Film

Ghayal Once Again

Name: Ghayal Once Again
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Released: 2016
Cast: Sunny Deol, Om Puri, Soha Ali Khan, Narendra Jha, Aanchal Munjal

Vigilante

A vengeful ex-convict turned crusading journalist hunts corruption in modern India, armed with investigative instinct and a ragtag team of activists. Sunny Deol brings weathered intensity to a pulp revenge fantasy that takes itself seriously—part vigilante thriller, part procedural. It's for audiences who like their action grounded in righteous anger and social friction.

TMDb rating

2.9

If you liked this

Khuda Haafiz2020

A desperate father crosses borders to rescue his kidnapped wife, mounting a one-man campaign against human traffickers. Visceral, propulsive action rooted in genuine stakes and emotional torment, much like Ghayal's blend of personal vengeance and systemic rage.

But The depiction of trauma and violence toward women is unflinching—not exploitative, but heavy. Pacing occasionally stutters between action and exposition.

Mulk2018

A Muslim family fights to clear their name after being wrongly accused of terrorism. Rishi Kapoor delivers career-best work in a film about reclaiming truth through legal and moral persistence, sharing Ghayal's fury at injustice and institutional failure.

But Talky and procedurally dense—it prioritizes argument over momentum. Some viewers find its earnestness didactic rather than cathartic.

Naam Shabana2017

A former spy turned vigilante dismantles a criminal network using intelligence and cunning. Taut, intelligent action cinema that mirrors Ghayal's focus on systematic takedowns rather than random heroics; similarly interested in how power actually operates.

But The middle section drags with exposition. Female-led action still underperforms compared to male-fronted fare, and this feels constrained by that reality at moments.

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Natrang2010

Both follow men trying to purge inner corruption through external action, but where Ghayal sees vengeance as redemptive, Natarang asks whether art and surrender might be the only real escape.

A con artist joins a classical theatre troupe and becomes transformed by art, losing his hunger for vengeance. Shot in Marathi with documentary-like authenticity; a radical register shift—Ghayal's rage meets meditative spiritual questioning about whether violence ever truly cleanses.

But Slow-burn character study that rejects plot momentum entirely. The final act's metaphysical turn bewilders viewers expecting catharsis; feels less like revenge and more like dissolution.

Madras Cafe2013

An investigative journalist uncovers a conspiracy during the Sri Lankan civil war. John Abraham's stern presence and the film's commitment to moral ambiguity echo Ghayal's willingness to explore corruption without easy answers.

But Geopolitical context becomes labyrinthine; viewers unfamiliar with the conflict may lose narrative thread. The pacing is deliberately slow and contemplative.

Article 152019

A police officer investigating caste-based atrocities confronts systematic corruption and indifference. Ayushmann Khurrana trades charm for grit in a film that shares Ghayal's anatomy of institutional rot and one man's refusal to accept the official lie.

But Its social commentary is blunt and sometimes heavy-handed. The procedural beats can feel more like a checklist than lived investigation.

Kahaani2012

A pregnant woman hunts her missing husband through Kolkata's underworld, using wit and persistence over force. Sujoy Ghosh's thriller has Ghayal's obsessive energy and moral clarity, plus a protagonist who must outthink rather than outfight.

But The twist, while earned, recontextualizes everything—some find it brilliant, others feel manipulated. The middle act slackens slightly.

Zanjeer2013

Ram Charan plays a cop hunting his parents' killers while navigating a corrupt department. A remake that honours Amitabh Bachchan's 1973 original while doubling down on action spectacle and personal vendetta—Ghayal's spiritual DNA.

But Remake baggage weighs it down; comparisons to the original are unavoidable and unfavourable. The emotion sometimes gets lost in the set pieces.

Drishyam2015

A man systematically covers his tracks after an accidental crime, outmaneuvering police and power brokers. Ajay Devgn's cunning intelligence play shares Ghayal's interest in how ordinary men survive systemic violence through persistence and planning.

But The protagonist's morality becomes murky—some viewers prefer clearer heroes. The long runtime serves the story but tests patience.

Rustom2016

A Navy officer accused of murder clears his name through legal combat and moral fortitude. Akshay Kumar channels restraint in a courtroom thriller that echoes Ghayal's theme: truth as a weapon against institutional betrayal.

But Splits between courtroom drama and naval action, neither fully developed. The tone wavers between thriller and message film without settling convincingly.

Rang De Basanti2006

Both centre on intelligent men driven to militant action by institutional corruption, but Rang De Basanti wraps it in patriotic fervour where Ghayal sees only trauma and survival.

Young activists turn vigilante after systemic failure, targeting military corruption through violence. A mainstream masala film that legitimizes Ghayal's core argument—that institutions betray the innocent, forcing ordinary citizens to become judges and executioners—but with idealistic youth instead of hardened ex-cons.

But Romanticizes martyrdom and extrajudicial killing in ways that feel naive in hindsight. Aamir Khan's charisma can overshadow the film's moral complications, reading as adventure rather than tragedy.