Khal Nayak

Khal Nayak is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language action crime film written, directed and produced by Subhash Ghai under Mukta Arts Ltd. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and Jackie Shroff. The plot focuses on the escape and attempted capture of criminal Ballu (Dutt) by sub-Inspector Ram (Shroff) and his cop girlfriend Ganga (Dixit).

Khal Nayak is known for its music, especially the song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai", sung by Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun. The Khal Nayak soundtrack album sold 10million copies, making it one of the year's best-selling Bollywood soundtrack albums, along with Baazigar. Khal Nayak was released on 6 August 1993, and became the second highest grossing Hindi film of 1993, surpassed only by Aankhen. It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its screenplay, soundtrack and performances of the cast.

At the 39th Filmfare Awards, Khal Nayak received a leading 11 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Ghai), Best Actor (Dutt), Best Actress (Dixit) and Best Supporting Actor (Shroff), and won 2 awards – Best Female Playback Singer (Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun) and Best Choreography (Saroj Khan), both for the song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai".

Plot
Balram "Ballu" Prasad, a gangster, gets arrested by Inspector Ram, who shows compassion to Ballu while trying to extract information that would lead to the capture of Ballu's mentor Roshida. However, Ballu does not cooperate and later promises to escape from prison. While visiting his officer girlfriend, Ganga, Ram learns that Ballu has escaped from prison and his reputation is in tatters as the media portrays him as a negligent officer. In an attempt to restore Ram's reputation, Ganga goes undercover as a street-girl, and realizes that Ballu is a kind-hearted person, who turned to crime due to his circumstances. She tries to rehabilitate him while on the run.

Meanwhile, Ballu falls in love with Ganga but becomes enraged when he learns she does not love him and is a cop. Ganga continues to help Ballu as she has seen good in him. Meanwhile, Ram approaches Ballu's mother Aarti for help and realises that Ballu is his childhood friend. She reveals that Roshan Da had used their poverty to corrupt Ballu and killed Ballu's sister Sunita and placed the blame on the cops. Enraged, Ballu had killed a policeman and thus got sucked into a life of crime. Afraid that the police will kill Ballu, Ganga stops the police from shooting at him, allowing him to escape. She is arrested for aiding a criminal and for being in a relationship with Ballu, which destroys her professional and personal reputation.

Ballu's mother finds him, while Ram follows her. In the following confrontation, Ballu's mother takes Ram's side, trying to convince Ballu to surrender. Seeing Ganga's picture in Ram's wallet, Ballu realizes that Ram is the one who she loves and manages to escape to Roshan Da's base where Roshan Da promises to help him escape but betrays him and attempts to kill him and his mother. Led by Ram, police attack Roshan Da's lair. In the ensuing conflict, Ballu discovers that Roshan Da killed his sister, Ram kills Roshan Da and Ballu escapes. Following Roshan Da's death, Ballu proclaims himself the new boss, but his girlfriend informs him that Ganga is about to go on trial for aiding him. Ballu surrenders and swears that Ganga is innocent, thereby restoring her reputation and leading to her and Ram's reconciliation. Ballu goes to prison.

Cast

 * Sanjay Dutt as Balaram "Ballu" Prasad, A Notorious and Wanted Criminal working for Roshida; Navin and Aarti's Son and Sunita's Younger Brother
 * Madhuri Dixit as Inspector Gangotri "Ganga" Singh, an undercover police officer, Ram's Girlfriend and Ballu's Love Interest
 * Jackie Shroff as Inspector Ram Kumar Sinha, A Hardworking and Honest Police Officer; Former Student at Aarti's School, Ganga's Boyfriend and Ballu's Childhood Friend 'Babla'
 * Anupam Kher as Ishwar Pandey, IG Police and Ram's distant uncle
 * Rakhee Gulzar as Aarti Prasad, A Retired Teacher; Navin's Wife, Sunita and Ballu's Mother
 * Siddharth Randeria as Navin Prasad, Public Prosecutor Lawyer appointed against Roshida, Aarti's Husband, Sunita and Ballu's Father
 * Aloka Mukherjee as Sunita Prasad, Navin and Aarti's Daughter and Ballu's Elder Sister
 * Ramya Krishna as Sophia Sulochana, Ballu's Girlfriend
 * Pramod Moutho as Roshan "Roshida" Mahanta, Ballu's Mentor who lured him into life of crime and deceit
 * Sushmita Mukherjee as Mrs. Maithili Pandey
 * Navtej Hundal
 * Arun Bali as Police Commissioner Kuljeet Chaddha
 * Anand Balraj as Police Inspector
 * A. K. Hangal as Shaukat Bhai
 * Sudhir Dalvi as Shambhu Master, Village School Teacher. (special appearance)
 * Neena Gupta as Champa, a dancer in the song "Choli Ke Peeche"
 * Ali Asgar as Munna, a small thug working for Roshida
 * Sunil Shende as The Judge at Ganga's Court Trial
 * Hans Dev Sharma as Investigation Officer assistant to Ram Kumar Sinha.

Production
Background

The movie's director, Subhash Ghai wanted to make an art film with Nana Patekar. When he began the film with Patekar, in the movie's original story, the protagonist arrives from Pune to Mumbai. But when Ghai's a screenwriter gave him the idea, that he should make this movie an action film rather than an art film, he changed his mind and tried to make an action film.

Pre-production

Ghai was sure to take Jackie Shroff for the character of Ram. Anil Kapoor was keen to play the antagonist's character, but Ghai told him, you will not suit it and the film will fail. Anand Bakshi wrote the lyrics.

Principal-photography

During the filming, Sanjay Dutt was arrested and jailed in the 1993 Bombay bombings case.

Awards
39th Filmfare Awards:

Won
 * Best Female Playback Singer – Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun for "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai"
 * Best Choreography – Saroj Khan for "Choli Ke Peeche"


 * Nominated
 * Best Film
 * Best Director – Subhash Ghai
 * Best Actor – Sanjay Dutt
 * Best Actress – Madhuri Dixit
 * Best Supporting Actor – Jackie Shroff
 * Best Music Director – Laxmikant–Pyarelal
 * Best Lyricist – Anand Bakshi for "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai"
 * Best Male Playback Singer – Vinod Rathod for "Nayak Nahin Khal Nayak Hoon Main"
 * Best Female Playback Singer – Alka Yagnik for "Paalki Pe Ho Ke Sawaar"

Music
The music was composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with the lyrics being penned by Anand Bakshi.

The best known song from the soundtrack were "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai", "Palki Mein Hoke Sawar" and "Nayak Nahi Khal Nayak". The Khal Nayak soundtrack album sold 10million copies, making it one of the year's best-selling Bollywood soundtrack albums, along with Baazigar.

Box office
Khal Nayak was the second highest grossing Hindi film of 1993, surpassed only by Aankhen.

Release
Film of Jitendra, Khal-Naaikaa (1993) was released on the same day with Khal Nayak, prior to release Subhash Ghai agitated against Khal-Naaika at the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) but they gave verdict against him. They told Ghai, he can change the date of his movie's release if he want but Khal Naaika's owners will not move its release date.

Remakes
The film was remade in Telugu as Khaidi No. 1, and in Tamil as Hero (1994).