Krantiveer - A Nana Patekar film

Krantiveer was a movie released in 1994; an all and out commercial movie released by the movie-maker who has made other patriotic movies (Mehul Kumar), it was also a movie that seeked to portray the transformation in one man when faced with evil. Even though the main character has been depicted as a person who is selfish, uncaring about others (other than his immediate family), a transformation is shown based on 2 major incidents that affect his life - the murder of his adopted father, and the riot in his locality that caused normal people to transform into murderers and brings out communal feelings.
Krantiveer was a role essayed brilliantly by Nana Patekar, turning the movie into a commercial as well as critical success. He puts forth some intense emotions into the movie, so you can believe him when he is essaying the role of a normal guy in the chawl who could not care less about the efforts of the journalist, or when he he suddenly becomes violent at the cremation ground of his adopted father. He is equally at ease taking out money from his father's safe and not caring about the repercussions, or the reaction of his mother and grandfather when they find him being delinquent and turn him out. However, it is transformation that is riveting.



Of course, the end, where he does mass murder, his speech, etc is a bit forced, but even there, his final speech at the hanging ground where he accuses the crowd of being impotent and uncaring about what is happening around them, and the way that he symbolically turns against them is interesting. However, the movie is not like a 'Ghulam' where in the end, the crowd essentially becomes active, here, the crowd still remains uncaring till the end, it is the single person transformation that is interesting.
The other interesting occasion in the movie is in the aftermath of the riot (turned communal riot) in the chawl, when he single-handedly does his bit (using some blood and direct force) to try and break away the Hindu Muslim separation that seems to be coming. This is a very intense scene, similar to the short scene where he refuses to get involved in favor of a widow who is facing oppression, but manages to get her son to figure out what to do, and eventually gets her to react directly instead of moaning at her fate.
The movie is about this guy Pratap (Nana Patekar) who was the grandson of a freedom fighter, but who was turned out by his family when very young because of his misdeeds. He manages to find a place in the heart of a slum lord Laxmidas (Paresh Rawal) and his son Atul (Atul Agnihotri). They have a pleasant time with a budding romance between Atul and Mamta (Mata Kulkarni), the daughter of a rich builder Yograj (Tinnu Anand). The slum in which they live also has a crusading journalist Megha (Dimple Kapadia) living in it, who tries to get Pratap involved her crusade, but he keeps on shying away. He does a bit from time to time, but nothing very great.
Things change when Yograj sets his eye on the slum for a big development scheme, and involves all the corrupt elements, the politicians, the judge, police, and the mafia leader Cheetah (Danny). As a part of this, communal riots are planned, and then Paresh Rawal is killed. This is when Pratap gets fired up, and carries out a campaign to kill all of them in broad daylight, for which he is sentenced to death. what happens then ? It's a fairly fast movie, well worth the watch.
The movie has lyrics by Sameer, and music by Anand-Milind.

Nana Patekar's ending dialog from Krantiveer



Love Rap from Krantiveer



Great communal amity scene from Krantiveer



Buy the movie



Download the music