Daraar (दरार)
Daraar (दरार; transl. Rift) is a 1996 Indian Hindi-language romantic psychological thriller directed by the duo Abbas–Mustan and starring Rishi Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, and Arbaaz Khan in his feature film debut.1 • 2 It was released in India on 5 July 1996.2 The film follows a woman who escapes her abusive, possessive husband by faking her death and starting a new life in Shimla, only for him to track her down after she falls in love with another man.1
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 5 July 1996 (India), Hindi language2 |
| Directors | Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla and Mastan Alibhai Burmawalla (Abbas–Mustan)2 |
| Lead cast | Rishi Kapoor (Raj Malhotra), Juhi Chawla (Priya Bhatia), Arbaaz Khan (Vikram)1 |
| Key crew | Producer Sujit Kumar; story and screenplay Sachin Bhowmick; dialogue Aadesh K. Arjun; music Anu Malik3 |
| Source material | Inspired by the 1991 American thriller Sleeping with the Enemy1 |
| Box office | India net ₹65 million (₹6.5 crore), worldwide ₹105 million (₹10.5 crore); verdict "Below Average" (Sacnilk) or "Flop" (Box Office India)4 • 5 |
| Major award | Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Villainous Role, 1997, to Arbaaz Khan6 |
Spoilers
Plot
Vikram (Arbaaz Khan) is a violent, obsessively possessive husband who cannot control his rage and repeatedly beats his new wife, Priya (Juhi Chawla).5 During a boat trip to celebrate her birthday, the boat is caught in a storm and Priya escapes; Vikram believes she has drowned, but she swims ashore and runs away to Shimla to begin a new life.5
In Shimla she meets Raj Malhotra (Rishi Kapoor), a wealthy man who falls in love with her.5 When her mother advises her to tell him the truth about her past, Priya writes a letter explaining her abusive marriage and entrusts it to Raj's servant Hari (Johnny Lever), who misplaces it and has a substitute letter containing only a poem delivered instead.5 Raj learns of the earlier marriage from Priya's mother and leaves her in anger; the misunderstanding is resolved only when Hari finds the original letter, after which Raj forgives her and decides to marry her.7 Vikram, discovering that Priya is alive, traces the couple to Shimla, tries to kill Raj, has him jailed, and goes after Priya.7 In the climax, Raj drowns Vikram in a bathtub, and when Vikram attacks the couple again at a railway station, his foot becomes stuck on the track; seeing Priya try to save him despite his abuse, he pushes her away before a train hits him, saying that she is free.8
Production and casting
Daraar was produced by Sujit Kumar under the banner Shree Shiv Bhakti Films, with Venus Records & Tapes also credited as a production company.3 • 2 Sachin Bhowmick wrote the story and screenplay and Aadesh K. Arjun wrote the dialogue; the lyrics were by Shaheen Iqbal, Rani Malik, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Rahat Indori, and Hasrat Jaipuri.3 Thomas A. Xavier was the cinematographer and Sandeep Chowta and Anu Malik are credited as composers.8
The film marked the feature debut of Arbaaz Khan, younger sibling of Salman Khan.1 • 9 In a 1997 Rediff interview, Abbas and Mustan said they had known Arbaaz for some time, felt he suited the role, and wanted a new face that could work both as hero and as villain.10 According to a later account, the duo had earlier wanted to launch Arbaaz in Khiladi and then in Baazigar, but he felt he was not ready; Arbaaz himself told The Indian Express that he had been offered Akshay Kumar's role in Khiladi but could not take it because he was signed with another director.11
Source material and the Sleeping with the Enemy cycle
The film's story is inspired by the 1991 American thriller Sleeping with the Enemy, and it was one of three Hindi adaptations of that material made around the same time, alongside Yaraana (1995) and Agnisakshi (1996).1 A contemporary review in The Link described Daraar as completing "the trilogy of the desi versions of Sleeping With The Enemy".9 Film scholar Gohar Siddiqui of Clark University treats Yaraana, Agnisakshi, and Daraar as a cycle of domestic-abuse films released within two years, arguing that their shared plot centers domestic violence and carries a critique of patriarchy.12
The directors disputed the remake label. In the Rediff interview they said that when the writer of Daraar narrated the story, he told them he had been inspired by A Kiss Before Dying, and that they deliberately avoided watching the English version so as not to be influenced by it; they also said that when they began shooting Daraar, Agni Sakshi had not yet gone on the floors and they had never seen it.10 In a separate interview, Mustan said that when a script is adapted from Hollywood they make sure not to watch the original, and that during the making of Daraar and Baazigar they avoided Sleeping With The Enemy and A Kiss Before Dying.13
Music
The music was composed by Anu Malik, with popular tracks including "Ye Pyar Pyar Kya Hai" and "Deewana Deewana".1 The soundtrack album was released in 1996 on Ishtar Music.14
Reception and box office
Contemporary response was mixed. The Link review praised Juhi Chawla's performance, saying she conveyed "a natural vulnerability and an innocence", but criticized the film for straying from its main theme and for a climax that undercut the character's stance against her husband.9 Later aggregators record an IMDb user rating of 5.3/10 from 679 votes.2
The film underperformed commercially. Sacnilk reports a budget of ₹52 million (₹5.20 crore), India net collections of ₹65 million (₹6.50 crore), India gross of ₹100 million (₹10.00 crore), overseas of ₹5 million (₹0.50 crore), and a worldwide total of ₹105 million (₹10.50 crore), with a verdict of "Below Average".4 Box Office India lists a budget of ₹45 million (₹4.50 crore), a total net gross of ₹62.8 million (₹6.28 crore) on 155 screens, and classifies the film as a "Flop".5 B4U's profile likewise says the film was declared a flop despite a moderate budget of approximately ₹45 million (₹4.5 crore).1
The film's lasting reputation rests on Arbaaz Khan's performance as the abusive husband, which won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Villainous Role at the 42nd Annual Filmfare Awards (winners of the year 1997), where Juhi Chawla was nominated for Best Actress.6 • 7 B4U describes the role as a bold debut that remains well regarded.1
Versions and runtime
Reported runtimes differ substantially across databases: IMDb lists 105 minutes, Box Office India 169 minutes, Rotten Tomatoes 2h 55m, and one catalog entry 175 minutes.2 • 3 • 15 The Times of India lists a certified runtime of 2 hours 3 minutes with a UA certificate.16 The film was later featured in the 2015 film Dilwale.2
References
- DARAAR, B4U Entertainment
- Daraar (1996), IMDb
- Daraar cast and credits, Box Office India
- Daraar (1996) box office, Sacnilk
- Daraar movie page, Box Office India
- Filmfare Awards Winners List (1954–Present), Filmfare
- Daraar – Where to Watch and Stream, TV Guide
- Daraar, Moviebuff
- DARAAR film review, The Link (July 1996), via rec.arts.movies.local.indian
- Filmmakers Abbas and Mastan interview, Rediff On The Net (April 1997)
- Arbaaz Khan reveals Abbas-Mustan offered him Akshay Kumar's role in Khiladi, The Indian Express
- Gohar Siddiqui, "Behind her laughter…is fear!" Domestic abuse and transnational feminism in Bollywood remakes, Jump Cut (2013)
- Beyond Sexual Harassment: Abbas-Mustan interview, SantaBanta
- Daraar (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Anu Malik, Qobuz
- Daraar, Rotten Tomatoes
- Daraar movie details, Times of India eTimes
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 1990s › Action and thriller films › Released 1996 to 1999
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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