# Sir (सर) (1993 film)

**Sir** (सर) is a 1993 Hindi-language Bollywood crime drama directed by [Mahesh Bhatt](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahesh-bhatt) and produced by [Mukesh Bhatt](https://www.edgepedia.org/mukesh-bhatt), starring [Naseeruddin Shah](https://www.edgepedia.org/naseeruddin-shah), Pooja Bhatt, Atul Agnihotri, and Paresh Rawal.<sup>[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sir)</sup> It follows a peace-loving college professor who loses his son in a gang war and then tries to help a student who is the daughter of one of the gang leaders.<sup>[2](https://www.primevideo.com/-/hi/detail/0NHF5KFQGA7STXB9H06CXEH4GX)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / producer | Mahesh Bhatt / Mukesh Bhatt, for Vishesh Films<sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup> |
| Release | June 21, 1993 per IMDb; 9 July 1993 per Box Office India<sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup>  |
| Runtime | 2h 31m (151 min) per JustWatch and IMDb; 144 min per Box Office India<sup>[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sir)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup>  |
| Genre | Crime, drama, romance<sup>[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sir)</sup> |
| Music | Anu Malik; lyrics by Qateel Shifai and Rahat Indori<sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup> |
| Writer | Jay Dixit (story, screenplay, dialogue)<sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup> |
| IMDb rating | 6.1/10<sup>[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sir)</sup> |

## Spoilers

### Plot

Amar Verma (Naseeruddin Shah) is a respected college professor living with his wife and son. A war breaks out between two Mumbai gang leaders, Veljibhai and Chhapan Tikli, and bystanders are killed; among the victims is Amar's son, who dies on the spot. Unable to cope, his wife walks out, and Amar devotes himself to his teaching and his students.<sup>[5](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/sir)</sup>

Years later he meets a student named Pooja ([Pooja Bhatt](https://www.edgepedia.org/pooja-bhatt)) who struggles with a stammer and helps her overcome it, then learns that she is the only daughter of the gangster Veljibhai ([Paresh Rawal](https://www.edgepedia.org/paresh-rawal)). Pooja is in love with her classmate Karan ([Atul Agnihotri](https://www.edgepedia.org/atul-agnihotri)) against her father's wishes, and Amar offers his protection when the two want to marry.<sup>[2](https://www.primevideo.com/-/hi/detail/0NHF5KFQGA7STXB9H06CXEH4GX)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%2520of%2520Indian%2520Cinema.pdf)</sup>  The action features gang rivalry, as Jimmy (Gulshan Grover) tries to abduct Pooja in revenge for Velji's murder of Jimmy's brother.<sup>[6](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%2520of%2520Indian%2520Cinema.pdf)</sup> The film's title refers to the honorific by which the students address their professor, and the story ends with a confrontation between the professor and the underworld kingpin.<sup>[7](https://cinemaazi.com/film/sir)</sup>

## Literary source and style

The Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema describes the film as Bhatt turning the plot of [James Clavell](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-clavell)'s *To Sir With Love* (1967) into an action drama, and notes that he "manages the shift from melodrama to action movie with an impressive control over narrative momentum and pace."<sup>[6](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%2520of%2520Indian%2520Cinema.pdf)</sup> The official press booklet, quoted by Cinemaazi, frames the story as a clash between a father and an underworld kingpin in which the professor's "courage and moral strength" prevail and the criminal Velji Bhai undergoes a complete transformation.<sup>[7](https://cinemaazi.com/film/sir)</sup>

## Cast and production

The film was written by Jay Dixit, who wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogue, and was produced under the Vishesh Films banner.<sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup> The credited cast includes Naseeruddin Shah as Prof. Amar Verma, Pooja Bhatt as Pooja, Atul Agnihotri as Karan, Paresh Rawal as Veljibhai, Gulshan Grover as Jimmy, Avtar Gill as [Arjun Das](https://www.edgepedia.org/arjun-das), Soni Razdan as Shobha, Sushmita Mukherjee as Sweety, Mushtaq Khan, Mahesh Anand, and [Makarand Deshpande](https://www.edgepedia.org/makarand-deshpande); Kunal Kemmu appears as a child artist, uncredited.<sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/fullcredits/)</sup>  Pravin Bhatt was the cinematographer and [Anu Malik](https://www.edgepedia.org/anu-malik) the composer.<sup>[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/fullcredits/)</sup>

Casting changed late in preparation. According to IMDb trivia, Mahesh Bhatt had planned the gangster drama with [Sadashiv Amrapurkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sadashiv-amrapurkar) as the main villain Chhappan Tikli and Gulshan Grover as his younger brother, but three days before filming Amrapurkar argued that a "commercial" actor like Grover stood out among the serious cast and should be replaced; Grover was instead elevated to play Chhappan Tikli, and the younger-brother role was turned into a woman's part played by Sushmita Mukherjee.<sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/)</sup>

## Music

Anu Malik composed the score and songs, with lyrics by Qateel Shifai and [Rahat Indori](https://www.edgepedia.org/rahat-indori); playback singers included [Kumar Sanu](https://www.edgepedia.org/kumar-sanu), Alka Yagnik, and Kavita Krishnamurthy.<sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/fullcredits/)</sup>  A retrospective survey of 1993 [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) in News India Times calls the film the first exceptional Anu Malik score of that year and notes that songs such as "Aaj mere dil ka har qissa" are remembered to this day.<sup>[9](https://newsindiatimes.com/1993-the-a-to-z-of-hindi-cinema-three-decades-ago/)</sup>

## Release and availability

IMDb lists the Indian release as June 21, 1993, while Box Office India gives 9 July 1993.<sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)</sup>  The film was remade as *Gang Master* (1994).<sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/)</sup>

As of recent listings, Sir is unavailable to stream in India and the United States. In the US it was last available on Google Play Movies until December 2022, having previously appeared on Amazon Prime Video from January 2018 to October 2019; in India it was last available on the Apple TV Store until November 2022.<sup>[10](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sir)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sir)</sup>

## Reception

The film holds an IMDb rating of 6.1/10.<sup>[1](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sir)</sup> Rotten Tomatoes lists no professional reviews for it, with fewer than 50 audience ratings.<sup>[11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sir)</sup> The News India Times retrospective credits Paresh Rawal with making a mark as a villain for the first time in this film.<sup>[9](https://newsindiatimes.com/1993-the-a-to-z-of-hindi-cinema-three-decades-ago/)</sup> A 2008 blog review by film writer Hiren Dave praises Paresh Rawal's performance as the Gujarati gangster Velji Bhai and rates the film 7/10, while noting improbabilities in the plot.<sup>[12](https://hirendaveworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/sir-1993.html)</sup>

## References

1. [Sir (1993), JustWatch India](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sir)
2. [Sir, Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/-/hi/detail/0NHF5KFQGA7STXB9H06CXEH4GX)
3. [Sir, Box Office India cast and crew](https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=3894)
4. [Sir (1993), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/)
5. [Sir (1993), Indian Film History](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/movie/sir)
6. [Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema entry for Sir (1993), indiancine.ma](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%2520of%2520Indian%2520Cinema.pdf)
7. [Sir (1993), Cinemaazi](https://cinemaazi.com/film/sir)
8. [Sir (1993) full cast and crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108144/fullcredits/)
9. [1993: The A to Z of Hindi Cinema three decades ago, News India Times](https://newsindiatimes.com/1993-the-a-to-z-of-hindi-cinema-three-decades-ago/)
10. [Sir (1993), JustWatch US](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/sir)
11. [Sir, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sir)
12. [In Search of Cinema: Sir (1993), Hiren Dave](https://hirendaveworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/sir-1993.html)

---
*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 › Romance and drama 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
