Black

About the film

Black is a 2005 Indian drama film co-written, directed, and co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It stars Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji in lead roles, with Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel, and Dhritiman Chatterjee in supporting parts. Inspired by the life and writings of American author and activist Helen Keller, the film chronicles the journey of Michelle, a deafblind woman, and her relationship with Debraj, an ageing teacher who later develops Alzheimer's disease. The film, primarily in Hindi, also contains significant English dialogue.

The project was officially announced in 2003, though its conception began in the 1990s when Bhansali encountered several disabled children during the making of Khamoshi: The Musical (1996). The screenplay was influenced by Keller's 1903 autobiography, The Story of My Life. Principal photography was conducted over 100 days between January and April 2004 in Shimla and Mumbai’s Film City, with cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran. The film's production design was handled by Omung Kumar, action choreography by Sham Kaushal, and editing by Bela Sehgal. The music and background score were composed by Monty Sharma.

Black was released theatrically on 4 February 2005. It received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its direction, cinematography, production design, and performances—most notably those of Bachchan and Mukerji. The film proved commercially successful, grossing ₹666 million (US$15.1 million), and ranked as the eighth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.

At the 53rd National Film Awards, Black won three awards, including Best Feature Film in Hindi and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Bachchan). At the 51st Filmfare Awards, it won all eleven of its nominations, including Best Film, Best Film (Critics), Best Director (Bhansali), Best Actor and Best Actor (Critics) (both for Bachchan), and Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) (both for Mukerji), becoming the most-awarded film in the history of the ceremony at that time. It was also the fifth film to win the four major Filmfare categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. A Turkish remake, Benim Dünyam, was released in 2013.

Cast and crew

The film features Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Shernaz Patel in its principal cast.

Key details