Fanaa (2006 film)

Zooni Ali Beg, a blind Kashmiri woman, travels to New Delhi with her friends and their dance teacher to perform at a Republic Day celebration. In Delhi, she meets Rehan Qadri, a charming and flirtatious tour guide. Despite her friends’ concerns, Zooni gives into Rehan’s advances. Although initially appearing to be an unserious playboy, Rehan is shaken when he realizes his deep feelings for Zooni. He tries but fails to end their relationship, and they spend their last night in Delhi together. Heartbroken to leave Rehan, Zooni boards her train back to Kashmir, but Rehan jumps on it and proposes to her. Overjoyed, she stays in Delhi and calls her parents in Kashmir, who give her their blessing to marry Rehan. Rehan then has Zooni evaluated by an ophthalmologist, who performs a surgery that restores her eyesight. On the day of her operation, a bomb blast occurs in the city, and Zooni is informed that Rehan was amongst the victims. In a plot twist, Rehan is actually alive and revealed to be a member of the Independent Kashmir Front (IKF), a terrorist organization who executed the blast, and of which his grandfather is a leader. He faked his death to protect Zooni and avoid compromising the IKF mission. Seven years later, Rehan participates in the theft of a nuclear trigger device while posing as an Indian Army officer. During a mission on the mountains of Kashmir, he is wounded and evades capture by Malini Tyagi, an anti-terrorism officer investigating the IKF. Severely injured during a heavy snowstorm, Rehan seeks refuge at a remote house in Kashmir. He is shocked and loses consciousness when Zooni answers the door with her young son, also named Rehan after his father. Zooni and her father Zulfikar tend to the injured man, not recognizing him initially. As he recovers, Rehan bonds with his son and rekindles his relationship with Zooni, eventually revealing his identity. Although at first angry and betrayed, Zooni realizes that she still loves Rehan. He conceals his terrorist affiliations and the two marry in a quiet ceremony. After discovering the nuclear trigger in Rehan's possession, Zulfikar confronts him, leading to a fatal altercation. Rehan attempts to complete his mission by contacting the IKF from a nearby army post, where he kills a soldier to maintain secrecy. Zooni finds her father's body and the trigger device, prompting her to flee with her son and inform Malini of Rehan's location. During the final showdown, Rehan tries to hand the trigger over to the IKF, but Zooni shoots him in the leg. Unable to harm her, he hesitates, and she fatally shoots him. Indian national security forces then arrive and neutralise the threat posed by the IKF. The film ends with Zooni and her son visiting Zulfikar's and Rehan's graves. When the boy asks if his father was a bad man, Zooni replies that he did what he believed to be right. == Cast ==

• Aamir Khan as Rehan Qadri • Kajol as Zooni Ali Beg • Rishi Kapoor as Zulfikar Ali Beg, Zooni's father • Tabu as Malini Tyagi • Lara Dutta as Zeenat • Kirron Kher as Nafisa Ali Beg, Zooni's mother • Shiney Ahuja as Major Suraj Ahuja • Satish Shah as Colonel Maan Singh • Lillete Dubey as Helen, Zooni's instructor • Sharat Saxena as Susheel Rawat • Ahmad Khan as Naana, Rehan's grandfather • Vrajesh Hirjee as Balwant, Rehan's assistant • Jaspal Bhatti as Inspector Jolly Good Singh • Gautami Kapoor as Rubina "Ruby" Ansari, Zooni's friend • Shruti Seth as Fatima "Fatty"Ali, Zooni's friend • Sanaya Irani as Mehbooba "Bobo" Siddiqui, Zooni's friend • Ali Haji as Rehan Qadri Jr, Rehan and Zooni's son • Suresh Menon as Venkateshwar Atti Cooper Rao • Shishir Sharma as Indian Defence Minister • Puneet Vashist as Captain Ijaz Khan == Production ==

Casting Aamir Khan was the first choice for the role of Rehan Qadri. He readily accepted, marking his first collaboration with Yash Raj Films. He had earlier worked with Yash Chopra in Parampara (1993), which was produced outside the Yash Raj Banner. For the female lead, initial considerations included Aishwarya Rai; however, on Khan's recommendation, Kajol was approached and ultimately cast as Zooni Ali Beg. The film marked her return to cinema after a five-year hiatus and her first full-fledged romantic pairing with Khan, following their earlier appearance in Ishq (1997). Kajol had also been offered a lead role in Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) during the same period but opted to work on Fanaa instead. The role of Malini Tyagi was initially offered to Sushmita Sen before Tabu was finalized. Additional filming occurred across various landmarks in Delhi, including the Red Fort, Jantar Mantar, Qutb Minar, Purana Qila, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and Lodi Gardens. == Reception ==

Box office Fanaa was released theatrically on 26 May 2006 and opened to strong box office performance in India and overseas. Despite an unofficial ban in the Indian state of Gujarat—prompted by political protests against Aamir Khan's comments regarding the Narmada Dam project—the film emerged as a commercial success. According to Yash Raj Films, Fanaa grossed ₹471.9 million in its first week worldwide, including ₹320 million from India and US$3.3 million (₹151.9 million) from overseas markets. The film went on to earn approximately ₹1.05 billion (US$13 million) worldwide against a combined production and marketing budget of ₹300 million, making it one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2006. In India, the film collected ₹720.4 million gross (₹518.7 million net), while its overseas earnings were reported at ₹308 million. Fanaa concluded its theatrical run as the sixth-highest grossing Hindi film of the year. Critical response Fanaa received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the performances of Aamir Khan and Kajol, as well as their on-screen chemistry. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "a beautifully written, effectively acted, and meticulously crafted effort." He commended the lead performances and overall production values but criticized the pacing, noting that the narrative "tends to get very lengthy" in the second half. Subhash K. Jha of The Times of India praised Khan's performance, stating he "scales the ladder some more and almost creates an actor’s manual for impeccable acting," while calling the film "an emotional experience that showcases Aamir as never before." Raja Sen, also of Rediff.com, offered a more critical assessment, arguing that "a mere casting coup does not a good film make," and found the screenplay lacking. Hindustan Times echoed these concerns, stating that the film "falters because of its storyline and script," though it praised Kajol's performance for its maturity and nuance, noting she "emotes with more maturity and looks trimmer." Internationally, the film drew mixed reviews. Anupama Chopra, writing for The New York Times, described Fanaa as "a polished, visually stunning production" but noted that the second half's tonal shift toward political thriller conventions diluted the emotional core established earlier. Jaspreet Pandohar of the BBC called the film "an epic romance with thrilling undertones," and found Khan's transformation from a charming guide to a conflicted antihero "compelling," although she felt the tonal inconsistency weakened the film's coherence. == Soundtrack ==

The soundtrack of Fanaa was composed by Jatin–Lalit, with lyrics written by Prasoon Joshi and a background score by Salim–Sulaiman. The album features seven tracks, five of which are included in the film. The music marked the final collaboration of Jatin–Lalit as a composing duo before their split. The album emerged as a commercial success. According to Box Office India, it sold approximately 1.7 million units, ranking among the top-selling Bollywood soundtracks of the year. The first five songs were programmed by Salim–Sulaiman, while "Destroyed in Love" was programmed by Dhrubajyoti Phukan. Aamir Khan and Kajol recited poetic verses in the songs "Mere Haath Mein" and "Chanda Chamke," adding a narrative element to the musical sequences. == Accolades ==

During the promotion of Fanaa, Aamir Khan made public comments concerning the Narmada Dam project, specifically criticizing the handling of the rehabilitation of displaced villagers and calling for proper resettlement measures. He clarified that he was not opposed to the dam's construction but supported the Supreme Court of India’s position on resettlement. His remarks drew criticism from members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Government of Gujarat, which demanded an apology. Khan refused, stating: “I only asked for rehabilitation of poor farmers. I never spoke against the construction of the dam. I will not apologise for my comments on the issue.” In response, an unofficial ban on Fanaa was implemented across Gujarat. Protests erupted in the state, including the burning of Khan's effigies and film posters. Several multiplexes cited the inability to guarantee customer safety, and theatre owners collectively decided not to screen the film. Producer Aditya Chopra filed a petition with the Supreme Court of India requesting that the Gujarat government be directed to provide protection for cinema halls willing to exhibit the film. The petition was dismissed, with the court stating that individual theatres could seek police assistance if necessary. Yash Chopra also reached out to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in an effort to facilitate a peaceful release. Various members of the film industry—including Anil Kapoor, Govind Nihalani, Ashutosh Gowariker, Subhash Ghai, Anupam Kher and Hrithik Roshan—expressed public support for Khan, defending his right to free expression. Director Kunal Kohli addressed the media, emphasizing that the filmmakers had lost between ₹6–70 million in potential revenue due to the ban but framed the issue as a matter of democratic principle rather than financial loss. He stated, “Aamir has a right to say what he feels, even the people of Gujarat, who are protesting, have the right to say what they feel... but in a democratic fashion, and not by burning posters and threatening people.” One privately owned theatre in Jamnagar screened the film with police protection. However, the screening was halted after a protestor named Pravin attempted self–immolation in the cinema's restroom during intermission. He suffered severe burns and succumbed to his injuries nine days later. == See also ==