User reviews

Achanak Was Directed By Gulzar..It Was From The Early Days Of Gulzar As A Director...This Movie Loosely Based On Khwaja Ahmed Story The Thirteen Victim & The K M Nanavati 1959 Court Case...The Movie Revolves Around A Soldier And His Wife ...A Murder, Then Run & Chase Sequences ...The Script Is Quite Good Its Keeps Audience Always Guessing What's Next...Ending Is Quite Disappointing But There Was No Choice Either...As Per Bollywood Movie Standards It Was Obvious....Vinod Khanna Gives A Superb Performance...One Of The Best Movies Of His Career...Music Is One Of The Strong Aspect Of Gulzar Movies...But For Surprise There Is No Song In The Movie....Back Ground Music Is Good ...Script Is Good ...Farida Asrani, Om Shivpuri...Performances Are Well Written...The Screenplay Is Very Attractive ..Overall A Good Movie...One Of My Fav Gulzar Movies.

An army major who stakes his life for the country turns into a murderer when he finds his beloved wife in the arms of her lover. He flees from the bar and gets critically wounded by police's bullet. It's for a top surgeon to save the life of the major on the death row.

In many ways the film is different from the regular 70s movies. The duration is short and the film is song less, which the filmmakers rarely dared to for the Indian masses. The film has an intermediate pace yet grips you. It's a taut thriller but not with much of the twists and surprises. The film moreover feels a Hrishikesh Mukherjee drama for the human emotions it delves into. Apart few stereotypical roles the film has, the freshness is offered through an impeccable performance of Vinod Khanna, perhaps in one of his better roles of his early years. Overall, it's a kind of a film you will wish to watch again for the sensitivity with which the subject is handled with.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 4.

Achnak tells the story of a soldier who returns home as a war hero. However unfortunate events unfold in his life and he is pushed to use the actions he was once taught in the army to defeat the enemy, on his loved ones. Yet the burden of his actions is too heavy to live with and he takes drastic steps to seek redemption. These actions bring him close to a horrendous death and from thereon he gets a grip on himself and tries to start afresh. The film belongs completely to the writer/director Gulzar. His direction and storytelling skills are at a zenith and there are numerous scenes that work at different levels and that stays with the viewers for a long time. The doctor's dilemmas have been presented effectively and army tactics used by Vinod Khanna bring in a realistic touch to the film. But above all, its the anti - war message that the film gives that hits home the most. The soldier who made a name killing people in the war reverts to the same actions in civil life when he comes across unforeseen events. He does not think about the aftermath and in fact starts getting haunted by his awards and medals. This is the most intelligent film making regarding a sensitive issue. Vinod Khana performs well but the supporting cast including Om Shivpuri, Iftikhar, Farida Jalal, Asrani, all deliver as well. There are no songs although songs as a means of sending messages have been used wisely. All in all, Achanak is a thorough classic film that would make anyone associated with it mighty proud. The film has got a timeless attraction and is as much relevant to the modern India as it was thirty five years ago.