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Department official poster

Department(2012)

4.8/10
Hindi141 minstheatrical

Department is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati, and Amitabh Bachchan in pivotal roles. The story follows a suspended cop who joins a vigilante task force to eliminate gangsters. The film explores themes of corruption, revenge, and the moral cost of extrajudicial violence. It was shot with handheld cameras for a raw, documentary-style look. The movie received negative reviews for its weak plot and messy direction. It was a box office failure, earning only ₹19 crore worldwide. Department was released on 18 May 2012.

Mood:
darksuspensefuldisturbing
Where to watch:

Quick Facts

Streaming on
Netflix
Theatrical Release
18 May 2012
Director
Ram Gopal Varma
Language
Hindi
Runtime
2h 21m
Rating
4.8/10

Storyline

A suspended cop named Shivnarayan teams up with inspector Mahadev Bhosle. Their mission is to kill gangsters without arrest or trial. But they soon discover the real enemy is a powerful politician. They must fight the entire system to bring him down.

When the law fails, cops become killers.

Film Details

4.8Rating
141Minutes
HindiLanguage
UACertificate
Release Date18 May 2012
Release Typetheatrical

Parental Guide

Violence
High
Language
Moderate
Sex / Nudity
Moderate
Drugs
Mild
Intensity
High

Where to Watch

Vibe & Tags

Mood
darksuspensefuldisturbing
Themes
corruptionjusticesurvivalidentity
Tonegritty
Pacingfast-paced
Complexitymoderate
Audiencemultiplex
Best Withfriends
Violence5
Emotion3
Humor1
Rewatchability2

Cast & Crew

Reunion Meter

Frequent partnerships reunited for Department

Cast reunions in this film: Amitabh Bachchan & Sanjay Dutt (9 films together), Ram Gopal Varma & Amitabh Bachchan (7 films together), Naseeruddin Shah & Amitabh Bachchan (6 films together), Abhimanyu Singh & Ram Gopal Varma (3 films together), Sanjay Dutt & Neeraj Vora (3 films together), and Sanjay Dutt & Deepak Tijori (3 films together).

Trivia

  • The film's title was inspired by a real-life special police unit in Mumbai.
  • Amitabh Bachchan's character was originally written for a much younger actor.
  • The film's climax was shot in a single continuous take lasting over 10 minutes.
  • The movie's dark visual style was achieved by using mostly handheld cameras.
  • It was one of the first major Hindi films to depict a police department with deep internal corruption.
  • The background score heavily used electronic music, which was unusual for a Bollywood cop thriller at the time.
  • The film underperformed at the box office, ending Ram Gopal Varma's series of police dramas.

Frequently Asked Questions