Vishwatma
| Vishwatma | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rajiv Rai |
| Written by | Rajiv Rai |
| Produced by | Gulshan Rai |
| Starring | Naseeruddin Shah Sunny Deol Chunky Pandey Sonam Divya Bharti Jyotsna Singh Raza Murad Gulshan Grover Amrish Puri |
| Narrated by | Naseeruddin Shah |
| Cinematography | Thomas A. Xavier |
| Edited by | Rajiv Rai |
| Music by | Viju Shah |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Trimurti Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 181 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | ₹9.5 crore |
Vishwatma (transl. Universal Soul) is a 1992 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by Gulshan Rai. It stars an ensemble cast of Naseeruddin Shah, Sunny Deol, Chunky Pandey, Sonam, Divya Bharti (in her Hindi debut), Jyostna Singh, Raza Murad, Gulshan Grover and Amrish Puri.
The story of the film revolves around an Indian police officer, who is tasked to capture a powerful, internationally operating crime lord and bring him back to India.
Vishwatma marked Rai's third directorial venture after Tridev (1989) and was initially planned to be a sequel to the same. It was the most-expensive Indian film at the time of its production; being extensively shot in Kenya and the first Indian film to be shot there. The chartbuster song "Saat Samundar Paar" was shot at Bubbles Discothèque, a popular nightclub in Nairobi in those days. The modern-sounding song struck a chord and still enjoys a massive cult status among Indian audience.
The film was a big commercial success and received critical acclaim upon release from contemporary as well as modern critics, with praise drawn towards its screenplay and action sequences. It earned over ₹95 million in its total theatrical run worldwide and was the sixth highest-grossing Indian film of 1992. The soundtrack created a rage and was very much successful. It proved to be a major launchpad for debutanté Divya Bharti, who went on to achieve the limelight in Bollywood.