# Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (एक और एक ग्यारह)
**Ek Aur Ek Gyarah** (एक और एक ग्यारह; also released as *Ek Aur Ek Gyarah: By Hook or by Crook*) is a 2003 Hindi-language action comedy directed by [David Dhawan](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-dhawan) and produced by [Subhash Ghai](https://www.edgepedia.org/subhash-ghai), starring [Sanjay Dutt](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanjay-dutt) and Govinda as two petty thieves who take refuge with an army officer while fleeing two wanted criminals.[1](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/b99b7e8a-85f3-5215-9ff3-1a4ec3a5b961/ek-aur-ek-gyarah) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah/umc.cmc.7j98ca3s9s2f0j8n356lwxhrk) It was released in India on 28 March 2003, with the Hindi title pairing Dutt and Govinda in another of Dhawan's comedies.[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=522)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 28 March 2003, India; Hindi with Punjabi also used[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=522) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah/umc.cmc.7j98ca3s9s2f0j8n356lwxhrk) |
| Director / producer | David Dhawan; produced by Subhash Ghai for Mukta Arts Ltd.[1](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/b99b7e8a-85f3-5215-9ff3-1a4ec3a5b961/ek-aur-ek-gyarah) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah/umc.cmc.7j98ca3s9s2f0j8n356lwxhrk) |
| Lead cast | Sanjay Dutt (Sitara), Govinda (Tara), Amrita Arora (Priti), Jackie Shroff (Maj. Ram Singh)[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354538/fullcredits/) |
| Villains | Gulshan Grover as Panther and Ashish Vidyarthi as Cobra[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354538/fullcredits/) |
| Runtime | 158 minutes per Box Office India; other listings give 2h 40m and 144 min[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=522) • [2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah/umc.cmc.7j98ca3s9s2f0j8n356lwxhrk) • [5](https://ottasia.com/title/movie/212502/ek-aur-ek-gyarah-by-hook-or-by-crook?country=SA) |
| India box office | Net gross ₹117.1 million (₹11.71 crore) on a stated budget of ₹95 million (₹9.5 crore); verdict "Below Average"[6](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=522) |
| US release | Opened 28 March 2003 in 18 theaters through Eros Entertainment, grossing $132,498[7](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Ek-Aur-Ek-Gyarah) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The story follows two petty thieves, Tara (Govinda) and Sitara (Sanjay Dutt), who get on the bad side of two wanted criminals, Panther and Cobra (Gulshan Grover and [Ashish Vidyarthi](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashish-vidyarthi)), and must run for their lives.[6](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=522) They end up at the residence of Major Ram Singh ([Jackie Shroff](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-shroff)), a [Border Security Force](https://www.edgepedia.org/border-security-force) officer who is himself on the lookout for Panther and Cobra.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354538/fullcredits/) • [6](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=522)
Ram Singh mistakes them for good people and shelters them, and the film's comedy turns on the thieves' betrayal of that hospitality. Panther and Cobra kidnap Tara and Sitara's mother ([Himani Shivpuri](https://www.edgepedia.org/himani-shivpuri)), forcing the pair to obey the criminals' instructions, which include betraying Ram Singh and kidnapping his son.[6](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=522) Apple TV's synopsis summarizes the setup the same way: on the run, the thieves end up at the home of a Major who takes them in but is eventually betrayed by them.[2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah/umc.cmc.7j98ca3s9s2f0j8n356lwxhrk)
## Production and certification
The film was written by Yunus Sajawal, with dialogue credited to Aman Ahmad Jeffery and Bholu Khan among others.[1](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/b99b7e8a-85f3-5215-9ff3-1a4ec3a5b961/ek-aur-ek-gyarah) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354538/fullcredits/) In January 2003, Bollywood Hungama reported that the music rights had been acquired by Super Cassettes Industries Ltd. (T-Series), and that the film had already been censored in 18 reels with minor cuts, receiving a U/A certificate.[8](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/ghai-t-series-join-hands/) Apple TV lists the Indian rating as U, suitable for all ages.[2](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah/umc.cmc.7j98ca3s9s2f0j8n356lwxhrk)
## Box office
**India.** Box Office India records 225 screens, a first day of ₹11 million (₹1.10 crore), a first weekend of ₹31.9 million (₹3.19 crore), and a first week of ₹52.6 million (₹5.26 crore), for a total net gross of ₹117.1 million (₹11.71 crore) against a stated budget of ₹95 million (₹9.5 crore); the site's verdict is "Below Average", with about 5,710,000 footfalls.[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=522) • [6](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=522) Sacnilk's compilation gives slightly different figures, an India net of ₹115.7 million (₹11.57 crore) on a budget of ₹85 million (₹8.50 crore), and the same "Below Average" verdict.[9](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ek_Aur_Ek_Gyarah_2003)
**Overseas.** In the United States, Eros Entertainment opened the film wide on 28 March 2003 under the English title *1 + 1 = 11*, in 18 theaters. It grossed $92,342 on its opening weekend and $132,498 in total, with a 2.0-week average run per theater.[7](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Ek-Aur-Ek-Gyarah) Box Office India puts overseas gross at $480,000.[6](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=522)
## Reception
Critical response was poor. Rotten Tomatoes records a Tomatometer of 60% from a single review and more than 250 audience ratings; Namrata Joshi of *Outlook* gave it 1/4, writing that the only thing she would remember in the film is Govinda's singing.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ek_aur_ek_gyarah) Audience opinion has been more divided: some viewers rank it among the funniest Indian films they have seen, while others call it forgettable, a split visible in the user reviews collected on the same page.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ek_aur_ek_gyarah)
## The 1981 film of the same name
The title also belongs to an earlier, unrelated Hindi film. *Ek Aur Ek Gyarah* (1981), directed by Ashok Roy, stars [Shashi Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/shashi-kapoor) and [Vinod Khanna](https://www.edgepedia.org/vinod-khanna), with music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and runs about 2 hours 33 minutes; it is the version most often listed on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Eros Now.[11](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah) • [12](https://erosnow.com/movie/watch/1059122/ek-aur-ekk-gyaraah) Streaming guides and databases frequently conflate the two, so the director and cast are the practical way to tell them apart: Ashok Roy with Shashi Kapoor indicates the 1981 film, David Dhawan with Sanjay Dutt and Govinda the 2003 film.[11](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah)
## References
1. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (2003), BFI](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/b99b7e8a-85f3-5215-9ff3-1a4ec3a5b961/ek-aur-ek-gyarah)
2. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah/umc.cmc.7j98ca3s9s2f0j8n356lwxhrk)
3. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah, Box Office India (cast and crew)](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=522)
4. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah: By Hook or by Crook, full cast and crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354538/fullcredits/)
5. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah: By Hook or by Crook (2003), OTTASIA](https://ottasia.com/title/movie/212502/ek-aur-ek-gyarah-by-hook-or-by-crook?country=SA)
6. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah, Box Office India (movie story and figures)](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=522)
7. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (2003), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Ek-Aur-Ek-Gyarah)
8. [Ghai-T-Series Join Hands, Bollywood Hungama (10 January 2003)](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/ghai-t-series-join-hands/)
9. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (2003), Sacnilk](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Ek_Aur_Ek_Gyarah_2003)
10. [Ek Aur Ek Gyaraah, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ek_aur_ek_gyarah)
11. [Ek Aur Ek Gyarah streaming, JustWatch (India)](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/ek-aur-ek-gyarah)
12. [Ek Aur Ekk Gyaraah, Eros Now](https://erosnow.com/movie/watch/1059122/ek-aur-ekk-gyaraah)
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*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 2000s › Comedy films*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license