User reviews

Firstly, I like to say I am a Kamalhassan fan. But you don't have to be Kamal fan to enjoy this film. This is one of his best performances in his career. I rate this film has one of my all time favourites. The climax was very surprising and unpredictable. The film has a great cast. Kamal dominates the film, as father and son. Sughanya also gives good supporting performance. A mixture of a great script, good cast, good songs, and good actions scenes make this a 8.5 out of 10.

Producer and actor Kamal Haasan dealt with the burning issue of corruption in his movie Hindustani (1996) which was originally made in Tamil as Indian (and also released in Telugu under the title - Bhaaratheeyudu.

Hindustani (Indian) is the story of an aged Indian freedom fighter - Senapati (Kamal Haasan) who has shed his perspiration and blood for the motherland during the struggle fro freedom from the British rule, remained a soldier in the Indian National Army led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and married a girl (Sukanya) by saving her honour. Now in free India, he is peacefully living with his daughter (Kasturi) and son (Kamal Haasan's double role). The thing which changed the course of his life is the corruption rampant in the Indian system of governance. His daughter passed away for want of medical aid because he refused to pay bribes to the doctors, the cops and the people holding chairs in the system and not ready to move a finger till their pockets are warmed. The loss of his beloved daughter got followed up by the separation of his son named as Chandru who feels that his father is sticking to his outdated ideals and not moulding with time and that only resulted in the death of his beloved sister.

Chandru becomes a corrupt person by all means and grabs a creamy (from corruption viewpoint) job in the Regional Transport Office, warming his pocket through bribes. On the other hand, Senapati gets a mission for the remaining part of his life. And that mission is a crusade against the corrupt who rule the roost in India, rendering agony and injustice to the innocent commoners every day, every hour, every minute. Now the lone crusader Senapati starts ruthlessly killing the corrupt government servants and thus sending a message far and wide that any corrupt government servant won't be able to survive his attack. This mysterious killer is now trailed by a dedicated cop (Nedumudi Venu). Chandru amidst his romances with Aishwarya (Manisha Koiraala) and Sapna (Urmila Maatondkar) is going ahead with his corruption-soaked life till a lethal accident takes place leading to death of many children. Now Senapati comes to know that his own blood is no better than the other corrupt people sucking the blood of the masses in every nook and corner of India. Can he spare Chandru just because he is his son ?

Hindustani is a movie whose story comes straight from the heart of a person who has devoted his heart and soul to his motherland but found that post-independence, all the ideals and values that he had fought for, have been thrown by his countrymen into the Indian Ocean. No regard is left for truth, no regard for justice, no regard for honesty, no regard for humanity and sensitivity. Greed for corrupt wealth has turned the Indians into stone-hearted fellows for whom money supersedes over everything noble, just and human. The Indian offices are studded by parasites more, human-beings less. And the collusion of the corrupt reigns from the bottom of the hierarchy to the top of it. Freedom fighters leave for their heavenly abodes one after another as their age takes over them. And the surviving ones keep on weeping at the abasement of the nation and more so of the people those populate it. We did not fight for the freedom of our motherland and hence the pinch is felt relatively less by us, we get used to the corruption and degeneration of values and adjust with the same. But how can a person soaked in the ideals of patriotism and truthfulness tolerate it and if he can, to which extent ? And thus the freedom-fighter of this story raises arm to launch another freedom struggle in which the adversaries are his compatriots only.

Director Shankar has directed his own story very well but only to the extent it shows Senapati (both young and old) and his activities. When it comes to the activities of Senapati's young son Chandru, the movie appears to be no better than a regular Masaala movie made in India. Songs, dances, romance, comedy; everything is unnecessarily imposed on the main story which is sensible and sensitive. It's a digression from the main track which could have been and should have been avoided. Either you make a hard-hitting movie or you make a Masaala entertainer. When you make a two-in-one of them, you do nothing but dilute the quality of your product, reducing it from excellent to good. And that's where the director - Shankar has disappointed.

Performance wise talkiing, Kamal Haasan takes the cake. He has done an excellent job especially as the old Senapati and quite sensibly has donned the wrinkled face to bring perfection to the persona being presented on the screen. He has done well as the young son of also but the image that remains in the heart after the movie is that of the aged father only, the lone crusader against corruption.

With my highest regards to the fictional Senapati of this movie, I will support every such person who undertake such a mission to eliminate the corrupt. However at the same time, I also underscore that killing eliminates the corrupt individual and not the corrupt mentality which has spread across the length and width of our country like poison dissolved in a pond. The permanent and long lasting solution is something else - inculcate moral values and ethics in our young ones and go for character building of the generation next.

Probably one of Kamal Hassan's best movies ever. It has a good story line to it, different from the usual Indian movies. For once there is no real bad guy in the movie. Yup that is true; the movie shows the evils in the society, which is the society itself.

The cinematography is the movie is great. The locations are too. If there would be anything I would recommend is that to drop the songs, thought they are great and part of Indian movie culture, it really takes away the seriousness from the movie.

The makeup is the movie is great, kamal really does look like someone that is that old. The fight scenes look just as cheesy as they usually do in any Indian movie.

But hey it is great entertainment for the family.

PS. Do not try the stunts in the movie at home.

Indian was clearly director Shankar's magnum opum and India's entry for the Oscar. This utterly brilliant and gripping film explores the horror of bureaucracy, corruption and bribery in modern India and its effect on society. Even locals themselves will be shocked as reality reflects on their TV screens in this movie. Whats shocking is the quality of the flashback footage in sepia of the colonial times where Indian rebels fought against the British. Such superb quality, story and acting is truly not seen anywhere else in any Indian-made film. However, as an entry for the Oscars, it would need some polishing up. I highly regret not seeing this film in the theatre when it originally released. If seeing this film a decade after it released, on poor quality print, left such a positive impression, I wonder what the impression would have been back then?

The film was meticulously made and its hard to find a flaw in the movie making. Kamal was the best actor in India and Shankar the Best Director and ARR always the best when comes to music. Shankar also should have got a National award for the film. Need more movies from the 3 combination and add to that Vairamuthu, Thotta Dharani etc. The movie should be treated in the genre of "Lagaan". No doubt the film was the biggest hit. The film was more than 3 hours, but not even once the viewers will feel boredom. I have seen that movie lot of times guess more than 10 times still I would like to see the movie again. Its an all time great movie. Nedumudi Venu needs an appreciation. Also full marks to all the supporting cast. Everyone had played their part well. A complete movie that was ever produced by Kollywood.

I highly recommend to watch this movie for two type of audiences- first, those who expect a good thriller from Indian cinema (of course not only Bollywood) and second, those who have only heard Kamal Hassan's name but never watched his any single movie yet. Kamal parts here dual role, one as an old man (Senapathy) who stops the corrupted people, and the other as his son (Chandru) who works in transport department concerning licenses. Kamal did brilliant job in this movie by offering both the roles of a father and a son. Perhaps, if examined clearly this is his career reflecting movie. There are some high definition visual scenes where we can see the real freedom fighters like Subash Chandra Bose and Senapathy together. This is a remarkable work from director Shankar, or say in Indian cinema. His directorial works are highly appreciable. For action lovers also this movie is a good reference.

In romantic words, this is a love-triangle movie due to the presence of Manisha Koirala and Urmila Matondkar, both who love the same Chandru. They did their own works, and run the movie. But again, this movie falls under three categories- thriller, political (mixed with social) and patriotic as the title itself denotes. I watched countless times, but never felt bored as it is highly entertaining for the three hours continuously. It has two versions, original one in Tamil and another in dubbed Hindi version. In Hindi version there is a slight uneasiness with the uttering words of the actors in their lips as those do not match exactly, since it is a dubbed version.

STAND UP AND SALUTE and don't waste your breath because mine has rebounded back to me, in these two lines.

The movie was excellent. The movie has many good messages against corruption. Kamal Haasan's acting, BGM and songs in the movie and Shankar's direction were main highlights in the movie. The movie was interesting and not at all boring. waiting Indian Part 2

Hindustani is a movie about a man who loses his daughter to the condition that is aroused as a result of corrupt officials. He wants to get things done the right way, but he realizes is that the officials could have prevented only if they cared for a person's life. The result of this he becomes a serial killer of corrupt officials. The movie also contains story of his wife and son and women who he likes. She is a blue cross society member, thus an animal lover. Sadly his son chose's wrong means for his development just like those corrupt officials. This results in ending which shows son killed by his own father.

It is very much true that some people will get better only if nourished with fear. I liked the way how character of Hindustani is constructed. He used to be a freedom fighter who was expert in a fighting art from ancient India, thus capable of killing a person easily. I did not like the masala part which included his son much. I wanted to see more of Hindustani. I liked the way how his justice prevailed even against his family members. He punished his own son for being corrupt, thus setting a new level of fear which was on par despite of any government policy. A film recommended highly.

Rating: 8.0/10

I saw this movie in my early teens. 25 years later, this is still one of the best movies I have ever seen.

Despite the movie being as old as I am, I have never really watched Shankar's "Indian" in its entirety before today (during its 2024 re-release). Having seen clips every now and then on TV, I sort of assumed the movie to simply be about an old guy killing corrupt government officials. As shallow and stupid as a concept that might be, the actual movie is a million times stupider.

Shankar is a director who has ALWAYS had the social awareness and reasoning of a caveman. He has a very binary view of right and wrong, and any social issue he choses to address can easily be boiled down to "corruption should be eradicated by killing everyone". There isn't a single intellectual position to find in any of his movies beyond the insanely single minded brand of pop-patriotism and delusional masturbatory acts of social justice. It couldn't be any more apparent than in this Kamal Haasan starrer.

I knew going into this movie that it wasn't going to be any smarter for me to give it any credit, but I just didn't expect it to be this insufferable. Not just from a messaging perspective, but even from a movie perspective. The screenplay is a drag, the comedy is nothing to write home about, the songs (none of which I've heard before today) were surprisingly garbage, the action and fight choreography is an absolute joke and if there's anything redeeming about this movie, it's probably just the make-up work on the Senapathy character (which seems really well done for its time).

Overall, this movie just gives me all the more reason to dislike Shankar as a filmmaker and even more so as someone who thinks he somehow has anything of value to say regarding any social issue.

Hindustani is a very good film with an unusual storyline. Kamal Hasan rocked in his double role as a freedom fighter and the freedom fighter's son. He is a brilliant actor. I hope that Bollywood directors would try to utilize his talents like S. Shankar did. His Hindi has also improved drastically. Manisha Koirala is good but not great. Urmila Matondkar is a notch above Manisha and she shows a flair for comedy the very first time with this film. I loved her scenes with Kamal Hassan and Manisha though her character doesn't come across as full-fledged at the end. Sukanya as the old Kamal Hassan's wife and Kasthuri as his daughter were good too. Overall, a must watch!

One of my favourite movie ever, Best acting by Kamal Hassan and all others. This movie has different jornor with good story, it doesn't bore wheather you see 1000 times, songs and picturization are nice one of best movie ever for Kamal sir and Director Shankar sir.

I feel blessed to watch this movie in theatres in 90's. Audience Celebritions especially Kamal sir's fans never is seen till date like that for any actors, Still am getting that goosebumps when I watch movie in my home theatre or TV. While am writing this too. May be this generation not knowing this !

Kamalhassan sir, your deserves more than what u getting till now but this INDIAN's.

All money Minded ...especially Media... not ART minded. But U r ART will speaks till this world breath...

Shankar's Imagine, Knowledge & Implementation is magic in Indian cinema.

ARR, Jeeva, Thotta, & many Ratnam pls come back.

I Love You Thalaivaaa KH.

The best Indian movie ever made. Every indian should watch this movie.

Shankar proves once again that he is the undisputed king of political thrillers and vigilante-based movies,Anyone would agree with this statement after watching Mudhavalan,Gentleman,Anniyan & Sivaji...He tried to convey the message of how corruption is destroying the nation and presented the pain of a freedom fighter who couldn't digest this injustice. This was India's official nomination to Oscars...

Trend Shetter ever in "INDIAN" Cinema. What an inspired movie in 90's, Am very grateful, I watched this movie in theatres. Still I get that goosebumps when it was with audience celebrations...

No words to say about kamal hassan his commitment and dedication to the roles of senathypathy & chandru fetched him a national award...One of the biggest asset of India cinema

Watch With Lots Of Humor ,Content, Style, Message in it Makes an Impactful and Must Watch movie of a life time ...

"Indian" (1996) is not your typical Bollywood flick. It's a powerful blend of action, drama, and social commentary that packs a punch. The story revolves around Senapathy, a retired freedom fighter disillusioned by the rampant corruption plaguing his beloved India. Disguised as a vigilante named Indian, he takes matters into his own hands, targeting corrupt officials and forcing them to mend their ways.

Played with brilliance by Kamal Haasan, Senapathy is a complex character. We see him as a frail old man and a surprisingly agile vigilante. The film explores the moral dilemma of vigilantism while showcasing the depths of Senapathy's frustration. The action sequences are thrilling, but it's the emotional core of the film that resonates.

"Indian" doesn't shy away from criticizing societal ills. We see bribery, nepotism, and abuse of power exposed. The film forces us to confront the gap between the ideals of a free India and the harsh realities faced by its citizens.

While the film is a bit long, clocking in at over 3 hours, the story remains engaging. A. R. Rahman's music adds another layer of depth, with catchy tunes that perfectly complement the film's themes.

"Indian" is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking cinema. It's a powerful reminder that one person can make a difference, even if the fight for justice seems insurmountable. Be prepared for action, social commentary, and a performance by Kamal Haasan that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Kamal Hassan is a legend. I am not a Kamal Hassan fan but after this film I am a huge fan of Kamal Hassan. I can't believe this movie is released 1996. And I think KH an actor who used prosthetics makeup at that time.

He he got his 3rd national film award for this movie. And he deserve. And I think sadma and Indian one of the best film of Kamal Hassan career. Both film I really like and must be watched by everyone. And I also want to say that all Indians should watch this movie. It's a classic it's a cult it's a masterpiece and one of the best patriotic film. I don't really give reviews on IMDB. But after watching this movie I gave a review.

"Hindustani" is a Hindi Version of a Tamil Movie and was also an official entry to Oscars in 1996. The story of the movie involves the increasing corruption in government offices and how corruption has engulfed the public and country. For cleaning the corruption, a veteran freedom fighter, who had fought for the country against the British ruler, sharpens his weapons and kills every corrupt official he encounters, including his own son.

The story which the film tells is pretty questionable. Is killing every corrupt official a right solution. Despite a very improbable story, the film remains just compulsively watchable and you just feel like clapping when every corrupt official is killed; which explains how important it has been to wipe the roots of corruption. Kamal Hassan in double role is the biggest strength of the film. Especially in the role of an old fighter against corruption, Kamal Hassan excels and you just become compelled to clap for him.

The film is pretty overlong though and many scenes and sequences seem to have no connection with the main theme. Only one-third of the film comes to the main theme and is the flawless segment of the film. The film uses superb special effects in the choreography and in the flashbacks showing the historic war against the British Rulers. Urmila Matondkar and Manisha Koirala have very small roles in the film which they have done well and added glamour to the movie. Overall, despite overlong and flawed, the film shall be remembered for a relevant issue the film raises and an excellent performance from Kamal Hassan.

Rating: 3 stars out of 4

I went into the theatre thinking this was a 4k remastered re-release and not just simply releasing before the sequel. If there was any remastering done on this, it seems terrible. Even without my experience as a QC tech for films, I could've noticed a lot of digital conversion errors in it, just wouldn't know what those things were. There were also a lot of places where the picture quality dropped drastically. Did they lose all the good film prints or something? There were some scenes where the vfx was clearly the reason why the picture quality was dropping too.

Coming to the movie itself, even though I've never watched the movie itself, I've always kind of known the story and have seen some scenes here and there. So it was a surprise that most of the good parts of the movie were actually everything I already knew and the rest was pretty shallow and cringe. So, the movie was actually even more outdated than I thought it would be. The comedy scenes don't work. The music is out of place and not exactly for my taste. But even after saying all this, I can't say I didn't enjoy the movie. A lot of it was like watching Annyan before Annyan, so got to give credit for that. Kamal Hassan has an effect that just makes everything better. It is a proper masala film of the time that is beautiful to look at. Even though the songs didn't have a place, it was really nice to watch on the big screen.

The best portion of the movie has got to be the pre-independence flashback scenes. Even though those scenes were also over the top, they still felt more genuine than the younger Kamal Haasan scenes in the movie. It was also good at showing things daringly within limits and even though the dialogues said some things, the visuals communicated it to be more which worked great. The character motivations for both the Kamal Haasan characters were pretty well written even though all the other characters are paper thin, with a dialogue here or there to make them work enough. There may be a bit of my convincing myself that this is a good film to a certain point that it worked for me so much, despite all of its problems.

I don't really have much expectations for the sequel, but I want at least the politics part to be properly updated to the current situations.

Having watched it when it was released in 1996 and once again in 2024, not much has changed in how I see this movie. The only saving grace in Shankar's otherwise hot mess is Kamal as Senapathy.

From a loooooong, uninspiring plot with a rudderless screenplay, disjointed scenes, pedestrian music (less said about the cringe BGM, the better), tacky lighting, low grade CGI, pathetic social stereotypes like putting higher caste people on a pedestal and showing ordinary people as dirty and cheapskates, cringe in the name of comedy, the list goes on. The only saving grace is Kamal as Senapathy and path breaking prosthetics.

Can't believe I've agreed to watch Indian 2 - wonder what monstrosity awaits.....

Indian (1996) : Brief Review -

A Kamal Haasan hysteria in Shankar's blockbuster magnum opus of human elements. I have seen this film many times on TV in childhood and enjoyed it every time but i never got that chance of one take viewing with critic/movie buff's mindset. Shankar is maverick director who always tried to bring larger than Life Stories on screen with human connect. His storytelling has always been grander than other directors but what made those films work is that he did not use artificial elements like Hollywood films. His kept his context related to human lives and especially his socialism worked much better. Indian is another powerful human story from him which closes off a smart deal with human sentiments of social sense. A veteran freedom fighter enraged with the rising crime and corruption in the society murders all the wrong doers one by one using an ancient martial arts technique. Like his other films, Shankar uses large eye to execute this saga of hardcore patriotism. You can easily see his humongous vision in high tech action scenes, stupendous sets and even the songs are shot on very big scale. These all things were far ahead for Indian cinema of 90s when South was busy making gangster+negative shade films and Bollywood was busy making romantic and family dramas. So, it works for sure and it worths your time as well. It is dated, not outdated, try to understand the difference. Kamal Haasan in dual role sets a benchmark for other actors that how versatile and compatible one actor can be. Manisha and Urmila are cute and decent whereas Sukanya and Venu sir are convincing enough. Indian is all about Shankar's gigantic vision which provides a wholesome entertainer along with a hard-hitting social message. Like I said it's dated because Shankar has made even better films like Anniyan and Mudhalvan but it is still very much watchable and with 90s mindset it's a freaking amazing experience anyday.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestesst.