# Panipat (पानीपत) (film)
**Panipat** (पानीपट), marketed internationally as *Panipat: The Great Betrayal*, is a 2019 Hindi-language historical war drama directed by [Ashutosh Gowariker](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashutosh-gowariker) that depicts the [Third Battle of Panipat](https://www.edgepedia.org/third-battle-of-panipat), fought in 1761 between the Maratha army under Sadashiv Rao Bhau and the Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali[1](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/panipat/) • [2](https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-jats-are-upset-over-ashutosh-gowarikars-panipat-6164897/). It stars [Arjun Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/arjun-kapoor), Sanjay Dutt, and Kriti Sanon, and was released in Indian cinemas on 6 December 2019[3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/panipat/cast/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / writers | Ashutosh Gowariker; story and screenplay by Chandrashekhar Dhavalikar, Ranjeet Bahadur, Aditya Rawal, and Gowariker; dialogue by Ashok Chakradhar[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=5740) |
| Release | 6 December 2019, India; produced by Sunita Gowariker and Rohit Shelatkar under Ashutosh Gowariker Productions, Vision World, and Reliance Entertainment[3](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/panipat/cast/) • [4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=5740) |
| Lead cast | Arjun Kapoor as Sadashiv Rao Bhau, Sanjay Dutt as Ahmad Shah Abdali, Kriti Sanon as Parvati Bai[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=5740) |
| Runtime | Reported variously as 163 minutes, 171 minutes, and 173 minutes by different databases[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=5740) • [5](https://www.cineman.ch/en/movie/2019/Panipat/more.html) • [1](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/panipat/) |
| Music | Ajay–Atul, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=5740) |
| Historical basis | The Third Battle of Panipat, 14 January 1761, in which the Marathas lost to the Afghan king Ahmad Shah Abdali[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-jats-are-upset-over-ashutosh-gowarikars-panipat-6164897/) |
| Reception | IMDb 5.3/10; Rotten Tomatoes 43%; box office gross of 342.8 million rupees (34.28 crore rupees)[6](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/panipat) • [1](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/panipat/) |
## Spoilers
### Story and approach
The film is set in 1761 and follows the northward Maratha expedition to stop the Afghans. Sadashiv Rao Bhau, the commander-in-chief of the Maratha army, leads an army of 40,000 soldiers along with pilgrims and non-combatants from Pune to Delhi, accompanied by his wife Parvati Bai, his cousin Shamsher Bahadur, and the future Peshwa Vishwasrao[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/something/2019/Dec/06/panipat-review-a-somewhat-inclusive-war-film-let-down-by-arjun-kapoor-15889.html). On the opposing side, the Mughal serviceman Najib ad-Dawlah has defected to Abdali, who is supported by Najib ud-Daula as the Marathas march north[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/something/2019/Dec/06/panipat-review-a-somewhat-inclusive-war-film-let-down-by-arjun-kapoor-15889.html) • [8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/panipat-movie-review-arjun-kapoor-kriti-sanon-film-is-intriguing-but-tedious/story-II3P5AY1smnxJ45LZb22LJ_amp.html).
Historically, the Marathas lost the battle, and reviewers noted that the film handles this known outcome by emphasizing Maratha valor. [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) critic Shubhra Gupta wrote that the film has "a very clear stance: to topline the valour and battle skills of the Marathas, as they fought off the Afghan invaders, in order to save 'Hindustan'"[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/panipat-movie-review-rating-arjun-kapoor-6153247/). The Cinema Express review observed that the film is "strikingly accurate in parts, the use of Zamburaks, or camel-mounted artillery, for instance, and painfully contrived at others", citing the film's equation of Abdali's retreat with a fortification of India when in reality it paved the way for the British[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/something/2019/Dec/06/panipat-review-a-somewhat-inclusive-war-film-let-down-by-arjun-kapoor-15889.html). The Print noted that by and large the film portrays the battle in terms of the facts, with the actual battle restricted to roughly the last hour[10](https://theprint.in/feature/panipat-review-almost-another-lavishly-mounted-caricature-of-muslim-invaders-as-brutes/331016/).
## Production and historical consultants
Gowariker, known for the historical films *Lagaan*, *Jodhaa Akbar*, and *Mohenjo Daro*, said he was toying with the idea of a film on the battle for some time before making it[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/good-to-be-compared-with-bajirao-mastani-gowariker-on-aspanipat-6133708/). In an interview he named his sources: "My reference point was historian TS Shejwalkar, who wrote the book Panipat 1761... There is another Pune-based historian, Pandurang Balkawade. I took him on board officially for the film, for inputs on various matters"[12](https://www.newslaundry.com/amp/story/2019%2F12%2F13%2Fpanipat-seeks-to-illuminate-a-neglected-period-of-indias-history-but-comes-up-short).
The film's trailer was published on 4 November 2019 and drew over 53 million views on YouTube[13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpXnmy-6w1g).
## Reception
Critical response was mixed. The Indian Express gave 2 stars out of 5, finding that neither the scattered, stretched plot nor the performances were impactful, while acknowledging that research had gone into the film[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/panipat-movie-review-rating-arjun-kapoor-6153247/). Cinema Express rated it 2.5 out of 5, calling it "a somewhat inclusive war film, let down by Arjun Kapoor"[7](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/something/2019/Dec/06/panipat-review-a-somewhat-inclusive-war-film-let-down-by-arjun-kapoor-15889.html). [Hindustan Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustan-times) described the climactic war sequence as elaborate and gripping but found the film let down by its length[8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/panipat-movie-review-arjun-kapoor-kriti-sanon-film-is-intriguing-but-tedious/story-II3P5AY1smnxJ45LZb22LJ_amp.html). Aggregated scores put the film at 5.3/10 on IMDb and 43% on Rotten Tomatoes[6](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/panipat).
The film earned a reported box office gross of 342.8 million rupees (34.28 crore rupees)[1](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/panipat/). In January 2020 the [Maharashtra](https://www.edgepedia.org/maharashtra) government declared the film tax-free in the state; Gowariker thanked the chief minister, saying the status recognized the effort to bring Maratha pride to the screen[14](https://hindi.business-standard.com/storypage_hin.php?autono=1772661). It later streamed on Netflix, with an OTT release date of 14 February 2020[15](https://www.filmibeat.com/bollywood/movies/panipat/ott.html).
## Controversies
**Jat protests over Suraj Mal.** The film depicts the Bharatpur ruler Maharaja Suraj Mal insisting on control of [Agra Fort](https://www.edgepedia.org/agra-fort) in exchange for helping the Maratha army, before distancing himself from the campaign, and presents this denial of help as one factor in the defeat[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-jats-are-upset-over-ashutosh-gowarikars-panipat-6164897/). Jat organizations called the depiction factually incorrect and staged protests in [Rajasthan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajasthan), Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi, with several ministers, legislators, and members of Parliament demanding a ban on the film's screening[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-jats-are-upset-over-ashutosh-gowarikars-panipat-6164897/). Yashpal Malik, president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sanghrash Samiti, argued that [Suraj Mal](https://www.edgepedia.org/suraj-mal) had already conquered the Agra Fort, so there was no question of bargaining for it; former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the filmmakers should not twist historical facts for commercial gain[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-jats-are-upset-over-ashutosh-gowarikars-panipat-6164897/).
**Afghan objections.** The Afghanistan Analysts Network published an assessment by Fabrizio Foschini arguing that the film's historical revisionism and stereotyping, particularly the negative portrayal of [Ahmad Shah Durrani](https://www.edgepedia.org/ahmad-shah-durrani), often described as the founder of the modern Afghan state, sparked protests by Afghan diplomats and the public[16](https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/context-culture/bollywoods-great-betrayal-of-afghanistan-panipat-and-the-cost-of-vilifying-ahmad-shah-durrani/). IMDb user commentary also records that Afghan viewers were unhappy with the trailer's portrayal of the Marathas as the battle's winners[17](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8176040).
## References
1. [Panipat, Bollywood.com](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/panipat/)
2. [Explained: Why Jats are upset over Ashutosh Gowarikar's 'Panipat', The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-jats-are-upset-over-ashutosh-gowarikars-panipat-6164897/)
3. [Panipat Cast List, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/panipat/cast/)
4. [Panipat, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=5740)
5. [Panipat, Cineman](https://www.cineman.ch/en/movie/2019/Panipat/more.html)
6. [Panipat streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/panipat)
7. [Panipat Review: A somewhat inclusive war film, let down by Arjun Kapoor, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/something/2019/Dec/06/panipat-review-a-somewhat-inclusive-war-film-let-down-by-arjun-kapoor-15889.html)
8. [Panipat movie review, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/panipat-movie-review-arjun-kapoor-kriti-sanon-film-is-intriguing-but-tedious/story-II3P5AY1smnxJ45LZb22LJ_amp.html)
9. [Panipat movie review: No great shakes, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/panipat-movie-review-rating-arjun-kapoor-6153247/)
10. [Panipat review, The Print](https://theprint.in/feature/panipat-review-almost-another-lavishly-mounted-caricature-of-muslim-invaders-as-brutes/331016/)
11. [Good to be compared with Bajirao Mastani: Ashutosh Gowariker, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/good-to-be-compared-with-bajirao-mastani-gowariker-on-aspanipat-6133708/)
12. ['Panipat' seeks to illuminate a neglected period of India's history, Newslaundry](https://www.newslaundry.com/amp/story/2019%2F12%2F13%2Fpanipat-seeks-to-illuminate-a-neglected-period-of-indias-history-but-comes-up-short)
13. [Panipat Official Trailer, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpXnmy-6w1g)
14. [महाराष्ट्र में कर मुक्त होगी 'पानीपत', Business Standard Hindi](https://hindi.business-standard.com/storypage_hin.php?autono=1772661)
15. [Panipat OTT Release, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/bollywood/movies/panipat/ott.html)
16. [Bollywood's 'Great Betrayal' of Afghanistan, Afghanistan Analysts Network](https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/context-culture/bollywoods-great-betrayal-of-afghanistan-panipat-and-the-cost-of-vilifying-ahmad-shah-durrani/)
17. [Panipat (2019), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8176040)
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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 › War and historical films (individual works) › War action and adventure › War action films released since 2000 › Released 2017 to 2026*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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