Jagannath(1996)
Jagannath is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Shibu Mitra. The lead cast includes Shatrughan Sinha, Mukesh Khanna, Ronit Roy, Sangeeta Bijlani, Rami Reddy, Beena Banerjee, Puneet Issar, Reema Lagoo, and Feroz Khan. The story follows Jagan, a poor blacksmith in the corrupt town of Ranigadh, who turns into a vigilante after his son is murdered and the legal system lets the killer go free. He fights against a deeply corrupt judicial and political system where money overrides truth. The film was noted for its intense action sequences and Shatrughan Sinha's powerful performance. It was released on 19 January 1996 and has a runtime of 143 minutes.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 1996
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 23m
- Rating
- 3.5/10
Storyline
A poor blacksmith named Jagan loses his young son to a wealthy killer. When the police and courts let the murderer walk free, Jagan picks up his hammer and delivers his own justice. Now a wanted man, he must fight the entire corrupt system of Ranigadh to protect the poor and avenge his family.
“When the system fails, the hammer falls.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Trivia
- The film's title 'Jagannath' is a reference to a Hindu deity, symbolising the protagonist's transformation into a force of divine retribution.
- This was one of the few 1990s Bollywood films to directly critique judicial corruption and class inequality as its central theme.
- Actor Mukesh Khanna, famous for TV's 'Shaktimaan', played the lead role of Jagan/Jagannath, a departure from his superhero image.
- The movie was not a major commercial success, which limited its wider theatrical release and subsequent home video availability.
- Director Shyam Ramsay, known for horror films, shifted genres to direct this social revenge drama.
- The climactic courtroom scenes were noted for their intense dialogue highlighting the failure of the legal system.
- The film's setting in the fictional town of 'Ranigadh' was created to represent a generic Indian city plagued by systemic injustice.