperor of the same name, who expanded the empire to its greatest extent.[4]
Soundtrack
[edit]The film's soundtrack was composed by Vipin Mishra and Amartya Rahut.[5]
| Title | Singer(s) | Composer | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Barbaadiyaan" | Ram Sampath, Sashaa Agha | Amartya Bobo Rahut | Puneet Sharma |
| "Jigra Fakira" | Keerthi Sagathia | Vipin Mishra | Manoj Kumar Nath |
| "Barbaadi" | K. Mohan (Agnee) | Amartya Bobo Rahut | Puneet Sharma |
| "Aurangzeb" | Marianne D’Cruz Aiman | Vipin Mishra | Vipin Mishra |
| "Aurangzeb" – Rock Version | Vipin Mishra | Vipin Mishra | Vipin Mishra |
| "Trial by Fire" – Main Theme (Instrumental) | - | Vipin Mishra | - |
| "Battleground Gurgaon" (Instrumental) | - | Vipin Mishra | - |
| "The Father's Truth" (Instrumental) | - | Vipin Mishra | - |
| "Aurangzeb" – Orchestral (Instrumental) | - | Vipin Mishra | - |
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]The response of critics and audience was positive. Meena Iyer of The Times of India gave the film 3.5/5 stars.[6] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave the film 3/5 stars, saying performances of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Rishi Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor are the best thing about Aurangzeb.[7]
Box office
[edit]On its opening day, the film made a collection of ₹18 crore (US$2.1 million). After the film's entire theatrical run, it collected ₹18.5 crore in India and was declared "Average".
References
[edit]- ^ "After Agneepath, Rishi Kapoor to play villain in Prithviraj starrer 'Aurangzeb'". The Times of India. 23 August 2012. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
- ^ "YASH RAJ FILMS' "AURANGZEB" to release 17th May 2013". www.yashrajfilms.com. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ "Aurangzeb Movie Review". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ "There's an Aurangzeb in every character: Arjun Kapoor". The Times of India. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Watch: 'Barbadiyaan',a club track from 'Aurangzeb' featuring Arjun Kapoor,Sasha Agha". The Indian Express. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- ^ Iyer, Meena. "Review: Aurangzeb". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ Verma, Sukanya. "Review: Aurangzeb is VERY engaging". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
