Nayak: The Real Hero(2001)
Nayak: The Real Hero is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language political action drama film directed by S. Shankar. The film stars Anil Kapoor as Shivaji Rao, a TV cameraman, alongside Rani Mukerji, Amrish Puri, and Paresh Rawal. The story follows Shivaji Rao, who accepts a challenge from the corrupt Chief Minister Balraj Chauhan to run the state of Maharashtra for a single day. During his 24-hour tenure, Shivaji Rao exposes widespread corruption, arrests dishonest ministers, and uncovers a massive land scam. The film is a remake of Shankar's own Tamil film Mudhalvan (1999). It received mixed reviews from critics but gained a cult following for its bold political commentary and Anil Kapoor's performance. The film was released on 7 September 2001 and is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Prime Video, Netflix
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 2001
- Director
- Shankar
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 3h 7m
- Rating
- 5.6/10
Storyline
A fearless TV cameraman named Shivaji Rao is challenged by the arrogant Chief Minister Balraj Chauhan to run the state for one day. Shivaji Rao accepts and immediately begins cleaning the corrupt system. He arrests dishonest ministers and uncovers a massive land scam. But Chauhan fights back, threatening Shivaji Rao's family and his girlfriend Manjari. Shivaji Rao must use his courage and his camera to defeat the powerful politician before his 24 hours are up.
“One day to change everything.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Nayak: The Real Hero
Cast reunions in this film: Amrish Puri & Anil Kapoor (16 films together), Paresh Rawal & Anil Kapoor (11 films together), Shankar & A. R. Rahman (10 films together), Paresh Rawal & Amrish Puri (10 films together), Johnny Lever & Paresh Rawal (5 films together), and K. V. Anand & A. R. Rahman (4 films together).
Trivia
- The film is a remake of the Tamil movie 'Mudhalvan' (1999), also directed by Shankar, who remade it in Hindi himself.
- Anil Kapoor performed many of his own stunts, including a scene where he hangs from a helicopter.
- The role of the Chief Minister was first offered to actor Sanjay Dutt, who turned it down.
- The film's climax was shot at the real Mantralaya building, the Maharashtra state government headquarters in Mumbai.
- A special set replicating the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly was built at Film City, Mumbai, for the assembly scenes.
- The movie was not a major box office hit in India but found a strong audience on television and home video.
- Director Shankar made a cameo appearance in the film as a television cameraman during a protest scene.