Malang (transl. Vagrant or Wanderer) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language romantic action thriller film directed by Mohit Suri. It was produced by Luv Films, T-Series, and Northern Lights Entertainment, and distributed by Yash Raj Films. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, and Kunal Khemu.
Plot
The story follows Inspector Anjaney Agashe (Anil Kapoor), a drug-addicted police officer who kills criminals and stages their deaths as police encounters. Advait Thakur (Aditya Roy Kapur), a released convict, begins targeting police officers, including Agashe's colleague Michael Rodrigues (Kunal Khemu). In flashback, Advait had met and fallen in love with Sara Nambiar (Disha Patani) in Goa. After Sara becomes pregnant, Advait initially leaves her due to a fear of commitment but later returns. Meanwhile, Michael—who is uncomfortable with intimacy—visits a prostitute named Jessie, but a case of mistaken identity leads to Advait and Sara being framed for drug peddling by corrupt police officers. Sara is thrown off a bridge, and Advait is imprisoned. In the present, Advait and Sara (who survived) have been secretly planning revenge against the officers responsible.
Cast
- Anil Kapoor as Inspector Anjaney Agashe
- Aditya Roy Kapur as Advait Thakur
- Disha Patani as Sara Nambiar
- Kunal Khemu as Michael Rodrigues
- Amruta Khanvilkar as Teresa Rodrigues
- Vatsal Sheth as Victor Ferns
- Elli AvrRam as Jessabelle (Jessie)
- Shraddha Kapoor as an unknown caller (voice over)
Production
The film was initially offered to Shraddha Kapoor, who could not fit it into her schedule but agreed to provide voiceover work. Principal photography began on 22 March 2019 in Goa, with additional shooting in Mauritius in May 2019. Filming wrapped on 7 October 2019.
Release
Originally scheduled for 14 February 2020, the release was moved forward to 7 February 2020. The film was made available on Netflix on 15 May 2020.
Reception
Malang received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars, praising the performances and action sequences. Bollywood Hungama also gave 3.5/5 stars, noting the film's style and thrilling moments but describing the storyline as average. Filmfare gave 2.5/5 stars, calling it a flawed but entertaining product. The Indian Express gave 1.5/5 stars, describing it as a tepid thriller. The Hindu criticized the film's unsubstantiated violence and its treatment of themes of misogyny and masculinity.
Box Office
Malang earned ₹6.71 crore net on its opening day in India. The opening weekend collection totaled ₹25.36 crore. As of 19 March 2020, the film had a worldwide gross collection of approximately ₹84.50 crore (₹70.23 crore domestically and ₹14.27 crore overseas).
Soundtrack
The film's music was composed by Mithoon, Ankit Tiwari, Ved Sharma, Asim Azhar, Adnan Dhool, and Rabi Ahmed. Notable tracks include "Chal Ghar Chalen" (sung by Arijit Singh), "Humraah" (Sachet Tandon), and "Phir Na Milen Kabhi" (Ankit Tiwari). Pakistani singer Asim Azhar originally composed and performed "Humraah," but due to India–Pakistan tensions, T-Series re-recorded the song with Sachet Tandon and credited it to "The Fusion Project," though Asim Azhar was still credited in the film's opening credits.
Sequel
A sequel, Malang 2, was officially announced on 31 May 2020, with Shraddha Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, and Anil Kapoor attached to star.
