{ "id": "eprze6mf28", "slug": "adalat", "title": "Adalat (अदालत)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema", "label": "Indian films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s", "label": "Hindi films of the 1970s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "label": "Released 1976 to 1979", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "label": "India · 1946 to 2000: Released 1976 to 1979", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946", "label": "India · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema", "label": "Indian films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s", "label": "Hindi films of the 1970s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "label": "Released 1976 to 1979", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Adalat (अदालत) is a 1976 Hindi action drama film directed by Narendra Bedi, produced by A. K. Nadiadwala, starring Amitabh Bachchan in a double role as framed farmer Dharma and son Raju, with Waheeda Rehman, Neetu Singh, and Kader Khan; music Kalyanji–Anandji; distinct from the 1958 film of the same name.", "snippet": "Adalat (अदालत) is a 1976 Hindi action drama film directed by Narendra Bedi, produced by A. K. Nadiadwala, starring Amitabh Bachchan in a double role as framed farmer Dharma and son Raju, with Waheeda Rehman, Neetu Singh, and Kader Khan; music Kalyanji–Anandji; distinct from the 1958 film of the same name.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-1970s.yr-1976-1979", "markdown": "# Adalat (अदालत)\n\n**Adalat** (अदालत) is a 1976 Hindi-language action drama film directed by Narendra Bedi and produced by A. K. Nadiadwala, starring [Amitabh Bachchan](https://www.edgepedia.org/amitabh-bachchan) in a double role as the farmer Dharamchand (\"Dharma\") and his son Raju, alongside [Waheeda Rehman](https://www.edgepedia.org/waheeda-rehman), Neetu Singh, and [Kader Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kader-khan)[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/). The plot follows a village farmer who moves to Bombay for work, is framed in a smuggling case and imprisoned, and, after release, seeks revenge on the men responsible for his family's suffering[2](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/adalat-2). The title is not related to the 1958 film of the same name directed by Kalidas with music by Madan Mohan[3](https://www.madanmohan.in/html/Milestone-Films-Adalat.html), although some databases conflate the two.[4](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/adalat-2/cast/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Director and writer | Narendra Bedi (story and screenplay)[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/) |\n| Producer | A. K. Nadiadwala, for A. K. Movies[5](https://iucat.iu.edu/lilly/7662888) |\n| Release | Variously dated 29 December 1976 and 7 January 1977; a 1976 theatrical release is widely stated[6](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movies/calendar-1976) • [7](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/adalat-movie-116731) |\n| Lead role | Amitabh Bachchan as Thakur Dharam Chand \"Dharma\" and Raj \"Raju\" Thakur, father and son[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/) |\n| Other leads | Waheeda Rehman (Radha), Neetu Singh (Geeta Verma), Kader Khan (Police Inspector Khan)[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/) |\n| Music | Kalyanji–Anandji; lyrics by Gulshan Bawra[5](https://iucat.iu.edu/lilly/7662888) |\n| Recognition | Bachchan received a Filmfare Best Actor nomination for the performance[8](https://flashbackbollywood.in/2020/10/20/50-years-of-big-b-50-definitive-amitabh-bachchan-performances/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nDharamchand, called Dharma, is a simple and honest village farmer. When his wife Radha (Waheeda Rehman) gives birth to a son, they name him Raju[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/). Dharma saves three city men, Ajit (Anwar Hussain), Suresh, and Sujit ([Sujit Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sujit-kumar)), from a man-eating tiger, and they offer him a job in Bombay whenever he needs one[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/).[9](https://www.ottplay.com/features/sooryavansham-turns-25-look-back-at-amitabh-bachchans-pioneering-double-roles-in-bollywood/d0d63243c0941)\n\nAfter a drought and the loss of his cattle, Dharma takes the offer and moves to the city with his family, including his sister Lakshmi (Heena Kausar), and is made manager of Ajit's warehouse[2](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/adalat-2). Unaware that his employers are involved in the smuggling trade, Dharma is tricked into signing documents that make him the warehouse's legal owner; police raids uncover trafficked gold and drugs, and he is convicted and jailed[2](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/adalat-2).[9](https://www.ottplay.com/features/sooryavansham-turns-25-look-back-at-amitabh-bachchans-pioneering-double-roles-in-bollywood/d0d63243c0941)\n\nWhile Dharma is in prison his family suffers badly, and his sister commits suicide[2](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/adalat-2). On release, Dharma sets out to avenge the atrocities committed against him[10](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/adalat/umc.cmc.74wsz1hb9l5u6l3n9sakpla25). In the film's second half, his grown son Raju, also played by Bachchan, reunites with him and the two seek revenge on the criminals responsible for the family's sufferings[7](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/adalat-movie-116731). Police Inspector Khan (Kader Khan) repeatedly confronts Dharma during his vendetta[11](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/adalat-review-upqrnluuom).\n\n## Bachchan's double role and performance\n\nAdalat was one of the early films in which Amitabh Bachchan carried a full double role as father and son; his first double role had come in *Bandhe Haath* (1973)[8](https://flashbackbollywood.in/2020/10/20/50-years-of-big-b-50-definitive-amitabh-bachchan-performances/).[12](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/amitabh-bachchan-double-role-movies-list-3673537) In the film, the father's dialogues are in Hindi and Awadhi, while the son Raju, an England-returned young man, speaks English, and the actor switches between registers within the same scenes[8](https://flashbackbollywood.in/2020/10/20/50-years-of-big-b-50-definitive-amitabh-bachchan-performances/).[11](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/adalat-review-upqrnluuom) The performance earned him a Filmfare Best Actor nomination alongside his *Kabhi Kabhie* role, in a year when the award went to [Sanjeev Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanjeev-kumar) for *Arjun Pandit*[8](https://flashbackbollywood.in/2020/10/20/50-years-of-big-b-50-definitive-amitabh-bachchan-performances/).[11](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/adalat-review-upqrnluuom)\n\nRetrospective assessments place the film among Bachchan's distinctive work, describing him as \"the guileless peasant who is forced to become a shrewd, retribution-seeking crime lord\"[8](https://flashbackbollywood.in/2020/10/20/50-years-of-big-b-50-definitive-amitabh-bachchan-performances/). One scholarly history of Bombay cinema notes the film's village-bumpkin figure in a list of 1970s angry-young-man types[13](https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/12207233.pdf).\n\n## Music\n\nThe score was composed by the duo [Kalyanji–Anandji](https://www.edgepedia.org/kalyanji-anandji), with lyrics by Gulshan Bawra[5](https://iucat.iu.edu/lilly/7662888). Playback singers included [Lata Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/lata-mangeshkar), Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, and [K. J. Yesudas](https://www.edgepedia.org/k-j-yesudas)[14](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/fullcredits/). Named songs include \"Tumse Dur Rehke\" (Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi), \"Humka Aisa Waisa Na Samjho\" (Mukesh and Amitabh Bachchan), \"Behna O Behna\" (Mukesh), and \"Do Din Ki Jawani\" (K. J. Yesudas)[7](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/adalat-movie-116731).\n\nOne musical sequence has drawn scholarly attention: Amitabh Bachchan and [Neetu Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/neetu-singh)'s \"kung-fu dance\", staged to the 1975 [Carl Douglas](https://www.edgepedia.org/carl-douglas) disco number \"Kung Fu Fighting\", which a 1979 *Filmfare* article cited as an early exemplar of Bombay cinema's turn to disco dancing, simulating the aesthetics of [Pam Grier](https://www.edgepedia.org/pam-grier) and Rudy Ray Moore films[15](https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/45225/7/Mukherjee%20-%20ETD%20-%20Final.pdf).\n\n## Kader Khan's breakthrough\n\nFor Kader Khan, the role of Inspector Khan marked an arrival as an actor; he had previously done small roles in *Daag* and *Bairaag*, and a retrospective review calls his work here possibly his best performance, delivered without the loudness that later became a trademark[11](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/adalat-review-upqrnluuom). The same reviewer notes that the role prefigured the cult status later attached to the police-inspector part in *Qurbaani* played by Amjad Khan[11](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/adalat-review-upqrnluuom).\n\n## Release dates and runtime\n\nThe film's dating is reported inconsistently. Zee5, Indian Film History, and Gadgets 360 give 7 January 1977[7](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/adalat-movie-116731), while the BollywoodMDB year calendar lists Adalat among 29 December 1976 releases[6](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movies/calendar-1976), and IMDb, Apple TV, and the Rotten Tomatoes listing date it 1976[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/).[10](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/adalat/umc.cmc.74wsz1hb9l5u6l3n9sakpla25) Runtimes likewise differ across platforms: 2h 18m on IMDb and Gadgets 360, 2h 55m on Apple TV, and about 140 minutes on the DVD release cataloged by [Indiana University](https://www.edgepedia.org/indiana-university)[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/).[10](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/adalat/umc.cmc.74wsz1hb9l5u6l3n9sakpla25) • [5](https://iucat.iu.edu/lilly/7662888) IMDb shows a user rating of 6.3/10 from 400 votes[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/).\n\n## Later availability\n\nThe film circulates on home video and streaming: Ultra Video of Mumbai issued a DVD in 2005, in Hindi with English subtitles[5](https://iucat.iu.edu/lilly/7662888), and the full movie is currently offered on Zee5 and OTT Play[16](https://www.komparify.com/entertainment/movie/adalat-1976-film). A full-length upload on YouTube in 2025 has drawn over 10 million views[17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly6XeszgDq4).\n\n## References\n\n1. [Adalat (1976), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/)\n2. [Adalat, Indian Film History](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/adalat-2)\n3. [Milestone Films of Madan Mohanji: Adalat (1958), Official Madan Mohan website](https://www.madanmohan.in/html/Milestone-Films-Adalat.html)\n4. [Adalat Cast & Crew, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/adalat-2/cast/)\n5. [Adalat, IUCat Lilly, Indiana University Libraries](https://iucat.iu.edu/lilly/7662888)\n6. [Bollywood Movie Calendar 1976, BollywoodMDB](https://www.bollywoodmdb.com/movies/calendar-1976)\n7. [Adalat Movie (1977), Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/adalat-movie-116731)\n8. [50 Years of Big B: 50 Definitive Amitabh Bachchan Performances, Flashback Bollywood](https://flashbackbollywood.in/2020/10/20/50-years-of-big-b-50-definitive-amitabh-bachchan-performances/)\n9. [Sooryavansham turns 25: Amitabh Bachchan's double roles, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/features/sooryavansham-turns-25-look-back-at-amitabh-bachchans-pioneering-double-roles-in-bollywood/d0d63243c0941)\n10. [Adalat, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/adalat/umc.cmc.74wsz1hb9l5u6l3n9sakpla25)\n11. [Dharma Ki Adalat is great!!!, MouthShut review](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/adalat-review-upqrnluuom)\n12. [Amitabh Bachchan Double Role Movies List, NDTV India](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/amitabh-bachchan-double-role-movies-list-3673537)\n13. [Dissertation on Bombay cinema dance, University of Pittsburgh](https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/12207233.pdf)\n14. [Adalat (1976) - Full cast & crew - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075632/fullcredits/)\n15. [Mukherjee ETD: Bombay cinema and disco dancing, University of Pittsburgh](https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/45225/7/Mukherjee%20-%20ETD%20-%20Final.pdf)\n16. [Where to Watch Adalat, Komparify](https://www.komparify.com/entertainment/movie/adalat-1976-film)\n17. [अदालत (1976) full movie, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly6XeszgDq4)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 1970s › Released 1976 to 1979*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/adalat", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/adalat.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Adalat (अदालत)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/adalat. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Adalat (अदालत)](https://www.edgepedia.org/adalat)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/adalat](https://www.edgepedia.org/adalat). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Adalat (अदालत)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/adalat. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Adalat is a 1976 Hindi action drama film directed by Narendra Bedi, produced by A. K." }