{ "id": "epe0gfj5se", "slug": "ghanchakkar", "title": "Ghanchakkar (घनचक्कर)", "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-2010s", "label": "Hindi films of the 2010s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s.hindi-films-of-2013", "label": "Hindi films of 2013", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s.hindi-films-of-2013" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s.hindi-films-of-2013", "label": "India · 2001 to 2020: Hindi films of 2013", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s.hindi-films-of-2013", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001", "label": "India · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.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.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.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.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s", "label": "Hindi films of the 2010s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s.hindi-films-of-2013", "label": "Hindi films of 2013", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s.hindi-films-of-2013" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Ghanchakkar (घनचक्कर) is a 2013 Hindi comedy-crime-thriller directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, starring Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan; an amnesiac safe-cracker cannot recall where he hid bank-robbery loot. Released 28 June 2013 by UTV, it flopped.", "snippet": "Ghanchakkar (घनचक्कर) is a 2013 Hindi comedy-crime-thriller directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, starring Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan; an amnesiac safe-cracker cannot recall where he hid bank-robbery loot. Released 28 June 2013 by UTV, it flopped.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.indian-cinema.hindi-films-of-the-2010s.hindi-films-of-2013", "markdown": "# Ghanchakkar (घनचक्कर)\n\n**Ghanchakkar** (घनचक्कर) is a 2013 Hindi-language comedy, crime and thriller film directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, in which a safe-cracker who has just pulled off a bank robbery claims to have lost his memory and cannot remember where he hid the loot.[1](https://searchott.com/movies/ghanchakkar) It was produced by [UTV Motion Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/utv-motion-pictures) and released in India on 28 June 2013, starring [Emraan Hashmi](https://www.edgepedia.org/emraan-hashmi) and [Vidya Balan](https://www.edgepedia.org/vidya-balan).[1](https://searchott.com/movies/ghanchakkar) The film underperformed at the box office and drew largely negative reviews, with critics faulting its slow second half and its climax.[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/ghanchakkar/critic-review/ghanchakkar-movie-review/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Release | 28 June 2013, India; UA certification; 137 minutes[1](https://searchott.com/movies/ghanchakkar) • [3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ghanchakkar/) |\n| Director and writers | Raj Kumar Gupta; screenplay by Parveez Sheikh and Raj Kumar Gupta[1](https://searchott.com/movies/ghanchakkar) |\n| Principal cast | Emraan Hashmi (Sanjay \"Sanju\" Athray), Vidya Balan (Neetu Athray), Rajesh Sharma (Pandit), Namit Das (Idris), Parvin Dabas (Uttam Nagpal)[1](https://searchott.com/movies/ghanchakkar) |\n| Production | UTV Motion Pictures; producers Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur[4](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/ghanchakkar/u2TzLnWUJj7GGJkrwNlMX5/credits/) |\n| Music and crew | Music by Amit Trivedi, lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, cinematography by Satyajit Pande, editing by Aarti Bajaj[4](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/ghanchakkar/u2TzLnWUJj7GGJkrwNlMX5/credits/) |\n| Box office | 223 million (22.30 crore) in India over the opening weekend from 1,400 screens, against a budget of about 200 million (20 crore); overseas collections close to one million USD[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/ghanchakkar-disappoints-at-the-box-office/) |\n| Tagline | \"Remember not to forget\"[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ghanchakkar/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nSanjay Atre, called Sanju, is a reformed safe-breaker married to Neetu, a loud, fashion-obsessed Punjabi housewife who pushes him toward one last job so the couple can live well.[6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) • [7](https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/ghanchakkar-review/k23ekoj97) Two criminals, the older Pandit and the younger, gun-toting Idris, recruit him for a bank robbery. The trio loots Rs 300 million (Rs 30 crore) from a bank, and Sanju is given custody of the suitcase of cash until the spoils are to be split three months later.[6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) (One review puts the take at Rs 350 million (Rs 35 crore).[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ghanchakkar/))\n\nThe robbery itself is staged with the three robbers wearing masks of the Bollywood stars [Amitabh Bachchan](https://www.edgepedia.org/amitabh-bachchan), Utpal Dutt, and [Dharmendra](https://www.edgepedia.org/dharmendra).[7](https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/ghanchakkar-review/k23ekoj97) After the job, Sanju suffers a blow to the head and loses his memory: he cannot recall the robbery, his partners, or where he put the suitcase.[7](https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/ghanchakkar-review/k23ekoj97) • [6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) Pandit and Idris first refuse to believe him, then move into his house to monitor him, unsure whether he is faking to keep their share.[6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) They give him an ultimatum: produce the case in seven days or Neetu dies.[7](https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/ghanchakkar-review/k23ekoj97)\n\nSanju follows vague leads while trying to recover his memory. He suspects his friend Uttam Nagpal, who has just won a lottery and then leaves for London without telling him, and he begins to believe Neetu is having an affair with Uttam and plans to join him there.[6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) A mystery caller repeatedly phones asking about the money.[6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) The film ends with a bloody denouement aboard a night-time train as Sanju's memory all but fades.[7](https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/ghanchakkar-review/k23ekoj97)\n\n## Production\n\nThe film was directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, whose previous features *Aamir* and *No One Killed Jessica* had been critically successful, and written with Parveez Sheikh.[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/ghanchakkar/critic-review/ghanchakkar-movie-review/) It marked a change of genre for Gupta, described as his first light-hearted entertainer after two grim, gritty films.[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/ghanchakkar/critic-review/ghanchakkar-movie-review/) [Amit Trivedi](https://www.edgepedia.org/amit-trivedi) composed the music, including the title track and the \"Lazy Lad\" song that plays over animated opening credits; the cinematographer was Satyajit Pande (credited as Setu) and the editor [Aarti Bajaj](https://www.edgepedia.org/aarti-bajaj).[4](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/ghanchakkar/u2TzLnWUJj7GGJkrwNlMX5/credits/) • [8](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/ghanchakkar-review-nrpqsnntrr)\n\n## Reception\n\n**Critical response.** Reviews were predominantly negative. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated the film 2 out of 5, writing that the screenwriting lacked meat, the pacing was sluggish, and the culmination was an anti-climax, while praising the principal cast's performances.[2](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/ghanchakkar/critic-review/ghanchakkar-movie-review/) Business of Cinema gave it two and a half stars, calling it a half-baked comedy that suffers from poor writing in the second half and leaves sub-plots untied.[9](https://businessofcinema.com/reviews/review-ghanchakkar-a-half-baked-comedy/80108) The trade paper Film Information found the story childish, the screenplay long-drawn and slow, and the climax a shock that did not fit the rest of the film.[6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) The SBS review described the film as a disjointed hybrid of a bank robbery thriller, a slapstick comedy, and a domestic drama, and called the pairing of Pandit and Idris, asked to be both dim-witted and homicidal, the film's most ill-conceived construct.[7](https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/ghanchakkar-review/k23ekoj97) A more favorable India Today review singled out the odd-couple pairing of Hashmi and Balan and the two goons as the main reasons to watch.[10](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood-2013/story/ghanchakkar-movie-review-168469-2013-06-28) Reviewers repeatedly noted Balan's over-the-top Neetu, with her garish costumes and her constant \"hain?\" punctuation, as a performance some found funny and others grating.[6](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/) • [9](https://businessofcinema.com/reviews/review-ghanchakkar-a-half-baked-comedy/80108)\n\n**Box office.** The film opened poorly. Released on 1,400 screens, it collected 223 million (22.30 crore) domestically over its first weekend, with 72 million (7.2 crore) on Friday, 73 million (7.30 crore) on Saturday, and 78 million (7.8 crore) on Sunday, against a budget of about 200 million (20 crore).[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/ghanchakkar-disappoints-at-the-box-office/) Trade analyst Amod Mehra said the film was on its way to becoming a flop, though not a disaster given its low budget.[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/ghanchakkar-disappoints-at-the-box-office/) Bad word of mouth kept audiences away, according to a Cinemax India executive.[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/ghanchakkar-disappoints-at-the-box-office/) Overseas, however, it proved to be Balan's biggest opener to that point in the UK and US, with cumulative collections close to one million USD, including about 150,000 in North America, 133,334 USD in the UK, and over 375,653 USD in the Gulf.[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/ghanchakkar-disappoints-at-the-box-office/) A later database listing gives a worldwide gross of about 5 million USD on a budget of about 4 million USD.[1](https://searchott.com/movies/ghanchakkar)\n\n## Other uses of the name\n\nThe title has been used elsewhere. An earlier Marathi film named *Ghanchakkar*, directed by Avinash Thakur, was released in 1990.[11](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%2520of%2520Indian%2520Cinema.pdf) A Nepali film titled घनचक्कर, which had taken four years from the start of production, opened in cinemas across Nepal in June 2023.[12](https://www.lokpath.com/story/548604/) Ghanchakkar is also the name of a barren peak near Bhandardara in the Sahyadri range of [Maharashtra](https://www.edgepedia.org/maharashtra), a moderately tough trekking destination.[13](https://www.hellotravel.com/india/ghanchakkar)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Ghanchakkar – where to watch online, SearchOTT](https://searchott.com/movies/ghanchakkar)\n2. [Ghanchakkar Movie Review by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/ghanchakkar/critic-review/ghanchakkar-movie-review/)\n3. [Ghanchakkar, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/ghanchakkar/)\n4. [Ghanchakkar Cast & Characters, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/ghanchakkar/u2TzLnWUJj7GGJkrwNlMX5/credits/)\n5. [Ghanchakkar disappoints at the box office, The Indian Express (5 July 2013)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/ghanchakkar-disappoints-at-the-box-office/)\n6. [GHANCHAKKAR review by Komal Nahta, Film Information (29 June 2013)](https://filminformation.com/reviews/ghanchakkar-review/)\n7. [Ghanchakkar Review by Simon Foster, SBS What's On (2 July 2013)](https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/ghanchakkar-review/k23ekoj97)\n8. [Ghanchakkar review, MouthShut](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/ghanchakkar-review-nrpqsnntrr)\n9. [REVIEW: 'Ghanchakkar' – A Half-Baked Comedy, Business of Cinema (28 June 2013)](https://businessofcinema.com/reviews/review-ghanchakkar-a-half-baked-comedy/80108)\n10. [Reviewing Ghanchakkar: Just not wonky enough?, India Today (28 June 2013)](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood-2013/story/ghanchakkar-movie-review-168469-2013-06-28)\n11. [Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema entry for Ghanchakkar (Avinash Thakur, Marathi, 1990)](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%2520of%2520Indian%2520Cinema.pdf)\n12. [आजबाट चलचित्र 'घनचक्कर' प्रदर्शनमा, Lokpath (June 2023)](https://www.lokpath.com/story/548604/)\n13. [Ghanchakkar peak, Bhandardara, HelloTravel](https://www.hellotravel.com/india/ghanchakkar)\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 2010s › Hindi films of 2013*\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/ghanchakkar", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/ghanchakkar.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": "\"Ghanchakkar (घनचक्कर)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/ghanchakkar. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Ghanchakkar (घनचक्कर)](https://www.edgepedia.org/ghanchakkar)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/ghanchakkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ghanchakkar). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Ghanchakkar (घनचक्कर)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/ghanchakkar. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Ghanchakkar is a 2013 Hindi comedy-crime-thriller directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, starring Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan; an amnesiac safe-cracker cannot recall where he hid bank-robbery loot." }