# The Signature
**The Signature** is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Gajendra Ahire, a remake of his own 2013 Marathi film *Anumati*. It stars [Anupam Kher](https://www.edgepedia.org/anupam-kher) as Arvind Pathak, a retired librarian whose wife Madhu (Neena Kulkarni) falls critically ill after 35 years of marriage and is placed on life support, leaving him to decide whether to sign a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form as the couple's savings run out.[1](https://www.ottplay.com/review/the-signature-review-anupam-kher-neena-kulkarni-mahima-chaudhry/9d503d372a620) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/) The film was produced by KC Bokadia and Anupam Kher Studio and released on October 4, 2024, streaming on ZEE5.[3](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/the-signature/0-0-1z5629005)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director | Gajendra Ahire, who also wrote and directed the original Marathi film *Anumati* (2013)[1](https://www.ottplay.com/review/the-signature-review-anupam-kher-neena-kulkarni-mahima-chaudhry/9d503d372a620) |
| Release | October 4, 2024, streaming on ZEE5[3](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/the-signature/0-0-1z5629005) |
| Lead cast | Anupam Kher (Arvind), Neena Kulkarni (Madhu), Mahima Chaudhry, Annu Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Manoj Joshi[4](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/the-signature-movie-128493) |
| Premise | After 35 years of marriage, Madhu falls into a coma and is put on life support; Arvind refuses to sign the DNR form while facing mounting medical bills[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/) |
| Milestone | Anupam Kher's 525th film[5](https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/the-signature-anupam-khers-award-winning-movie-now-streaming-on-zee5/) |
| Awards | Best Film Critics Choice and Best Director at the India International Film Festival of Boston[5](https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/the-signature-anupam-khers-award-winning-movie-now-streaming-on-zee5/) |
| Audience rating | 6.7/10 on IMDb from about 597 users[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Arvind and Madhu, an elderly married couple, set out for a long-planned Europe trip. At the airport, Madhu collapses and is hospitalized; she slips into a coma and is kept on a ventilator.[3](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/the-signature/0-0-1z5629005) Arvind spends his savings on her treatment and, when the money runs out, approaches his children and relatives for help.[6](https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/bollywood-movies/the-signature-movie-review-68795.amp) The doctor (Manoj Joshi) asks him to sign the DNR papers, which would allow Madhu to be taken off ventilator support; his son Anand (Kevin Gandhi) also advises him to sign, but Arvind refuses and keeps searching for funds.[7](https://filminformation.com/featured/the-signature-review-4-october-2024/) • [1](https://www.ottplay.com/review/the-signature-review-anupam-kher-neena-kulkarni-mahima-chaudhry/9d503d372a620)
Late in the film, Arvind meets Ambika ([Mahima Chaudhry](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahima-chaudhry)), a cancer survivor who once worked as his assistant in the library where he was a librarian.[7](https://filminformation.com/featured/the-signature-review-4-october-2024/) [Ranvir Shorey](https://www.edgepedia.org/ranvir-shorey) appears in a guest role as a rebellious patient who has been overcharged by the hospital, a thread the director uses to raise the treatment of patients by medical institutions.[7](https://filminformation.com/featured/the-signature-review-4-october-2024/) • [8](https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-review/the-signature-movie-review-in-hindi-starring-anupam-kher-mahima-chaudhry-ranvir-shorey-on-zee5/moviereview/113932717.cms)
## Cast and production
The film pairs Anupam Kher with Neena Kulkarni, who reprises her role from the original *Anumati*; the Marathi version starred [Vikram Gokhale](https://www.edgepedia.org/vikram-gokhale) opposite Kulkarni.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/the-signature-movie-review-banal-anupama-kher-mahima-chaudhary-film-leaves-you-with-zero-feelings-9602991/) The supporting cast includes [Annu Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/annu-kapoor) as Arvind's friend Prabhakar, Mahima Chaudhry as Ambika, Manoj Joshi as the doctor, and Kevin Gandhi and Sneha Paul as Arvind's son and daughter-in-law.[7](https://filminformation.com/featured/the-signature-review-4-october-2024/)
**Production and crew.** The film was produced by KC Bokadia and Anupam Kher Studio, with cinematography by Krishna Soren and editing by Anant Kamath.[3](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/the-signature/0-0-1z5629005) • [10](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/?rf=cons_tt_ov_hdr) [Rohit Sharma](https://www.edgepedia.org/rohit-sharma) composed the music and background score, and Ahire wrote the lyrics.[7](https://filminformation.com/featured/the-signature-review-4-october-2024/) For Ahire, a National Award-winning Marathi filmmaker, the film marked his Hindi directorial debut.[11](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/the-signature/amp_ottmoviereview/113896921.cms)
## The original film and its director
*Anumati* (2013) was written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, a prolific Marathi filmmaker known for completing films quickly; his directorial debut *Not Only Mrs Raut* (2003) won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi, and *Shevri* won him the same honor in 2006.[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/social-commentator/) In *Anumati*, leading man Vikram Gokhale won the National Award for Best Actor, shared that year with [Irrfan Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/irrfan-khan).[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/social-commentator/) Ahire has described his working habit as filming movies in under 15 days with thorough pre-production planning.[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/social-commentator/) By 2020 he had completed 50 films, and he has said he prefers universal subjects over projects defined by language.[13](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/movies/news/i-always-wanted-to-tell-my-stories-to-the-audience-says-gajendra-ahire-on-completing-50-films/amp_articleshow/75025186.cms) • [14](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/jayaji-and-i-bonded-over-our-love-for-hrishikesh-mukherjee-gajendra-ahire/articleshow/103251839.cms)
## Reception
**Critical response was divided.** The Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5, calling it a poignant exploration of love and hope and praising Kher's performance as Arvind Pathak.[11](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/the-signature/amp_ottmoviereview/113896921.cms) Navbharat Times also rated it 3.5/5, noting that the film examines society's neglect of the elderly through its aged characters.[8](https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-review/the-signature-movie-review-in-hindi-starring-anupam-kher-mahima-chaudhry-ranvir-shorey-on-zee5/moviereview/113932717.cms) Filmfare rated it 3/5, describing it as a poignant relationship drama with fine performances.[6](https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/bollywood-movies/the-signature-movie-review-68795.amp) At the other end, Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave it 1.5 out of 5, criticizing the writing as banal and the situations as stock.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/the-signature-movie-review-banal-anupama-kher-mahima-chaudhary-film-leaves-you-with-zero-feelings-9602991/) A Moneycontrol review found the film a realistic depiction of caregiver grief and compassion fatigue, while faulting its melodramatic parent-child passages.[15](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/the-signature-movie-review-anupam-khers-film-is-a-painfully-realistic-depiction-of-caregiver-grief-and-compassion-fatigue-article-12835093.html)
**Awards and audience response.** The film won Best Film Critics Choice and Best Director at the India International Film Festival of Boston.[5](https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/the-signature-anupam-khers-award-winning-movie-now-streaming-on-zee5/) On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.7/10 from about 597 users.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/)
## Availability
The Signature streams on ZEE5, where it has been available since its October 4, 2024 release.[3](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/the-signature/0-0-1z5629005) [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) reported it available in India and three other countries on VI movies and tv and ZEE5, with no streaming options in the United States at the time of its check.[16](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-signature) Reported runtimes differ across platforms: ZEE5 lists 1h 36m, JustWatch lists 1h 40min, and IMDb lists 1h 50m.[3](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/the-signature/0-0-1z5629005) • [16](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-signature) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/)
## References
1. [The Signature review, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/review/the-signature-review-anupam-kher-neena-kulkarni-mahima-chaudhry/9d503d372a620)
2. [The Signature (2024), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/)
3. [The Signature, ZEE5](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/the-signature/0-0-1z5629005)
4. [The Signature Movie (2024), Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/the-signature-movie-128493)
5. [The Signature: Anupam Kher's Award-Winning Movie, Now Streaming on ZEE5, ZEE5 blog](https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/the-signature-anupam-khers-award-winning-movie-now-streaming-on-zee5/)
6. [The Signature Movie Review, Filmfare](https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/bollywood-movies/the-signature-movie-review-68795.amp)
7. ['The Signature' Review, Film Information](https://filminformation.com/featured/the-signature-review-4-october-2024/)
8. [The Signature Movie Review, Navbharat Times](https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-review/the-signature-movie-review-in-hindi-starring-anupam-kher-mahima-chaudhry-ranvir-shorey-on-zee5/moviereview/113932717.cms)
9. [The Signature movie review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/the-signature-movie-review-banal-anupama-kher-mahima-chaudhary-film-leaves-you-with-zero-feelings-9602991/)
10. [The Signature, IMDbPro](https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt28435822/?rf=cons_tt_ov_hdr)
11. [The Signature Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/the-signature/amp_ottmoviereview/113896921.cms)
12. [Social Commentator, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/social-commentator/)
13. [Gajendra Ahire on completing 50 films, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/movies/news/i-always-wanted-to-tell-my-stories-to-the-audience-says-gajendra-ahire-on-completing-50-films/amp_articleshow/75025186.cms)
14. [Jayaji and I bonded over our love for Hrishikesh Mukherjee: Gajendra Ahire, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/jayaji-and-i-bonded-over-our-love-for-hrishikesh-mukherjee-gajendra-ahire/articleshow/103251839.cms)
15. [The Signature Movie Review, Moneycontrol](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/the-signature-movie-review-anupam-khers-film-is-a-painfully-realistic-depiction-of-caregiver-grief-and-compassion-fatigue-article-12835093.html)
16. [The Signature streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-signature)
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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 2020s › Hindi films of 2024*
*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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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license