Satyameva Jayate (2018 film)


Satyameva Jayate is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language vigilante action film directed by Milap Milan Zaveri. It stars John Abraham and Manoj Bajpayee in lead roles, and also marks their second collaboration after Shootout at Wadala. The shooting for the film began on 5 March 2018.
The film follows a vigilante who kills corrupt police officers, and an honest officer who is called to hunt him down after the body count begins to rise.
The film was released on 15 August 2018, coinciding with the Indian Independence Day. Opening on 2500 screens, it received mixed reviews from critics but was received well by the audience and had the highest opening day for an A-rated film, following which it became a commercial success.
A sequel to the film, Satyameva Jayate 2, was announced on 27 September 2018. It features Abraham, Divya Khosla Kumar and Bajpayee in lead roles. Filming began on 20 September 2019 and it is slated to be released on 22 January 2021 during the Republic Day festival.

Plot

Veer is a painter and a vigilante who kills corrupt cops by setting them on fire. Without his identity revealed, he wins public support for wiping out the corrupt, and also forms a close relationship with a vet named Shikha. Worried by the rising body count and seeing other cops terrified, Commissioner Manish Shukla summons Shivansh, an honest officer to hunt down the killer. Using a voice altering application, Veer contacts Shivansh and threatens to kill a corrupt officer. Shivansh is tricked into believing the police station would be targeted, while Veer fights off and kills the targeted corrupt cop at a petrol pump. Realizing his mistake, Shivansh begins thinking and discovers the killing pattern to be as per the acronym "Satyameva Jayate," and the next target to be at a place beginning with the letter Y. Shivansh and his team locate the station and begin surveillance as they wait for the killer. Disguised as a cop, Veer enters the police station and thrashes a corrupt cop torturing an innocent suspect. After he sets him on fire, Shivansh hears the screams and rushes to the station to find the cop burning. Veer manages to flee and later greets Shivansh at his home where they both are revealed to be brothers.
Veerr and Shivash visit a hospital where the burnt officer is found to be alive. Veer excuses himself to go to the bathroom and secretly enters the room, setting the officer on fire once again. Hearing the sirens go off, Shivansh rushes to the room and gets hit by an explosion as he opens the door. Veer returns to the bathroom, injures himself and pretends being attacked by the killer from behind. Later, Shivansh gathers all the corrupt policemen at a safe house but Veer manages to burn it down and proceeds to take Shikha on a date, which gives an alibi for a day. Later, Veer covers himself in blood and thrashes a corrupt officer during Ashura. He publicly kills him, following which Shivansh chases after him but finds himself held on gunpoint by Vir. Shivansh then explains how Veer's paintings of terrorized men, that resembled the murdered officers, revealed Veer to be the killer. Shivansh then asks Veer to turn himself in but he declines and manages to flee.
Along with Commissioner Shukla, Shivansh is called by Veer at the same spot where their father died. Shikha, revealed to be Shukla's daughter, is in Veer's custody. Shivansh is shocked after Veer makes Shukla pour kerosene on himself and reveal he framed their father as he didn't allow anyone in the police force to bribe.Vir decides to turn himself in, before Shukla summons his army of cops to eliminate the brothers. In the ensuing fight, Veer leaves many cops dead and Shukla cornered. After multiple requests to stop, a reluctant Shivansh ends up shooting Veer before he can kill Shukla. However, realizing the kerosene poured on Shukla's body is still fresh and finding a match lying near his father's medal that reads "Satyameva Jayate", a dying Veer lights it and kills Shukla by setting him on fire. Shivansh and Shikha then approach Veer, who asks Shivansh to recite with him the oath their father taught them. They recite it together, but in the middle, Veer dies in Shivansh's arms.

Cast

The film was released on 15 August 2018 to coincide with Indian Independence Day. The film was released along with Akshay Kumar's Gold. It was released on 2500 screens in India.

Soundtrack

The music for the film is composed by Sajid-Wajid, Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli and Arko Pravo Mukherjee while lyrics are penned by Shabbir Ahmed, Kumaar, Arko Pravo Mukherjee, Danish Sabri and Ikka. The background score is composed by Sanjoy Chowdhury.
The first song of the film, "Dilbar" from the 1999 film Sirf Tum originally sung by Alka Yagnik and composed by Nadeem-Shravan has been recreated for this film by Tanishk Bagchi in the voices of Neha Kakkar, Dhvani Bhanushali and Ikka. It was released on 4 July 2018. Reinvisioned with Middle-Eastern musical influences, and with its music video featuring Nora Fatehi performing belly dancing, the song became popular with all versions of the song having received more than 1billion views on YouTube.
The second song of the film titled as "Paniyon Sa" which is sung by Atif Aslam and Tulsi Kumar was released on 12 July 2018. The third song of the film to be released was "Tajdar-e-Haram", a Qawwali which was originally composed and sung by Sabri Brothers, is re - created and sung by Wajid Khan, on 26 July 2018. The fourth and the last song, "Tere Jaisa" sung by Arko Pravo Mukherjee and Tulsi Kumar was released on 1 August 2018. The soundtrack was by released T-Series on 1 August 2018.

Box office

Satyameva Jayate earned 20.52 crore nett in India on its opening day thus setting the records of the highest opening day collection for John Abraham and the fifth highest opener film of 2018 after Sanju, Race 3, Gold and Baaghi 2. In the next four days, it collected,, 9.18 crore and 10.26 crore nett in India respectively, taking total opening extended weekend gross collection at 56.91 crore.
The lifetime collection of the film in India gross is including a nett total collection of. It grossed at the overseas box office in its full run.
Satyameva Jayate worldwide gross stands at 130 crore

Sequel

A sequel has been confirmed with John Abraham and Divya Khosla Kumar to play lead roles. It will be directed by Milap Milan Zaveri and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani. It is titled Satyameva Jayate 2 and scheduled to be released on 2 October 2020.

Critical reception