Starring
The story
Mr. India follows Arun Verma (Anil Kapoor), a good-hearted but perpetually broke street violinist who shares his crumbling Bombay bungalow with a houseful of orphaned children. To keep the lights on he takes in a paying tenant, feisty investigative journalist Seema (Sridevi) — and the sparks and slapstick between them power the film's romantic-comic engine.
Arun's life turns when he inherits a scientist's secret invention: a wrist device that renders its wearer completely invisible, foiled only by red light. He becomes the masked, unseen crusader "Mr. India" to take on Mogambo (Amrish Puri), a preening, self-adoring warlord scheming from an island lair to conquer the country. It is a full-throated sci-fi masala — part superhero fantasy, part family melodrama, part musical, part comedy — held together by Kapur's brisk, crowd-pleasing direction.
Making of the film
The screenplay was the last work of the legendary writing duo Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar), whose partnership had defined 1970s Hindi cinema with hits like Sholay and Deewaar. Reportedly written with an established male star in mind, the invisible-hero conceit made casting tricky — a leading man who spends much of the film unseen — and the pair split soon after, making Mr. India their final collaboration.
Director Shekhar Kapur, who would later go on to Hollywood acclaim with Elizabeth, embraced the film's comic-book ambition on a relatively modest budget, staging elaborate effects, a cavernous villain's den and a children's ensemble. The film was produced by Boney Kapoor and his father Surinder Kapoor under the Narsimha Enterprises banner, shot by cinematographer Baba Azmi, and released in May 1987.
Music
The score by veteran composers Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, gave the film two of the decade's most enduring numbers. "Hawa Hawai," a flamboyant cabaret sequence, became a career-defining showcase for Sridevi and is still endlessly parodied and referenced.
The monsoon duet "Kaate Nahin Kat-te," choreographed by Saroj Khan, is remembered as one of Hindi cinema's most sensual rain songs, playing cleverly with Arun's invisibility. Together with the tender "Zindagi Ki Yahi Reet Hai," the soundtrack remains a staple of retro Bollywood playlists.
Performances and the villain who ate the film
Mr. India turned Anil Kapoor into a bona fide leading man and cemented the crackling on-screen chemistry between him and Sridevi, who is often singled out as the film's real star for her range across comedy, romance, glamour and even a memorable Charlie Chaplin impersonation. Satish Kaushik's turn as the bumbling cook Calendar and screen legend Ashok Kumar as the professor round out a warm ensemble.
But it is Amrish Puri's Mogambo that history remembers. With his golden armour, theatrical menace and a self-congratulatory catchphrase — "Mogambo khush hua" ("Mogambo is pleased") — Puri created what is widely regarded as one of Indian cinema's greatest villains. The line entered everyday Indian speech and is routinely listed among the most quoted dialogues in Bollywood history.
Legacy
A major commercial success, Mr. India was among the top-grossing Indian films of 1987, reportedly earning around ₹100 million against a budget in the region of ₹38 million. Beyond the numbers, it holds a special place as one of Hindi cinema's foundational superhero and science-fiction entertainers, cited as an influence by later filmmakers working in the genre.
Talk of a sequel has surfaced for years — a much-discussed Mr. India 2 was announced but has repeatedly stalled, and the deaths of Amrish Puri (2005) and Sridevi (2018) further clouded its future. For now the original endures on television reruns and streaming as a beloved, quotable classic that a whole generation of Indians can recite from memory.
Key details
| Release year | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Language | Hindi |
| Director | Shekhar Kapur |
| Genre | Sci-Fi Masala |
| Starring | Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri |
Did you know?
- Mr. India was the final screenplay written by the iconic duo Salim–Javed; the partnership dissolved not long after, making this their last film together.
- Amrish Puri's catchphrase "Mogambo khush hua" is regularly ranked among the most repeated and beloved dialogues in the history of Hindi cinema.
- The hero's superpower has a single, cinematic weakness: the invisibility device fails under red light, which is used as a plot device against him.
- As a leading man, Anil Kapoor spends large stretches of the film literally invisible — an unusual demand that reportedly complicated casting the role.
- Sridevi's "Hawa Hawai" and the rain song "Kaate Nahin Kat-te" — the latter choreographed by Saroj Khan — became two of the most celebrated song sequences of 1980s Bollywood.
- Director Shekhar Kapur later crossed over to international cinema, earning acclaim for the 1998 British film Elizabeth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who played the villain Mogambo in Mr. India?
The villain Mogambo was played by Amrish Puri, in what became the defining role of his prolific career. His golden-armoured, self-adoring warlord and the catchphrase "Mogambo khush hua" turned Mogambo into one of the most iconic antagonists in Indian film history. The role is frequently cited among the greatest Bollywood villains of all time.
What is Mr. India (1987) about?
It follows Arun Verma, a poor violinist raising a house full of orphaned children, who inherits a device that makes him invisible. Taking the secret identity "Mr. India," he battles the megalomaniac Mogambo, who plans to conquer the country. Along the way he falls for a sharp-tongued journalist named Seema, blending superhero action, romance, comedy and music.
Who composed the music, and what are the most famous songs?
The music was composed by the veteran duo Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. The film's best-known numbers are Sridevi's flamboyant "Hawa Hawai" and the sensual monsoon duet "Kaate Nahin Kat-te," both of which remain enduring favourites. The soundtrack is considered one of the standout Bollywood scores of the 1980s.
Was Mr. India a box office success?
Yes, Mr. India was a major hit and ranked among the highest-grossing Indian films of 1987. It is widely reported to have earned roughly ₹100 million domestically against a production budget of around ₹38 million. The film launched Anil Kapoor into stardom and reinforced Sridevi's status as a top leading lady.
Is there a sequel to Mr. India?
A sequel, often referred to as Mr. India 2, has been announced and discussed for many years but has repeatedly stalled in development. The deaths of Amrish Puri in 2005 and Sridevi in 2018 further complicated any continuation of the original. As of now, no follow-up has been released.
Who wrote and directed Mr. India?
Mr. India was directed by Shekhar Kapur, who later gained international recognition for the film Elizabeth (1998). The story and screenplay were written by the celebrated duo Salim–Javed, and this proved to be their final collaboration before they parted ways. It was produced by Boney Kapoor and Surinder Kapoor under the Narsimha Enterprises banner.
Reference: Wikipedia
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