A highly realistic Bollywood movie about two brothers of which the elder one, Kishen happens to be a gangster working for a kingpin named Anna Seth. The younger brother, Karan returns from America and is exposed to the horrible world of crime and corruption.
Featuring only four songs (then a surprisingly low number) and a highly pessimistic vision, the film was highly acclaimed and won several awards and is regarded as a turning point in how being a gangster is portrayed in Bollywood, likely influencing films like Satya, Vaastav and Company.
This film provides examples of:
- Anti-Villain: Kishen is Type IV. He is willing to kill, sell drugs and do horrible things only to make sure his brother has a good life.
- Anyone Can Die: In the end, among the important characters, only Kishen survives.
- Ax-Crazy: Anna is nuts. He is restrained somewhat but his propensity to be violent is bubbling beneath the surface. Completely loses it when he sees even fire from a matchstick. Just look at his expression while crippling Iqbal or when he is gunning down Karan and Paro.
- Big Bad: Anna Seth.
- Bittersweet Ending: Anna brutally guns down Karan and Paro. But Kishen manages to burn Anna alive, the very death he feared and bring down his empire.
- Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: Subverted for Kishen who has a yacht, a house in upstate Malabar Hills but leaves in fear and torment.
- Decoy Protagonist: Karan is a Naïve Newcomer who is our introduction into the Crapsack World. He tries to bring down Anna's evil empire but is killed rather brutally along with his wife, Paro. His brother, Kishen finishes off the job for him in a highly satisfying way after finally showing the courage to stand upto Anna Seth.
- Driven to Suicide: Iqbal sacrifices himself so Karan doesn't have to murder him.
- Faux Affably Evil: Anna is polite, calm and relaxed while ordering several horrible things to be done.
- Karmic Death / Kill It with Fire: Anna Seth who really had it coming.
- The Lost Lenore: For Anna, it's his wife who killed herself and their young son. Turns out that Anna was the one who burnt them alive.
- Nice Guy: Karan until the Crapsack World gets to him. He still remains good though.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Averted with Anna who has a Hindu (Rama), Muslim (Iqbal) and a Christian (Francis) in his employment. Doesn't mean he is not an evil bastard though.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Prakash who is bumped off after twenty mins or so to show how evil Anna and his men are.
- Sacrificial Lion: Karan and Paro.
- Villainous Breakdown: Anna who has minor breakdowns on seeing fire. Utterly loses it when Kishen burns him alive in the end.
