25 years have passed since the release of the only film in which Amitabh Bachchan and Nana Patekar shared screen time. Yes, we are talking about Kohram, the Mehul Kumar-directed 1999 action thriller film. Along with Big B and Patekar, the film also features Jaya Prada, Tabu, Mukul Dev, Mukesh Rishi, Danny Denzongpa, Jackie Shroff, Kabir Bedi, and Ayesha Jhulka. In case you are planning to revisit the film, Kohram is available to stream on JioCinema, ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium), and Prime Video.

Kohram plot overview

The beginning of the story suspects terrorists led by Changezi (Mukesh Rishi) of killing an army officer (Jackie Shroff). Amitabh Bachchan's Colonel Balbir Singh Sodhi is tasked with investigating the matter and finds that Danny Denzongpa's minister Veerbhadra Singh is complicit in the plot. In an effort to assassinate Changezi, Colonel Sodhi fakes his own death and moves into the Mumbai mansion of Dadabhai/Devraj Hathoda. They send Major Ajit Arya (Patekar) under the guise of a Bengali journalist to uncover Dadabhai's true identity. Arya teams up with Colonel Sodhi to eliminate the terrorist outfit and prosecute the minister once he learns the truth. 

Jaya Prada plays Colonel Sodhi's wife, and Tabu plays the police officer who is romantically involved with Major Ajit Arya.

Mehul Kumar's collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan

Director Mehul Kumar wanted to reunite with Amitabh Bachchan after his 1997 bomb, Mrityudata. The Amitabh Bachchan Corporation was responsible for producing both of these films. At that point, Kohram's concept occurred to him.

The initial announcement of the cast included Dimple Kapadia, Arshad Warsi, and Karisma Kapoor, and the working title was Aye Watan Tere Liye. However, the decision to shelve that plan led to the creation of this movie. Nana Patekar first turned down Kumar's offer, but he eventually accepted to star in the film. 

Box office performance

Kohram grossed Rs. 133 million at the box office, with $70,257 coming in from the US. Despite its decent performance in the interiors, Kohram's lacklustre performance ultimately led to its classification as an average earner.

The film received mixed reviews upon its global release on August 13, 1999. Critics praised the main cast's performances, but many were critical of the plot and script. The film's box office performance was mediocre.

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