Namumkin(1988)
Namumkin is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language mystery film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The cast includes Raj Babbar, Vinod Mehra, Zeenat Aman, and Sanjeev Kumar. The story follows an Asian family exiled from Idi Amin's Uganda who resettle in Canada. A young woman marries a wealthy businessman who dies on their wedding night, prompting an insurance investigation. The film was shot entirely in Winnipeg, Canada, giving it a distinctive North American setting for a Bollywood production. It blends a murder mystery with themes of immigration and starting over. The screenplay was written by Bidhu Jha, who later became a politician in Canada. The film was released in 1988 and is available on some streaming platforms.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- YouTube
- Theatrical Release
- 31 December 1988
- Director
- Hrishikesh Mukherjee
- Language
- Hindi
- Rating
- 4.2/10
Storyline
A young woman marries a rich older man to secure her family's future after being exiled from Uganda. On the wedding night, he falls from a balcony and dies. An insurance investigator suspects murder and digs into the case. The woman's former fiancé joins the investigation, and old secrets begin to surface.
“Some secrets are impossible to hide.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Namumkin
Cast reunions in this film: Shreeram Lagoo & Om Shivpuri (8 films together), Vinod Mehra & Shreeram Lagoo (6 films together), Zeenat Aman & Sanjeev Kumar (5 films together), Zeenat Aman & Shreeram Lagoo (5 films together), Zeenat Aman & Om Shivpuri (5 films together), and Vinod Mehra & Om Shivpuri (5 films together).
Trivia
- The film was inspired by the real-life expulsion of Asians from Uganda under Idi Amin's regime in 1972.
- It was one of the few films directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee that did not feature any of his frequent collaborators like Amitabh Bachchan or Dharmendra.
- The movie's title, 'Namumkin', translates to 'Impossible' in English, reflecting the characters' struggles.
- Despite its serious subject, the film included musical numbers, which was common for Hindi cinema of the era.
- The film is not widely available on modern streaming platforms, making it a lesser-seen work in Mukherjee's filmography.
- It was released during a period when Bollywood was shifting towards action-oriented films, making this drama an outlier.