Shahenshah

Story:

Shahenshah is a 1988 Indian Hindi-language vigilante action film starring Amitabh Bachchan in the title role, along with Meenakshi Sheshadri and Praan and Amrish Puri and Prem Chopra. The film was produced and directed by Tinnu Anand. The story was written by Jaya Bachchan, while the script was written by Inder Raj Anand, who died before the film was released.

PLOT

Mathur is a corrupt bank manager who has illegally borrowed ₹2.5 million rupees and loaned them to crime baron J.K. Verma, who orchestrates a bank robbery to bail him out. DCP Anand Kumar Srivastava gets wind of this plot and is about to crack the case when J.K. enlists an exotic dancer named Julie to use the robbery as a backdrop and frame Anand for corruption. Anand is arrested by the CBI and is imprisoned for three months. Anand gets depressed about the false charges where he hangs himself at home after being released on bail. This creates a lasting and powerful impression on his son Vijay Kumar Srivastava.

Vijay retains the noose which his father used to hang himself and vows someday to restore his father’s honour. Vijay and his mother leave their house and live in the house of Inspector Aslam Khan. Years later, Vijay becomes a cop and is in friends with Aslam Khan’s daughter Shaheena. Aslam Khan is an honest cop like Vijay’s father, while Vijay is an obsequious and cowardly inspector, who is prone to bribery and generally scared of powerful criminals. It doesn’t take JK long to find Vijay, where he gets him on the payroll and run his crime empire past the cops. It is revealed that Vijay is living a dual life as Shahenshah, a costumed crime fighter who punishes anyone for committing crimes.

Vijay’s outward mission is to eradicate crime and track the perpetrators behind his father’s death. Shahenshah quietly breaks up several of J.K.’s gambling dens and illicit liquor distilleries, where he also halts the demolition of a slum. This catches the eye of small-time trickster Shalu who lives there with her aging and ailing mother Julie. J.K. had ordered her assassination after she helped frame Vijay’s father. Julie has been on the run from him ever since, which becomes Shalu’s motivation for seeking out and eliminating J.K. Shalu decides to infiltrate J.K.’s coterie by becoming an exotic dancer. One night, Shalu attempts to kill J.K. by shooting him, but is shocked when J.K. reveals he had been wearing a bullet-proof vest the whole time.

Vijay lies to J.K. that Shahenshah’s weakness is not Shalu’s death and also lies that if J.K. returns Shalu to Shahenshah, Shahenshah will return J. K.’s goods worth millions. However, J.K. is ultimately fooled and Shahenshah later detonates a bomb planted in J.K.’s truck. J.K. murders Mohammed Salim, a crime reporter and Shaheena’s husband who was about to expose J.K.’s crime ring. Vijay decides to turn around his image as a cowardly cop and openly defies J.K. Julie agrees to testify against J.K. and Shalu provides ancillary evidence. J.K. prepares for an all out war against Vijay alias Shahenshah, Shalu and his nemesis. At Salim’s funeral, one of the many witnesses of his death were present. The witness was about to reveal J.K.’s name, but a sharpshooter shoots him to death.

A veritable bloodbath on the streets ensues as Vijay tries to get Julie into the courthouse. A final showdown occurs where Shahenshah reveals his secret identity and becomes the nemesis for all the culprits. To give himself a chance to escape, J.K. abducts Shalu and a showdown leads Shahenshah to chase after J.K. to the roof of the courthouse where J.K. is pleading his case, because his cover is blown. J.K. falls through a hole in the roof and is clinging on for dear life, with the whole court looking in astonishment. Shahenshah reveals his identity before the whole court and throws the noose down to J.K., who attempts to attack Vijay. Vijay lets go of the noose, which slips around J.K.’s neck and is hanged, thus avenging Anand and Mohammad Salim’s death.