Deewaar

Deewaar (translation: The Wall) is a 1975 Indian action crime drama film written by Salim–Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) and directed by Yash Chopra. Released worldwide on 24 January 1975, the film stars an ensemble cast of Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Neetu Singh, Nirupa Roy, Parveen Babi, Iftekhar, Madan Puri, Satyen Kappu and Manmohan Krishna. The music was composed by R. D. Burman. The film tells the story of a pair of impoverished brothers who, after their family is betrayed by the misplaced idealism of their father, struggle to survive in the slums of Mumbai, and eventually find themselves on opposing sides of the law. The title Deewaar ("wall") signifies the wall that has sprung up between the two brothers, drawn apart by fate and circumstances in a time of socio-political turmoil.

Deewaar was both critically and commercially successful, with praise going towards the film's screenplay, story, and music, as well as the performances of the acting ensemble, particularly Bachchan, Kapoor and Roy's performances. It is often considered a ground-breaking cinematic masterpiece, with Indiatimes ranking Deewaar amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films, as well as being one of three Hindi-language films to be included on the list of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.

The film had a significant impact on Indian cinema, as well as wider Indian society, with the film's anti-establishment themes and Bachchan's criminal anti-hero vigilante character resonating with audiences, cementing Bachchan's popular image as the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema. Forbes included Bachchan's performance in the film on its list, "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". The film also cemented the success of the writing duo Salim-Javed, who went on to write many more blockbuster films; the value of film writers skyrocketed thanks to Salim-Javed, who were paid as highly as leading actors at the time. Deewaar's influence also extends to world cinema, influencing films from Hong Kong and British cinema.