| Agni Sakshi | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Partho Ghosh |
| Written by | Ranbir Pushp Hriday Lani |
| Produced by | Bindumadhav Thackeray |
| Starring | Jackie Shroff Nana Patekar Manisha Koirala |
| Cinematography | K. V. Ramanna |
| Edited by | A. R. Rajendran |
| Music by | Nadeem-Shravan Sameer (lyrics) Naresh Sharma (BGM) |
Production company | Neha Films |
| Distributed by | Eros International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 142 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹4.75 crore[1] |
| Box office | ₹31.34 crore[1] |
Agni Sakshi (transl. With Fire As Witness) is a 1996 IndianHindi-languagethriller drama film directed byPartho Ghosh, written byRanbir Pushp andHriday Lani, starringJackie Shroff,Nana Patekar andManisha Koirala. The music is by Nadeem-Shravan.[2]Nana Patekar andManisha Koirala were widely appreciated for their performances with Patekar winning theNational Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1997.
The film released in quick succession withYaraana, starring Madhuri Dixit andDaraar, starring Juhi Chawla. All the three were based on theJulia Roberts-starrerSleeping with the Enemy; onlyAgni Sakshi proved to be successful while the other two remakes failed at the box office. After a few years, this film was remade loosely in Oriya asMu Sapanara Soudagar, starring Sabyachi, Archita and Arindam. In 1996 aBengali filmBhoy was also made based on the same plot.Agni Sakshi was rated the first among top five "super-hit" films of 1996 by theIndian Express.[3]
Suraj Kapoor, a wealthy young man, falls in love with Shivangi, and the two soon marry. While staying at a hotel, they are approached by a man who claims that Shivangi is his wife, Madhu. Suraj and Shivangi dismiss the accusation, but later the man contacts Suraj again. Introducing himself as Vishwanath, he shows Suraj a videotape of his wedding to Madhu, who looks identical to Shivangi. Despite the evidence, Suraj refuses to believe him.
During Shivangi’s birthday celebration, flashbacks reveal Vishwanath’s abusive treatment of Madhu, confirming that Shivangi and Madhu are the same person. Vishwanath kidnaps Shivangi, attempting to prove her identity by locating a mark on her body. Suraj intervenes and, in the struggle, Vishwanath falls off a cliff. Believing him dead, Suraj and Shivangi return home.
Later, Shivangi encounters Vishwanath while shopping. He arrives with her father, who denies that she is Madhu. Distressed, Shivangi confesses to Suraj that Vishwanath is alive. Suraj seeks help from the police, but Vishwanath eventually surrenders on his own, insisting on speaking to Suraj. The police release him. That night, Suraj overhears Shivangi’s phone conversation with Vishwanath, after which she admits her true identity. She reveals that as Madhu, she endured years of abuse from Vishwanath. During a trip, their vehicle plunged into a river; believing Vishwanath to have drowned, Madhu returned to her father, who advised her to begin a new life under a new identity. She moved away and became Shivangi.
Suraj accepts Shivangi after learning the truth and devises a plan to have Vishwanath imprisoned. He convinces Shivangi to meet Vishwanath while pretending to be Madhu and attempt to shoot him with a gun loaded with fake cartridges. However, Vishwanath anticipates the ruse, fires back, and injures Shivangi. In the climax, as Vishwanath is being escorted to court, he reveals that he knew the cartridges were fake. He overpowers the police, seizes a gun, confronts Shivangi, and then shoots himself.
The music for the album is composed byNadeem-Shravan lyrics are written bySameer. The singers who lent their voices areKumar Sanu,Kavita Krishnamurthy,Sonu Nigam,Alka Yagnik,Vinod Rathod,Alisha Chinai,Jolly Mukherjee &Babul Supriyo,. The song "O Piya O Piya" & "O Yaara Dil Lagana" were popular song. According to the Indian trade websiteBox Office India, with around 2,800,000 units sold the soundtrack became the third highest-selling album of the year.[4]
| # | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "O Piya O Piya" | Babul Supriyo &Kavita Krishnamurthy | 06:00 |
| 2. | "O Yaara Dil Lagana" | Kavita Krishnamurthy | 04:34 |
| 3. | "Wada Karo Dil Se" | Jolly Mukherjee & Kavita Krishnamurthy | 06:06 |
| 4. | "Mere Kaleje Se" | Sonu Nigam &Alka Yagnik | 06:00 |
| 5. | "Tu Meri Gulfam Hai" | Kumar Sanu & Kavita Krishnamurthy | 05:35 |
| 6. | "Mujhko Dilbar Yaar" | Vinod Rathod &Alisha Chinaoy | 06:21 |
A critic fromThe New Straits Times wrote that "There are some obvious holes in the storyline but don't let that distract you from the beautiful cinematography (some scenes were shot in Mauritius) and the well told story".[5]
The film grossed₹31crore worldwide.[6]