Mr. India (1987 film)

Mr. India
Theatrical poster
Directed byShekhar Kapur
Written bySalim–Javed
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBaba Azmi
Edited by
  • Waman Bhonsle
  • Gurudutt Shirali
Music byLaxmikant–Pyarelal
Production
company
Narsimha Enterprises
Distributed bySujata Films
Release date
  • 25 May 1987 (1987-05-25)
Running time
179 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹38 million[2]
Box office₹100 million (India)[3]

Mr. India is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed by Shekhar Kapur and produced jointly by Boney Kapoor and Surinder Kapoor under the Narsimha Enterprises banner. The story and screenplay was written by the duo Salim–Javed in what was their last collaboration before their split. Starring Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, and Amrish Puri, the film tells the story of Arun Verma (Kapoor), a humble violinist and philanthropist who receives a cloaking device that grants him invisibility. While renting out his house to pay his debts, he meets the journalist Seema Sahni (Sridevi) and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, the criminal Mogambo (Puri) has plans to conquer India.

After watching his previous directorial venture Masoom, a 1983 family drama about children, Boney Kapoor approached Kapur to make another film with similar themes. Principal photography, handled by Baba Azmi, took place in Srinagar, Mumbai, and other locations in India, starting in July 1985, and finished after 350 days. Laxmikant–Pyarelal composed the soundtrack, while Akhtar wrote the lyrics. After filming ended, Waman Bhonsle and Gurudutt Shirali jointly edited it; Peter Pereira completed the special effects.

Mr. India was released on 25 May 1987. It emerged as a commercial success and became the second highest-grossing film of the year at the Indian box office after Hukumat, where it earned 100 million (US$7.72 million) against a 38 million (US$2.93 million) budget; it was also an overseas hit in China. It received widespread acclaim from contemporary and modern critics, with most of them appreciating the performances of Anil Kapoor and Sridevi. In 2013, Sridevi was awarded the Special Award at the 58th Filmfare Awards.

Mr. India was a breakthrough for its director and cast members and became a milestone in Hindi cinema for its rarely filmed superhero genre, which was followed by several Indian films in later years. It was remade in Tamil as En Rathathin Rathame (1989) and Kannada as Jai Karnataka (1989). A 3D sequel, titled Mr. India 2, was announced in 2011 but has not entered production.

  1. ^ Kapur, Shekhar (25 May 1987). Mr. India (Motion picture) (in Hindi). India: Narsimha Enterprises. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  2. ^ Mukherjee, Madhureeta (29 May 2017). "Boney Kapoor: People thought I was crazy to make 'Mr. India'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Box Office 1987". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2021.