IMDb > Maqbool (2003)

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Overview

User Rating:
8.2/10   912 votes
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Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Vishal Bhardwaj

Writers:

Abbas Tyrewala (screenplay) and
Vishal Bhardwaj (screenplay) ...
more

Contact:

View company contact information for Maqbool on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

30 January 2004 (India) more

Genre:

Crime | Drama more

Plot:

Macbeth meets the Godfather in present-day Bombay. The Scottish tragedy set in the contemporary underworld of India's commercial capital; two corrupt... more | add synopsis

Awards:

7 wins & 10 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(16 articles)

Bollywood composers rediscover Sufi music
 (From Filmicafe. 15 November 2009, 12:39 PM, PST)

Alice in Bollywoodland?
 (From Bollyspice. 24 September 2009, 7:35 AM, PDT)

User Comments:

Macbeth comes to Mumbai more (19 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Irrfan Khan ... Maqbool (as Irrfan)
Tabu ... Nimmi
Pankaj Kapur ... Jahangir Khan (Abbaji) (as Pankaj Kapoor)
Naseeruddin Shah ... Inspector Purohit

Om Puri ... Inspector Pandit
Piyush Mishra ... Kaka
Masumi Makhija ... Sameera (Abbaji's Daughter)
Ajay Gehi ... Guddu (Kaka's son)
Abbas Tyrewala ... Sadik Chikna
Deepak Dobriyal ... Thapa
Gyanchand Rikki ... Mughal
Manav Kaushik ... Asif
Ankur Vikal ... Riyaz Boti
Pubali Sanyal ... Boti's wife
Raj ... Boti's son
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Additional Details

Runtime:

Canada:132 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

India

Language:

Urdu | Hindi

Color:

Color

Certification:

India:A


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

Director Vishal Bhardwaj initially wanted Pankaj Kapur to play the role of Kaka, but later changed his mind and cast him in the role of Abbaji. more

Movie Connections:

Referenced in No Smoking (2007) more


FAQ

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
Macbeth comes to Mumbai, 1 February 2004
8/10

Vishal Bhardwaj has proven Rudyard Kipling wrong. West does meet East.

I just came back after watching Maqbool directed by Vishal Bhardwaj (remember Makdee or the music director of Maachis?).

And i am stunned. In this brilliant film, Macbeth meets Mumbai with such ease that i didn't think it would be possible.

It is an adaptation of Shakespeare's MACBETH. Only Duncan is the king of underworld (Abbaji - Pankaj Kapoor). Macbeth is Mian Maqbool (Irfan Khan). Lady Macbeth is Nimmi (Tabu). Macduff is Kaka (Piyush Mishra)

And the kingdom is present-day Mumbai.

Around them are India's best acting talents: Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, and Ajay Gehi.

This film is slightly different from Macbeth though. Macbeth is driven by his love for the throne. Maqbool is driven by his love for Nimmi.

He murders Abbaji and declares himself the leader of the gang. The underworld is in a state of shock and everyone suspects Maqbool. But no one dares raise a voice against him. Maqbool then goes on to murder his close friend Kaka to gain absolute power.

He is led (or misled) in his endeavour by two corrupt cops. (Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah). They essay the role of the three witches in Macbeth.

The performances are of a high order. Pankaj Kapur delivers his career-best performance. Followed closely by Tabu. In fact it is a photo finish.

Vishal Bhardwaj is a great storyteller. He imbues the film with a number of sparkling sequences and dialogues. Bhardwaj and writer Abbas Tyrewala do not resort to gimmicks and instead have been as realistic as possible. The guilt pangs that Nimmi and Maqbool suffer after Abbaji's murder is one phase that takes the film to a different high altogether.

In the end, all i can say is, Maqbool has the potential to be a landmark film in Bollywood. In spite of its shabby marketing.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Maqbool (2003)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Omkara vs. Maqbool Mr_Siyah
Shown on US TV? geekanonymous
devoid of passion rahul_capri
Irrfan Khan so underrated maqbool
should have been sent to the Oscars..... maqbool
Maqbool vs. other Macbeth adaptations gaurika-k
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