Film

Ab Tak Chhappan

Name: Ab Tak Chhappan
Genre: Crime, Drama
Released: 2004
Cast: Nana Patekar, Yashpal Sharma, Prasad Purandhare, Nakul Vaid, Kunal Vijaykar

Police procedural

A 2004 Indian crime drama following a relentless Mumbai cop who's taken down 56 criminals—but his methods and ambition have made him enemies both on the streets and within the police force itself. Tense, morally murky, and driven by Nana Patekar's magnetic intensity, it's a portrait of a man defined by his war on crime and the cost of that obsession.

TMDb rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like lean, grounded police procedurals where moral unease sits under the swagger, and a cop's personal life is given room beside the shootouts.

Skip it if you need your crime films stylised and fast, since this one is talky in its quieter stretches and its moral arguments are made without much polish.

What it asks of you: A plain, unhurried rhythm across just over two hours, violence arriving abruptly and a mood that stays dark, so you sit with discomfort more than you are entertained.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

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Rang De Basanti2006

Another examination of idealism versus corruption in Indian institutions, with a cop's journey at its centre. Aamir Khan brings a different intensity to similar moral territory, and the execution is visually stunning.

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Satya1998

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Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Ab Tak Chhappan

The wildcard

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D-Day2013

A counter-terrorism thriller with an interrogation-room intensity and paranoia about who you can trust within your own institution. Irrfan Khan brings intellectual menace to the cop role.

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Memories of Murder2003

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But Subtitled. The investigation framework obscures what's really a character tragedy about a man becoming what he fights. Bleak and unresolved, which is the point.