Tezaab
A patriotic young man becomes Bombay’s feared gangster after betrayal destroys his hopes and turns love into a mission of revenge.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- intense
- melodramatic
- romantic
- bollywood movie night
- retro cinema night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mahesh begins as a patriotic, service-minded young man but becomes the feared gangster Munna after false imprisonment and exile.
The romance and Mohini’s coerced dancing are integrated into the film’s heightened dramatic and commercial Bollywood structure.
Shyamlal pressures Mohini to dance and enter prostitution to finance his alcohol dependence.
Mahesh’s framing by Shyamlal and Lotiya Pathan redirects his life from military service toward criminal revenge.
Films like Tezaab, and why
Ram Lakhan
Shared masala blend of romance, melodrama, action, revenge, music, and a protagonist transformed by injustice.
Tridev
Shared Bollywood combination of romantic melodrama, criminal underworld conflict, musical set pieces, and emotionally heightened revenge.
Khal Nayak
Shared action-romance masala structure centered on betrayal, social hardship, charismatic stardom, and revenge-driven transformation.
Movie Details
- Director
- N. Chandra
- Release Date
- 1988-11-11
- Runtime
- 174 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (20)
Cast
- Anil Kapoor
- Madhuri Dixit
- Chunky Panday
- Anupam Kher
- Kiran Kumar
- Suparna Anand
- Mandakini
- Suhas Joshi
- Annu Kapoor
- Suresh Oberoi
Common questions
- What is Tezaab about?
- A patriotic young man becomes Bombay’s feared gangster after betrayal destroys his hopes and turns love into a mission of revenge.
- What is Tezaab like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tezaab as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Tezaab violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Tezaab as brutal.
- Which films are like Tezaab?
- Films with a similar feel include Ram Lakhan, Tridev, and Khal Nayak.
- How long is Tezaab?
- Tezaab runs 174 minutes.
