# Sooryavanshi (सूर्यवंशी)
**Sooryavanshi** (सूर्यवंशी) is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by [Rohit Shetty](https://www.edgepedia.org/rohit-shetty), in which DCP Veer Sooryavanshi, chief of India's Anti-Terrorism Squad, works to stop a terrorist organization planning an attack on Mumbai[1](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/sooryavanshi). [Akshay Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/akshay-kumar) plays the title role, with [Katrina Kaif](https://www.edgepedia.org/katrina-kaif) as his wife Ria, and Ajay Devgn and Ranveer Singh reprising their cop-universe characters Bajirao Singham and Sangram "Simmba" Bhalerao[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sooryavanshi). Released on 5 November 2021 after a delay of more than a year and a half caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the film earned about ₹1.95 billion (₹195 crore) in India and ₹2.46 billion (₹246 crore) worldwide and became the vehicle that united Shetty's three police heroes on screen for the first time[3](https://indian-film-history.vercel.app/movie/sooryavanshi-1) • [4](https://southasiandaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/24-January-2023_.pdf).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 5 November 2021, in Hindi; runtime 145 minutes[5](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/sooryavanshi/reviews/) |
| Director and lead | Rohit Shetty; Akshay Kumar as DCP Veer Sooryavanshi, ATS chief[1](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/sooryavanshi) |
| Crossover cast | Ajay Devgn as Bajirao Singham and Ranveer Singh as Sangram "Simmba" Bhalerao join the finale[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sooryavanshi) |
| Production companies | Rohit Shetty Picturez, Dharma Productions, Cape of Good Films, Reliance Entertainment[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sooryavanshi) |
| Box office | ₹1.95 billion (₹195.02 crore) in India, ₹2.466 billion (₹246.62 crore) worldwide[3](https://indian-film-history.vercel.app/movie/sooryavanshi-1) |
| Reception | Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer 36% (11 reviews) against an 83% audience score; IMDb 5.8[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sooryavanshi) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sooryavanshi) |
| Streaming | Available on Netflix in India since 3 December 2021[7](https://in.flixboss.com/movie/sooryavanshi-81144150) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The story is framed around the 1993 Bombay bombings, in which twelve bombs exploded at twelve locations across Mumbai, killing the parents of the future ATS chief Veer Sooryavanshi[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9531772/plotsummary/). The mastermind, Lashkar chief Omar Hafeez ([Jackie Shroff](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-shroff)), based in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and his operative Bilal Ahmed (Kumud Mishra) escaped before the attacks; over the following years Omar built a sleeper-cell network of terrorists posing as Indians, led by his son Riyaz Hafeez ([Abhimanyu Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/abhimanyu-singh))[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9531772/plotsummary/).
Sooryavanshi's team traces Riyaz's false identity in [Jaisalmer](https://www.edgepedia.org/jaisalmer) and arrests him, shaking the underworld and prompting Omar to send Bilal back to India[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9531772/plotsummary/). Sooryavanshi's senior, Kabir Shroff ([Jaaved Jaaferi](https://www.edgepedia.org/jaaved-jaaferi)), reveals that about a thousand tons of RDX entered the city in 1993, of which 400 kilograms were used in the bombings and the remaining 600 kilograms were buried somewhere in India by Bilal[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9531772/plotsummary/). Bilal, tracked at his mother's grave by retired inspector Naeem Khan, kills himself in a Mumbai hotel room before arrest, and the cleric Kadar Usmani (Gulshan Grover) uses a portion of the explosive to blast Riyaz out of prison[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9531772/plotsummary/).
The climax centers on a plan to plant bombs at seven Mumbai locations, including the ATS headquarters. Sooryavanshi is joined by Singham and Simmba; the [National Security Guard](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-security-guard) helps airlift the bomb-laden cars so the bombings fail, but the terrorists strap Ria into a suicide vest at the ATS headquarters, and the three officers defuse the bomb and kill the attackers[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9531772/plotsummary/).
## Production and release
Rohit Shetty announced the film in early 2019 as his first collaboration with Akshay Kumar, with shooting planned from May 2019; the female lead was unconfirmed at that point and Katrina Kaif was cast shortly afterward[9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/Mar/30/akshay-kumar-starrer-sooryavanshi-shooting-to-start-from-may-1957957.html) • [10](https://scroll.in/reel/920891/scroll_in). Filming took place across Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Thailand, and by December 2019 the film was complete except for a festive song-and-dance number[11](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/scoop-is-rohit-shetty-planning-to-change-the-title-of-akshay-kumar-katrina-kaif-starrer-sooryavanshi-to-veer-suryavanshi/). During the last schedule at Film City Goregaon Studios, a set bore the name Veer Suryavanshi, and Shetty had registered several titles with the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association, prompting reports that the title might change; it did not[11](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/scoop-is-rohit-shetty-planning-to-change-the-title-of-akshay-kumar-katrina-kaif-starrer-sooryavanshi-to-veer-suryavanshi/).
The film was originally set for Eid 2020 and then 27 March 2020, but it was pulled when Covid-19 concerns surfaced in India in March 2020 and theaters shut intermittently for over two years[9](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/Mar/30/akshay-kumar-starrer-sooryavanshi-shooting-to-start-from-may-1957957.html) • [12](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rohit-shetty-couldve-earned-3-times-the-money-had-he-sold-sooryavanshi-to-netflix-9957951/lite/). Shetty later said he declined an offer from Netflix worth roughly three times the theatrical profit because he wanted to help theater owners get back to work; the film opened with auditoriums at 50 percent capacity, masked audiences, and alternate seats left empty[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rohit-shetty-couldve-earned-3-times-the-money-had-he-sold-sooryavanshi-to-netflix-9957951/lite/).
## The cop universe
Sooryavanshi is the fourth film in Rohit Shetty's cop universe, following Singham (2011), [Singham Returns](https://www.edgepedia.org/singham-returns) (2014), and Simmba (2018)[13](https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/static/media/static/2024/03/29/January_-_February_2024.pdf). Shetty has said the linked universe was not part of the original plan; the idea took shape only after Singham's 2011 box office success, and while writing Simmba he conceived introducing Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi to expand the franchise[14](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/sequels-for-ranveer-singh-starrer-simmba-akshay-kumars-sooryavanshi-in-the-works-rohit-shetty-reveals/cid/2095761). The ensemble idea behind the later crossover film [Singham Again](https://www.edgepedia.org/singham-again) (2024), bringing together [Ajay Devgn](https://www.edgepedia.org/ajay-devgn), Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, and Deepika Padukone, was conceived in 2019 while working on Sooryavanshi[14](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/sequels-for-ranveer-singh-starrer-simmba-akshay-kumars-sooryavanshi-in-the-works-rohit-shetty-reveals/cid/2095761). In April 2025 Shetty confirmed that sequels to both Simmba and Sooryavanshi are in development[14](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/sequels-for-ranveer-singh-starrer-simmba-akshay-kumars-sooryavanshi-in-the-works-rohit-shetty-reveals/cid/2095761).
## Reception
Critical and audience responses diverged sharply. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 36% Tomatometer from 11 professional reviews against an 83% audience score[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sooryavanshi). Bollywood Hungama's Taran Adarsh gave it 4.5 out of 5, calling it a complete big-screen package, while [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) (2/5) found too much emotion sidetracking the cop drama and Koimoi (1.5/5) called it repetitive and dated[5](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/sooryavanshi/reviews/). Reviewers repeatedly singled out the finale team-up of the three officers as the film's payoff; NDTV noted that [Ranveer Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/ranveer-singh) steals attention in the climax[5](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/sooryavanshi/reviews/).
Commercially the opening was strong: trade analyst Taran Adarsh reported that the film "ROARS on Day 1" and revived business, and it went on to collect ₹1.95 billion (₹195.02 crore) in India and ₹2.466 billion (₹246.62 crore) worldwide[15](https://www.trulytimes.in/epaperadmin/files/112021607224.pdf) • [3](https://indian-film-history.vercel.app/movie/sooryavanshi-1). It released on more than 3,500 screens in India and 1,300 screens overseas[16](https://nkc.ac.in/AQAR-23-24/AQAR_2023-24_BBA_Hons_in_Marketing_Management_P_39.pdf).
The film also drew criticism for its portrayal of Muslims and Pakistan. Academic commentary places it in a broader trend of Indian cinema negatively depicting Pakistan and Muslims, and a Civil Society Magazine retrospective listed it among films in which a community was persistently othered[17](https://www.journal.ciss.org.pk/index.php/ciss-insight/article/download/370/274/) • [13](https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/static/media/static/2024/03/29/January_-_February_2024.pdf).
## Classification and availability
The Australian Classification Board rated the film M (Mature) for mature themes and action violence, noting action violence between police and terrorists with minimal blood or injury depicted, mild language, and very mild sex references; the runtime there is listed as 145 minutes[1](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/sooryavanshi). In India it carries a U/A certificate[18](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/23837/bollywood.hindi/sooryavanshi/cast-and-crew/). It has streamed on Netflix in India since 3 December 2021, with audio tracks in Hindi, English, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu[7](https://in.flixboss.com/movie/sooryavanshi-81144150).
## References
1. [SOORYAVANSHI, Australian Classification](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/sooryavanshi)
2. [Sooryavanshi streaming: where to watch online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/sooryavanshi)
3. [Sooryavanshi (2021), Indian Film History](https://indian-film-history.vercel.app/movie/sooryavanshi-1)
4. [South Asian Daily, 24 January 2023](https://southasiandaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/24-January-2023_.pdf)
5. [Sooryavanshi (2021) Critics Reviews, Bollywood.com](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/sooryavanshi/reviews/)
6. [Sooryavanshi, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sooryavanshi)
7. [Where to watch Sooryavanshi on Netflix, Flixboss](https://in.flixboss.com/movie/sooryavanshi-81144150)
8. [Sooryavanshi (2021) Plot, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9531772/plotsummary/)
9. [Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Sooryavanshi' shooting to start from May, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/entertainment-news/2019/Mar/30/akshay-kumar-starrer-sooryavanshi-shooting-to-start-from-may-1957957.html)
10. [Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar to star together in Rohit Shetty's film, Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/reel/920891/scroll_in)
11. [SCOOP: Is Rohit Shetty planning to change the title of Sooryavanshi to Veer Suryavanshi?, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/scoop-is-rohit-shetty-planning-to-change-the-title-of-akshay-kumar-katrina-kaif-starrer-sooryavanshi-to-veer-suryavanshi/)
12. [Rohit Shetty reveals he could've earned 3 times the money had he sold Sooryavanshi to Netflix during Covid, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rohit-shetty-couldve-earned-3-times-the-money-had-he-sold-sooryavanshi-to-netflix-9957951/lite/)
13. [Civil Society Magazine 20th Anniversary Issue, January–February 2024](https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/static/media/static/2024/03/29/January_-_February_2024.pdf)
14. [Simmba, Sooryavanshi to get sequels: Rohit Shetty, The Telegraph India](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/sequels-for-ranveer-singh-starrer-simmba-akshay-kumars-sooryavanshi-in-the-works-rohit-shetty-reveals/cid/2095761)
15. [Truly Times e-paper, 6 November 2021](https://www.trulytimes.in/epaperadmin/files/112021607224.pdf)
16. [AQAR 2023-24, BBA Hons in Marketing Management](https://nkc.ac.in/AQAR-23-24/AQAR_2023-24_BBA_Hons_in_Marketing_Management_P_39.pdf)
17. [Hybrid Warfare: Impact of Indian Film Industry, CISS Insight](https://www.journal.ciss.org.pk/index.php/ciss-insight/article/download/370/274/)
18. [Sooryavanshi Cast and Crew, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/23837/bollywood.hindi/sooryavanshi/cast-and-crew/)
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