Kohram (कोहराम)
Kohram (कोहराम) is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language action film directed and produced by Mehul Kumar, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar, Danny Denzongpa, and Tabu, released in India on 13 August 1999.1 • 2 It belongs to the late-1990s cycle of Hindi films built around Indo-Pak tensions, presenting a story of army officers versus a corrupt minister and the nation's enemies.3
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 13 August 1999 (India), Hindi language1 |
| Director / producer | Mehul Kumar, for Mehul Movies Pvt. Ltd.1 |
| Lead cast | Amitabh Bachchan (Col. Balbir Singh Sodhi), Nana Patekar (Maj. Ajit Arya), Tabu (Inspector Kiran), Danny Denzongpa (Minister Veerbhadra Singh)2 |
| Music | Dilip Sen–Sameer Sen; lyrics by Dev Kohli and Anand Bakshi1 |
| Runtime | Reported as 138 min by Box Office India, 2h 16m by Rotten Tomatoes and Apple TV, and 2h 30m by IMDb1 • 4 • 2 |
| Audience scores | IMDb 5.4/10 from 838 users; Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer 9%2 • 4 |
| US/Canada gross | $70,257 total; $31,727 opening weekend (weekend of August 8, 1999)2 |
Spoilers
Plot
The story centers on a conscientious army officer who is branded a traitor when he tries to kill the actual traitor, forcing him to leave the army and live in obscurity and disguise.5 Colonel Balbir Singh Sodhi (Amitabh Bachchan) hides in the guise of Devraj Hathoda, also known as Dada Bhai, after an attempted assassination of Home Minister Veerbhadra Singh (Danny Denzongpa).2 • 6 Major Ajit Arya (Nana Patekar) is dispatched to investigate whether the look-alike is actually the ex-army officer.5 • 6 As the mystery unravels, the truth about the real traitor reaches the higher authorities, and the two officers unite to eliminate the nation's enemy.5 ZEE5's synopsis adds that the minister is in cahoots with a dreaded terrorist, Ghafoor Changezi (Mukesh Rishi), who attacks a group of pilgrims at a temple.7
Cast and crew
Bachchan and Patekar were pitted against each other on screen for the first time in this film, in the roles of the disguised colonel and the investigating major.5 The supporting cast included Tabu as Inspector Kiran, Jaya Prada as Amrita Sodhi, Mukul Dev as Monty, Ayesha Jhulka as Sweety, Kabir Bedi as Brigadier Bedi, and Jackie Shroff as Major Rathod in a special appearance.2 • 1 Mehul Kumar wrote the story and screenplay, Iqbal Durrani wrote the dialogue, and the music was composed by Dilip Sen and Sameer Sen.1 Kumar's daughter Jahan Bloch played Bachchan's character's child in the film.2
Reception
Contemporary reviews were mixed to negative. The Times of India gave the film a two-star rating, called it "a bit of a let down considering its scale and magnitude of production," and judged the dialogues and music average, while crediting Patekar as "pretty much the life of the film" and noting that Bachchan held attention through screen presence despite an average performance.3 Film Information's 1999 review found the film lacking fiery dialogues and tension-filled confrontation scenes between the two leads, but praised the comedy between Patekar and Tabu and concluded that the high-priced film "scores for its light moments more than the drama and dialogues."5 India Today's review by film critic Anupama Chopra was subtitled "A kitsch of Kargil, colonels and fake identities."8
Box office. The film opened on 13 August 1999 at Central Plaza and 23 other cinemas of Bombay through Veekay Enterprises, with excellent publicity and opening; business was very good in U.P., Bengal, and C.P. Berar but below the mark in East Punjab, Rajasthan, and Nizam.5 Film Information predicted a run limited to Maharashtra and West Bengal, where Patekar had a fan following.5 In the United States and Canada it grossed $70,257, with an opening weekend of $31,727.2
Availability
The film is available for streaming on Prime Video and ZEE5.9
References
- Kohram, Box Office India
- Kohram (1999), IMDb
- Kohram, The Times of India (August 20, 1999)
- Kohram (1999), Rotten Tomatoes
- FLASHBACK | 14 August, 2024 (From our issue dated 14th August, 1999), Film Information
- Kohram Movie (1999), Gadgets 360
- Watch Kohram Full HD Movie Online on ZEE5
- Film review: Mehul Kumar's 'Kohram', India Today (August 23, 1999)
- Kohram Movie (1999), Digit Binge
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 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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