| Khal Nayak | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Subhash Ghai |
| Written by | Subhash Ghai Ram Kelkar Kamlesh Pandey |
| Produced by | Subhash Ghai |
| Starring | Sanjay Dutt Madhuri Dixit Jackie Shroff |
| Cinematography | Ashok Mehta |
| Edited by | Waman Bhonsle Gurudutt Shirali |
| Music by | Songs: Laxmikant–Pyarelal Score: Aadesh Shrivastava |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Eros International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 191 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | ₹24 crores[1] |
Khal Nayak (transl. Villain) is a 1993 IndianHindi-languageactioncrime film written, directed, and produced bySubhash Ghai under his production companyMukta Arts Ltd. The film starsSanjay Dutt in the titular role, withMadhuri Dixit,Anupam Kher,Rakhee Gulzar andJackie Shroff in supporting roles. The film's plot follows two police officers, Ram and Ganga, as they attempt to apprehend escaped criminal Ballu.
Khal Nayak released on 6 August 1993 and became a major commercial success.and second highest grossing film of 1993 At the39th Filmfare Awards (1994), the film received 11 nominations, winningBest Female Playback Singer andBest Choreography.
Balram "Ballu" Prasad, a wanted criminal, is apprehended by Inspector Ram, who is investigating the criminal activities of Roshan Da, Ballu’s mentor. During interrogation, Ballu refuses to disclose information about Roshan Da. While in custody, he escapes with assistance from his associates, which leads to public criticism and Ram's suspension.
To help restore Ram’s reputation, his fiancée and fellow officer, Inspector Ganga, volunteers for an undercover assignment. Disguised as a street performer, she locates Ballu and gradually earns his trust. Through their interactions, she learns about his history and the circumstances that led him to a life of crime.
Ballu develops romantic feelings for Ganga, unaware of her true identity. Upon discovering she is a police officer, he feels betrayed and becomes hostile. Despite this, Ganga continues her mission and refuses to withdraw from the assignment.
Meanwhile, Ram visits Ballu’s mother, Aarti, who reveals that Ballu and Ram were childhood friends. She explains how Roshan Da exploited their family’s difficulties and manipulated Ballu into believing that the police were responsible for his sister, Sunita’s death. This misinformation fueled Ballu’s tendencies to turn to a life of crime.
As the manhunt for Ballu intensifies, Ganga assists him in escaping during a police pursuit. She is subsequently arrested and charged with aiding a fugitive, damaging her professional standing and public image. Ballu, now in hiding, reunites with his mother but is attacked by Roshan Da, who views him as a threat.
Inspector Ram leads a police operation against Roshan Da. During the confrontation, Ballu learns the truth about his sister’s death and Roshan Da’s involvement. Ram kills Roshan Da during the operation, while Ballu manages to flee.
Learning that Ganga is on trial for assisting him, Ballu voluntarily returns, confesses to his crimes, and testifies that Ganga acted under official orders. His testimony leads to Ganga’s acquittal. Ballu is sentenced to life imprisonment.
Director Subhash Ghai initially envisioned the project as anart film starringNana Patekar. The original concept followed the protagonist's journey fromPune toMumbai. During production, influenced by a screenwriter's suggestion, Ghai reoriented the film towards theaction genre.[2]
Anil Kapoor expressed interest in playing Ballu. However, Ghai advised against it, stating that Kapoor was not suitable for the role and that his casting could jeopardise the film's success. Sanjay Dutt was subsequently cast.[3]
During filming, Dutt was arrested and imprisoned in connection with the1993 Bombay bombings.[2]
Ghai raised objections at theIndian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) againstKhal-Naaikaa, a similarly titled film scheduled for the same release date asKhal Nayak. However, the IMPPA ruled against him, stating that while Ghai could alter his film's release date, the producers ofKhal-Naaikaa were not required to change theirs. Consequently, both films were released on 6 August 1993.[2]
| Award | Date of the ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filmfare Awards | 12 February 1994 | Best Film | Khal Nayak | Nominated | [4] |
| Best Director | Subhash Ghai | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Sanjay Dutt | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Madhuri Dixit | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Jackie Shroff | Nominated | |||
| Best Music Director | Laxmikant–Pyarelal | Nominated | |||
| Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi for "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" | Nominated | |||
| Best Male Playback Singer | Vinod Rathod for "Nayak Nahin Khal Nayak Hoon Main" | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Alka Yagnik andIla Arun for "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" | Won | |||
| Alka Yagnik for "Paalki Pe Ho Ke Sawaar" | Nominated | ||||
| Best Choreography | Saroj Khan for "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" | Won |
The soundtrack ofKhal Nayak was composed byLaxmikant–Pyarelal with lyrics byAnand Bakshi.[2]
| # | Title | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Khal Nayak Hai Tu" | Kavita Krishnamurthy &Ila Arun |
| 2. | "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" | Alka Yagnik & Ila Arun |
| 3. | "Palki Pe Hoke" | Alka Yagnik |
| 4. | "Aaja Sajan Aaja" | Alka Yagnik |
| 5. | "Aise Teri Yaad Aati Hai | Alka Yagnik &Mohammed Aziz |
| 6. | "O Maa Tujhe Salam" | Jagjit Singh |
| 7. | "Aye Sahib Yeh Theek Nahin" | Alka Yagnik &Manhar Udhas |
| 8. | "Pyar Ki Ganga Bahe" | Mohammed Aziz,Udit Narayan,Manhar Udhas &Jolly Mukherjee |
| 9. | "Choli Ke Peeche (Male)" | Vinod Rathod |
| 10. | "Khal Nayak Hoon Main" | Kavita Krishnamurthy &Vinod Rathod |
Khal Nayak was a major commercial success at the box office, grossing ₹240 million, $7.7 million, worldwide. It ranked as thesecond-highest-grossing Hindi film of the year, surpassed only byAankhen.[5][1]
The film's soundtrack sold 10 million copies inIndia and became the year's third best-selling music album.[6] The song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" ("What's Behind theCholi") generated controversy due to its suggestive lyrics.[7]
Khal Nayak was remade inTelugu asKhaidi No. 1 (1994),[8] inTamil asHero (1994),[9] and inPunjabi asBilla (2002). The song "Choli Ke Peeche" was remade for the 2024 filmCrew.