# Son of Sardaar

**Son of Sardaar** is a 2012 Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Ashwani Dhir, starring [Ajay Devgn](https://www.edgepedia.org/ajay-devgn), Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, and [Juhi Chawla](https://www.edgepedia.org/juhi-chawla). It follows Jassi Randhawa, a peace-loving Punjabi living in London who returns to his parents' village in India and becomes the target of a family feud whose members have vowed to avenge an ancestor's death, but who will not kill a guest under their roof.<sup>[1](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/son-of-sardaar/umc.cmc.6a63bym385tmzwe26tdt7ba3o)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/son-of-sardaar/cast/2000073556/)</sup> The film was released on 13 November 2012, coinciding with the Diwali holiday, and ran 141 minutes.<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 13 November 2012 (India), a Diwali-day release<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup> |
| Director and writers | Ashwani Dhir (director, story, dialogue); screenplay by Robin Bhatt, Ashwani Dhir, and S.S. Kanchi<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2178508/fullcredits/)</sup> |
| Lead cast | Ajay Devgn as Jassi Randhawa, Sanjay Dutt as Billu, Sonakshi Sinha as Sukhmit, Juhi Chawla as Pammi<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup> |
| Source material | Remake of the Telugu film *Maryada Ramanna*, which itself derives from the Buster Keaton silent film *Our Hospitality*<sup>[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/son-of-sardaar-not-exactly-the-baap-of-entertainment/articleshow/17199469.cms)</sup> |
| Music | Himesh Reshammiya and Sajid–Wajid; background score by Sandeep Chowta<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2178508/fullcredits/)</sup> |
| India box office | ₹886.8 million (₹88.68 crore) nett per Box Office India; ₹1.051 billion (₹105.10 crore) net per Sacnilk<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Son_Of_Sardaar_2012)</sup> |
| Verdict | Hit (Box Office India, Bollywood Hungama); Superhit (Sacnilk)<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Son_Of_Sardaar_2012)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/son-of-sardaar/box-office/)</sup> |

## Spoilers

### Plot

Jassi (Ajay Devgn) is a happy-go-lucky Sardar living in London who travels to India to sell his ancestral land. On the trip he falls in love with Sukh ([Sonakshi Sinha](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonakshi-sinha)), and a series of incidents brings him to her family's house as a guest.<sup>[8](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=1178)</sup> There he comes face to face with Billu Paaji ([Sanjay Dutt](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanjay-dutt)), head of the Sandhu family, who is out to kill Jassi because of a feud that began three generations earlier, when Jassi's father and the Sandhu patriarch killed each other in a fight.<sup>[8](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=1178)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://catalog.swanlibraries.net/Record/a1162890?page=&recordIndex=12&referred=resultIndex&searchId=168828377)</sup>

The central device is the traditional code of hospitality: the Sandhus have welcomed Jassi without knowing his identity, and they will not kill a guest while he remains inside the house, so Jassi must avoid stepping outside.<sup>[2](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/son-of-sardaar/cast/2000073556/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/son-of-sardaar)</sup>

### Sequel

A sequel, *Son of Sardaar 2*, directed by Vijay Kumar Arora and starring Ajay Devgn and [Neeru Bajwa](https://www.edgepedia.org/neeru-bajwa), was produced by Devgn Films and Jio Studios and released in 2025. It is a standalone sequel with a new story rather than a continuation of the 2012 plot; in it, Jassi reunites with his wife in Scotland after 13 years, only to be met with a divorce request.<sup>[14](https://www.imsuc.ac.in/images/IMS%20Today%20Aug-2025%20News%20Paper.pdf)</sup>

## Cast and production

The film was produced by Ajay Devgn, N.R. Pachisia, and Pravin Talreja under the banners Ajay Devgn Films, Eros International, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, and YRV Infra & Media Pvt. Ltd.<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup> Anil Devgan served as creative director alongside Dhir.<sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2178508/fullcredits/)</sup> The supporting cast included Mukul Dev as Tony, Vindu Dara Singh as Tito, Arjan Bajwa as Bobby, Rajesh Vivek as Mamaji, Sanjay Mishra as Jassi's uncle, and Tanuja as Bebe; [Salman Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/salman-khan) appears as Pathan.<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/son-of-sardaar/cast/2000073556/)</sup> Aseem Bajaj was the cinematographer and Dharmendra Sharma the editor.<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup>

## Remake lineage

The story is derived from the South Indian film *Maryada Ramanna*, which the Times of India described as in turn a remake of the black-and-white silent American film *Our Hospitality*, a [Buster Keaton](https://www.edgepedia.org/buster-keaton) comedy built on the same guest-protection premise.<sup>[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/son-of-sardaar-not-exactly-the-baap-of-entertainment/articleshow/17199469.cms)</sup> The reviewer Gaurav Malani characterized *Son of Sardaar* as a business proposition built on a "supposed sure-shot success formula," remaking a proven story rather than commissioning an original one.<sup>[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/son-of-sardaar-not-exactly-the-baap-of-entertainment/articleshow/17199469.cms)</sup>

## Release and box office

The film opened on 13 November 2012 against [Yash Raj Films](https://www.edgepedia.org/yash-raj-films)' *Jab Tak Hai Jaan*, and Ajay Devgn, as producer, fought a legal battle against Yash Raj over what he described as the rival film dominating and manipulating screen allocations.<sup>[11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2178508/)</sup> Box Office India lists the film on about 2,000 screens with a first day of ₹93.4 million (₹9.34 crore), a first weekend of ₹335.2 million (₹33.52 crore), and a first week of ₹611.4 million (₹61.14 crore).<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup>

Reported totals differ across trackers. Box Office India records a total nett gross of ₹886.8 million (₹88.68 crore) in India against a budget of ₹670 million (₹67 crore), with India gross of ₹1.197 billion (₹119.74 crore), overseas gross of $2,810,000, and worldwide gross of ₹1.351 billion (₹135.12 crore), and assigns a Hit verdict.<sup>[3](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)</sup> Sacnilk reports India net of ₹1.051 billion (₹105.10 crore), India gross of ₹1.419 billion (₹141.89 crore), overseas of ₹81.1 million (₹8.11 crore), and a Superhit verdict.<sup>[6](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Son_Of_Sardaar_2012)</sup> Bollywood Hungama's figures are close to Sacnilk's, with ₹1.05 billion (₹105.03 crore) nett in India, ₹1.459 billion (₹145.88 crore) gross, ₹156 million (₹15.6 crore) overseas, and ₹1.615 billion (₹161.48 crore) worldwide, and a Hit verdict.<sup>[7](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/son-of-sardaar/box-office/)</sup> In the United States and Canada the film grossed $771,789, with an opening weekend of $341,552.<sup>[11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2178508/)</sup>

## Reception

Critical response was largely negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a Tomatometer of 29% from two critics' reviews; Anil Sinanan of Time Out gave it 1/5, calling it "juvenile, crass and commercial," and J Hurtado of ScreenAnarchy called it "a mediocre effort from a leading man who is milking his macho persona beyond its limits."<sup>[12](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/son_of_sardaar_2012)</sup> The Times of India review judged that the film "falls short of being the 'baap of entertainment'", noting that the humor works mainly in the pre-interval portions and dissipates in the second half, while the love story leans on familiar clichés.<sup>[5](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/son-of-sardaar-not-exactly-the-baap-of-entertainment/articleshow/17199469.cms)</sup> Audience ratings have been mixed: IMDb lists 4.4/10 from about 12,000 ratings, while Bollywood Hungama users gave 3.5/5.<sup>[10](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/son-of-sardaar)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/son-of-sardaar/)</sup>

## References

1. [Son of Sardaar, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/in/movie/son-of-sardaar/umc.cmc.6a63bym385tmzwe26tdt7ba3o)
2. [Son of Sardaar – Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/son-of-sardaar/cast/2000073556/)
3. [Son Of Sardaar, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=1178)
4. [Son of Sardaar (2012) – Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2178508/fullcredits/)
5. [Son of Sardaar: not exactly the 'baap of entertainment', Gaurav Malani, Times of India (13 November 2012)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/son-of-sardaar-not-exactly-the-baap-of-entertainment/articleshow/17199469.cms)
6. [Son Of Sardaar (2012) – Review, Rating & Box Office Collection, Sacnilk](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Son_Of_Sardaar_2012)
7. [Son Of Sardaar Box Office Collection, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/son-of-sardaar/box-office/)
8. [Son Of Sardaar – Synopsis, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=1178)
9. [Son of Sardaar catalog record, SWAN Consortium](https://catalog.swanlibraries.net/Record/a1162890?page=&recordIndex=12&referred=resultIndex&searchId=168828377)
10. [Son of Sardaar streaming, JustWatch (India)](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/son-of-sardaar)
11. [Son of Sardaar (2012), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2178508/)
12. [Son of Sardar (2012), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/son_of_sardaar_2012)
13. [Son Of Sardaar movie page, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/son-of-sardaar/)
14. [IMS Today (August 2025): Son of Sardaar 2 review note](https://www.imsuc.ac.in/images/IMS%20Today%20Aug-2025%20News%20Paper.pdf)

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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 2010s › Hindi films of 2012*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

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