Hey Ram (2000) User Reviews (72)

Bold, shocking, thought-provoking...

[HeadleyLamarr · 9/10 · 4 July 2007]

Hey Ram is the story of Saket Ram (Kamal Haasan), an archaeologist. He is on a dig in pre-partition Harappa with his buddy Amjad (Shah Rukh Khan) when communal violence erupts in the region and the dig is closed down. Saket Ram goes off to Calcutta to visit his new wife Aparna (Rani Mukherjee). Calcutta is in chaos with religious strife and Ram's wife is brutally assaulted and killed by some Muslim men a few days after his return. He becomes unstable and seeks out the perpetrators of the crime and deals with them. While wandering the streets Ram meets with Abhyankar (Atul Kulkarni) who tells him that his family has suffered a similar fate and that the one man responsible for all this is MK Gandhi. Ram goes off to Tamil Nadu and after seeing Maithili (Vasundhara Das) agrees to marry her. All the time he is still traumatized by Aparna's death and planning revenge. When Abhyankar is paralyzed in a polo accident Ram vows to take his place as the killer of the Mahatma. He moves to Delhi and there he re-encounters his friend Amjad. Now hatred for Muslims and his prior closeness to Amjad are at war and Ram must choose his path - will it be the road to revenge or redemption? The story is excellent and the movie manages to retain its grip on the viewer for over three hours. The direction is for the most part very good. There are a few strange moments that seemed unnecessary to me - why is there the surreal stuff when Ram is shown with Maithili? The Marathi dance seemed unnecessary. Why were the bullets in a cartridge in a pre-partition handgun? Can one talk after one's throat is sliced open? But these are indeed minor quibbles in an overall excellent film.

The background score is a bit intrusive, the songs not memorable. Maybe this is not the best of the Maestro Illayaraja. The beginning song/dance in the club is sort of silly, certainly not needed. Surely bonding between friends can be shown in other ways.

Acting is very good throughout. For me the outstanding performance was given by Rani Mukherjee. She breathed life into Aparna and was at her most attractive and charming as a Bengali Bodhu! Kamal was very good. He showed love, passion, anger, rage, madness very well. And what looks at nearly age 50! The man is awesome. Shah Rukh gave a great performance as Amjad - a very restrained and balanced performance that in the end showed us which path Ram would choose and why. Atul Kulkarni was awesome as the fanatical Abhyanker. Vasundhara Das was luminous and did an excellent job playing Maithili. Naseer Shah as Gandhi, Hema Malini as the mother were all very good. In fact there was no bad performance in the film.

This is a fine piece of movie making and deserves all the accolades it got. If you have not yet seen this film then you are in for a rare treat.

WOW.. a very powerful film

[moviesaremypassion · 9/10 · 17 July 2004]

I had heard that Kamal Hassan was a good actor, so I decided to check out Hey Ram. I knew nothing of the plot (best way to see a movie; no expectations...) and I must admit I was emotionally overwhelmed by the end of it.

Kamal Hassan is an amazing actor who is not only passionate about his work but also about his country. And what a pleasure to see Shah Rukh in a minor part.

Hey Ram is a film that every American actor, writer, and director should study. Few American films have had such an effect on me. I highly recommend it.

This certainly isn't a no-brainer

[vkarthik_leo · 9/10 · 28 February 2005]

This is certainly not for those who like to see brainless junk in the form of a movie. It has a class of its own, and requires equally classy audience. You wont find it interesting if you are used to the regular kind of movies.

Kamal Haasan has worked hard in selecting the crew. Each important character that appears in the movie, speaks his/her own language, in their native accent. Example, Rani appears as a Bengali, Shahrukh Khan as a proper 'Khan'.

One small trouble with this movie is the number of languages used - which perhaps results in a slight lack of integrity.

Musical score by Ilayaraja is excellent.

Quite an eye opener for an American with a Christian background

[ceiba · 10/10 · 10 July 2005]

What an emotional and eye opening journey regarding the dangerous mix of religion and politics. The same dangerous mix we still face today. How can we profess to be products of a creator when we malign and even kill each other for the sake of an interpretation of our creator's being, the love that must have been to create us in the first place. I have just watched the DVD and cannot quite crying for the waste of good lives - the same waste occurring today. Will we ever learn?! Just a note on Shahrukh Khan's role and performance in the film...it was very understated and very moving. Since he his a Muslim, wouldn't it be nice to see him more roles expressing his own beliefs? It's amazing what influence a popular celebrity can have on popular thought. During such a time of religious warfare, it would be nice to see more films such as this that leave one with the conclusion the religious wars are an abomination. That there really is no such thing as a righteous war. Killing in the same of our creator is much the same as killing our siblings in the name of our parents. Can you imagine them condoning such behavior? Not I.

This was an excellent film on several levels including artistry, story line, and acting and direction. For what ever reason one would want to view films, except for simple mindless escapism, this is one to view and digest.

Must See

[biosoftcoder · 10/10 · 17 May 2006]

Gandhiji is said to be the father of the India. A Mahathma who lived his principles instead of just preaching. But why on earth someone would want to kill him? It is something that the politicians and religious fellows wanted to hide from the general public. Kamal Hassan takes a brave step in putting things on the screen for everyone to see. True that the film evoked anger at many sects, but none could stop the film as everything is history and hence cannot be denied. The film supports religious harmony and breaks a lot of myths (including the one that Gandhi said 'hey ram' after being shot). Every Indian should see the film (where he is a Hindu or a Muslim doesn't matter at all). For that India would live in peace.

Best and most mature of all India's nominations for Best Foreign Language Film for Academy Awards

[amol_gh · 10/10 · 15 February 2002]

A Real Eye-Opener... and that's what its is. First of all I would like to inform that I haven't yet watched the original version of this movie which claims to be better than this Hindi version.That's the reason I can't compare both movies. This movie has it all,whether its Hard-Core Reality, maturity, direction, special-effects and most of all great acting and true-to-the-core screenplay which provides us with nothing but tough reality which can be bargained for nothing, NOT even for what everybody calls, Religious Tolerance. However one tries to ignore it,one cannot defy the hard truthfulness of the subject of this movie. As far as the plot is concerned it's imaginary but not impossible. The idea that there could have been more than one potential killers of Gandhiji is not impossible.But that is not what the talented Kamal Haasan want to present in front of us.Instead he wants to introduce the ACTUAL circumstances during the times of Indian struggle for freedom. he has truly depicted the life of an average Indian who truly loves his motherland and beautifully depicted the transformations he undergoes from an anti-Muslim, anti-Gandhi to a humanataranian. My personal favourite from the movie though is not Kamal's character but that of Atul Kulkarni's.The way he lives his life as tough as that,his inteligence,his intense love for his motherland which overrides his mind even in the eventuality of facing a physical disorder which he has to suffer and also as a result of which he get bedridden is truly inspirational.And most of all it was TRUE in those days! The visual-effects though not the greatest but are great. This script is what we can call a revolution in (1)typical Indian's thinking standards,(2)expression of hard-core reality. Also as a movie its simply great for its acting,visual effects, direction and most of all its Script. Truly, this movie enjoyed the well deserved nomination from India's part in the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.And it well could have been the winner if only it could have been possible for Kamal Haasan to put much more necessary efforts in that direction. Finally,though not a completely perfect movie still I would give it a 10 out of 10 due to its TRUTHFULNESS. If the Always Talented Kamal Haasan makes a next movie even half good as this one I would like to watch it. Its unarguably the best of all Indian movies including Hindi ones.

It's my personal Rank One among my top ten Indian (though not international)movies. The future would be great if more individuals would watch more mature movies like this. Also this is my first review of its kind so if possible forgive me for any misgivings.

a reply to all religion oriented violence

[anaj_manaj · 10/10 · 5 May 2007]

its a real good one.!! a reality show telling viewer what makes a human worse than a cruel and mad animal..and then again shows that still humanity is live like always.. and why our world is best place to live...certainly because our goodwill.. A reality show,fully mature and a search for the truth.its a great story telling with even greater acting by all its characters. it may some time make you think that path of gandhiji was not right,but eventually just like the hero knees down you would think that whatever Mr. Gandhi had in his hand he did his best. thanks to Mr. kamal haasan for his i think best Hindi movie and one of my best one too.. and finally i got it worthy enough to give it 9.9 out of 10.

Oh.... what a Mater-Piece

[imemadhu · 13 June 2007]

Read Freedom at Midnight before or After the Movie. Any dumb person can appreciate how perfect the movie is.

The Story begins in the present, a very old man in his death bed and his grandson noticing his deteriorated condition of the day calls his Doctor friend and plans to make it to the hospital. The Day is May Day. Mid-way through the journey Saket Ram (Kamal) relives his life that appears before him in capsules.

The period action is splendid.People who really understood the film will agree that Gandhi is the real hero of the film. The fact that he comes roughly around 30 minutes is the greatness of Kamal's direction and way of story-telling!! He would have shot the present in black-n white and the past with Gandhi in Colour and as soon as Gandhi is assassinated, the picture turns Black-n-white again. Just to show that Gandhi gave us Light and it turns black-n-white after his death. Towards the end, Saket's Grandson gets the key of one of Saket's private rooms and he visits it with Gandhi's real GreatGrandson. The movie finishes with both of them opening the windows carved on an image of Gandhi again sharing the same thought tat Gandhi showed light. Again he would shown the fire both in 1940s and present in color depicting how when everything's changed Violence has remained forever and how we haven't learned our lessons fully.

Hats Off Kamal and Thanks for Giving Indians "Hey Ram", No one could've done even 10percent of this, so forget expecting anything closer!

Gandhian values of life can never be outdated

[jmathur_swayamprabha · 6/10 · 30 January 2013]

Hey Ram was released on 18.02.2000 but its theme is as relevant today as it was on that day and even decades back from that day. Made by one of the most talented as well as the most dedicated cine-artists of India - Kamal Hassan, this movie takes on the misunderstandings spread in certain sections of the society regarding the great man for whom Albert Einstein had asserted - "Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth."

Producer-cum-writer-cum-director-cum-hero of this movie - Kamal Hassan imagined that during that period of the late forties (in which the story has been set), there were many people who misunderstood Gandhi Ji and considered him responsible for the partition of the nation as well as the plight of the Hindus in the hands of the Muslim rioters. One such person was Naathu Ram Godse who succeeded in murdering him and another such person (as per the imagination of the filmmaker) was Saaket Ram who wanted to murder him but before he could do that, this act got executed by Naathu Ram Godse.

The story goes like this - Saaket Ram (Kamal Hassan) is a well-educated Tamilian Brahmin who works in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and has married a Bengali girl - Aparna (Rani Mukherji). After the 'Direct Action' call of Mohammed Ali Zinnah on 16.08.1946 and around the partition of the nation on 15.08.1947, the Muslim majority areas of Punjab and Bengal are taken to ransom by the rioters who go on rampage - looting, raping and killing the hapless Hindus who are in less numbers in their areas, getting full support from the biased administration and the police. And our hero - Saaket Ram becomes a victim of these unfortunate times when his Muslim servant (Shaadab Khan) betrays him and ushers the rioters to his house. The rioters rape and kill Aparna and are about to kill Saaket Ram too when he (in these most difficult moments of his life) uses his wit to fool the rioters and save his life first, only to seek revenge from the perpetrators of that heinous crime afterwards.

The burden of grief and the fire of vengeance overpowers the wisdom of Saaket Ram who has hitherto been truly a humanist only and he starts roaming about the streets killing the Muslims. However he comes across a hardcore Hindu fanatic - Shriram Abhyankar (Atul Kulkarni) who not only fuels further the destroying fire in Saaket Ram but also makes him believe that this plight of the Hindus is due to the wrong policies and practices of Gandhi Ji who should be killed. And Abhyankar only brings him to certain people thinking on the same lines the most prominent of whom is a ruler of a princely state (Vikram Gokhle).

Meantime, Saaket Ram has remarried. His new bride is a Tamilian girl - Mythili Iyengar (Vasundhara Daas). However neither Saaket Ram has forgotten the heart-piercing dishonour and killing of his first wife, i.e., Aparna nor has he abandoned his decision to kill Gandhi Ji. He reaches Delhi to murder Gandhi Ji. Ironically his stay takes place at the residence of his old Muslim friend - Amjad Ali Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) who lives with his wife - Nafeesa (Iravati Harshe) and two kids. Just one day before the D Day (for Gandhi Ji's murder), a riot breaks out in the locality and Amjad dies in the crossfire, saving the life of his friend, i.e., Saaket Ram. Saaket Ram who has never been a fanatic in his life prior to unfortunate happenings to him, is now in a fix whether whatever he's going to do is correct or not. He approaches the spot where Gandhi Ji is heading for a prayer meeting but before he could decide in favour or against of killing him, Naathu Ram Godse shoots the great man from a point blank range and he dies uttering - 'Hey Ram' leaving Saaket Ram behind to repent for the rest of his life and go for penitence.

Kamal Hassan has undertaken many responsibilities in this movie and as a producer-director he has made a gigantic effort in bringing that period alive on the screen. His imagination has been ably supported by the art director and the cinematographer and while watching the movie on the big screen, I got a feeling of passing through that turbulent era. A great effort indeed ! But ! Something is deeply missing here. And it's the soul of the story. Kamal Hassan's narcissistic attitude and self-indulgence have been responsible for the marring of this movie. He has kept himself in almost every frame and overpowered all the other characters. And this has skewed the movie in the negative direction. This is a movie made with a pious intention but it would have been much better had Kamal Hassan assigned the responsibility of directing it to some other capable director.

Since Kamal Hassan himself has prevailed in the complete movie, he had to do well in the lead role and he has done it. All others (including he actors of the calibre of Hema Malini, Girish Karnaad and Shah Rukh Khan) have not been given any scope by him. However Atul Kulkarni has left impact in this debut movie of his and he won the national award for the Best Supporting Actor for his role.

Hey Ram is a technically very superior movie and it was India's entry to the Oscars for the year 2000. However I wish that Kamal Hassan had restricted himself a bit and converted this movie into a masterpiece which it truly deserves to be.

What a movie !!

[smadhumitha · 10/10 · 29 December 2006]

A truly amazing experience.....One cannot explain the kind of feeling that creeps into your heart at the end of this movie...its a hard-hitting mixture of reality with a very interesting element of fiction thrown in.....every aspect of the movie was breath-taking...the music by the Maestro Ilayaraaja..especially the songs...Nee partha, Isayil thodanguthamma and hey ram.....The BGM completely gels with the movie ..... Coming to the acting, I personally feel this is one of the best movies of almost every actor in the movie..Kamal is his usual splendid self....Watch him become the happy lover, the broken human being, the idealist and finally the old man with wrinkles of experience...the idea of having used colour in the past and b/w in the present is definitely a great concept.....Other than Kamal Haasan, Atul Kulkarni and Rani Mukherjee have given mind-blowing performances....Kulkarni is an incredibly talented actor and one can see the emotion in his eyes that speak most of his dialogues in the movie...Rani mukherjee is the perfect fit for her role of a Bengali teacher and has given a wonderful performance......The movie comes as a kind of rebel in the usual masala Indian movies genre and is a must watch for anyone interested in gaining a wholesome experience....Another feather on India cinema's cap.....

worth watching

[somak_sanyal · 6/10 · 20 December 2006]

worth watching, Kamal at his best as usual. The movie depicts almost the real happenings of the Hindu-Muslim riot during independence, and culminating with the murder of Gandhi. The movie was the target of vandalism by various political parties because of its content. Still it stood test of time and could be treated as one of the finest movies of him. Rani got a good focus in this movie, and ultimately helped her to bag a number of movies in the future. She is now one of the leading actress in Indian cinema. Kamal always come up with innovating cinema like this one. Anybody who is interested in Indian cinema can see this movie.

A slice of history as never told before!

[mastana · 10/10 · 2 March 2001]

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is an idolized figure in India. He is one who is almost raised to the status of GOD by many. Films such as Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi" have glorified this figure repeatedly and rightfully so. However, this is only one side of the story. What Kamal Haasan shows through "Hey! Ram" is that Gandhi is a part of history and history cannot be changed and needs to be told as it was. Gandhi was not the "glory" that he is believed to be for everyone! There were numerous people who opposed him and his policies. Contrary to much of the controversy behind this film, "Hey! Ram" does not trivialize Gandhi, nor does it blame him. In fact, the main character, Saket Ram (Kamal Haasan in a powerhouse performance)learns to appreciate Gandhi by the end of the journey. The point of the film is not that he does learn to appreciate Gandhi despite being chosen as his potential assassin, but rather the way he makes his journey to that point. This journey is so masterfully and artistically directed by Kamal Haasan that one cannot help but sit back and be stunned at what this genius is capable of. What Haasan has created with "Hey! Ram" is not only an epic film but perhaps the biggest casting coup of the decade with actors like Nasseeruddin Shah (who makes a better Gandhi than Ben Kingsley), Om Puri, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, Girish Karnad and many other prominent names of the Indian Film Industry. The cinematography is simply brilliant and Renu Saluja's editing is a work of art. Ilayaraja's music is a highly emotive score that effectively blends western orchestral arrangements with traditional carnatic sounds. "Hey! Ram" is one of the greatest Indian films ever made. It takes a lot of intelligence and passion to make and appreciate a film like "Hey! Ram."

A rebellious film that fights and also struggles against its own rectifying nature. It's tough to review this film and take one side but I'm trying to find intermediate.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 2 September 2021]

Hey Ram (2000) : Brief Review -

A rebellious film that fights and also struggles against its own rectifying nature. It's tough to review this film and take one side but I'm trying to find intermediate. It's okay if someone hates me for this review and i am all open to recieve slamming and abuses for a while. Hey Ram is an alternate storyline from history that depicts India's Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse. How many people here have seen Marathi Play 'Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy'? If not, then watch it first (available on YouTube) and then watch this film again to understand why i said that it struggles against its rectifying nature. The same actor who has played Nathuram Godse's role in this film plays the lead role in this controversial Marathi play. I was stunned after seeing that Marathi play and how it explored small small details from Godse's point of view. Please note that i am not trying to glorify Gandhi or Godse either, i am just putting up facts and situations any Human could have faced. A coin always has two sides and mostly in popular culture we have only seen positive side of Gandhi. Maybe, that was necessary to avoid upcoming disasters but i am just asking for neutralized version of the events. Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy and Jabbar Patel's 'Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar' (2000), these two different forms of drama showed me that slight bit of negative side of Gandhi's principles and i salute the makers for their guts. I am not trying to judge Gandhi, Ambedkar or Godse, i am just trying to look at the things from different angles. Hey Ram starts off as a rebellious film and the events shown in the film actually makes it reasonable but later towards the end it rectifies that rebellious act and loses its hard-hitting values. This is my perspective to look at it, others may differ and Bhakts might even found it offensive but i don't care. I wasn't born in 30s or 40s to judge these events in my youth so i don't really care what people think and what has happened almost 40 years before my birth. That doesn't change anything in my era and the society i live and i don't think it would have changed anything even if Gandhi wasn't killed. Anyways, let's talk about the film or i might just speak something controversial to hurt some people. Hey Ram is brilliant when it comes to filmmaking aspects, no doubts. Acting, music, cinematography, art designing, sets, costumes and direction everything is top notch except for the straight forward writing and tight screenplay. It takes too long to explain the same old theories of Gandhiwaad. Haven't we seen it before this film released in 2000? Maybe the execution wasn't so great for others like this but the main idea was definitely outdated. Had it been sticked to the rebellious nature and then tried to make things clear from some other point of view then i might have liked it more. Kamal Haasan is superior as Ram. His versatility, expressions, rage everything was impressive. As a director, he did even better. That framework, those pauses, zoom ups and what not. His directorial skills and vision to look at things can be noticed there. All the other cast members have also done a fine job with their small small roles. Some scenes in the film are just amazing. I mean, something i haven't seen before but i can't judge the entire film on the goodwill of those scenes. Overall, tremendously courageous attempt but not fully justified.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Very bad depiction of actual reality

[TheNonSmoker · 1/10 · 17 August 2021]

This movie is nothing like the ground reality, it just been created to show it's own version of partition history.

An Indian masterpiece.

[raamjaane · 9/10 · 1 June 2000]

Kamal Hasan is a truly great actor and with this film he has cemented his status a talented director. This is an epic film which is extremely thoughtful. It shows how a rationale man can turn into a prujudiced extremist. It shows that hatred for past tragic events will not solve feelings of loss of a loved one. It also shows that compassion and sacrifice are needed in politics rather that populist rabble rousing. This film has been criticized in many quarters for many reasons. People have said that the film focuses on Kamal Hasan too much and that it a self indugent vanity fest. This is unfair considering Mr Kamalji is one of the best actors in India. Also the film is about this person and the imapct on his thinking to tragic surrounding events. The film would not have worked without this intense focus. The film's storyline has been labeled inconsistent. It has been cited that the change to a anti-Islamic Hindu fundamenatlist in Kamal Hasan's character was not explained. If a muslim (who was a loyal servant and friend) had murdered your wife I think most people attitudes to your fellow man would change. The film has a consistent plot. The only critisicm is that perhaps the film was too long but overall a great film which is indeed an experiment with truth.

overestimated its audience!!

[m_madhu · 10/10 · 27 September 2001]

hey ram is way too complex for the average indian viewer. the movie's complex techniques of flash-trhough, visual & aural associations, extended pauses & the use of the mental imagery of the protagonist to express his thoughts most probably did not connect with the indian audience.

the movie, im sure, is hailed as a classic at film institutes and by connoisseurs but the demanded too much involvement from the audience, for it to have any kind of mass appeal.

the sensitive story and the harsh visuals would have further delineated the audience, but for discerning viewers who like to get involved in the movie, this is a must see.

the way the protagonists thoughts, views & ideals on the issue of patriotism, struggle & Gandhi keeps changing and evolves slowly through his own experiences are extraordinary to watch. makes me want to read more about the Mahatma.

a brilliant movie, will rank among my alltime favourites. a classic 10.

A look at the craft and the music of this excellent film from India

[neelsv · 10/10 · 6 August 2001]

An excellently crafted Indian film, the lead actor Kamal Hassan amazes me not only with his histrionics as the lead actor but also as a good writer and director. Technically brilliant, the story has many layers to it. I liked the idea of showing the story in the eyes of a dying old man (good use of prosthetic make-up on Hassan) for whom the past is vivid in memory and the present is bleak. So, the story of the past is in color and the present in Black and White... a novel approach indeed.

It's a look at a fictitious character who could have been Gandhi's assassin. It's a look at the counter-effect of Gandhi's principles and his decisions (or the lack thereof) on the lives of some of the Hindus. It brings to light something Indian history books were embarrassed to talk about!

The story itself covers 50 decades and has characters from every region of India, the hero is a Tamil Brahmin, his first wife a Bengali, his best friend a Muslim pathan, his 'guide', a Maharashtrian, and his target, a Gujarati! Rani Mukharjee and Shah Rukh excel in their small but substantial roles. Atul Kulkarni as Abhyankar and singer Vasundhara Das stand out in their debut performances.

The highlight of the film of course is its background music by Maestro Ilaya Raja. I believe he is the only Asian to have composed a symphony, that too in 30 days flat!!!! There's no composer in India who can match up to this guy. Alas, the Hindi film industry these days encourages only mediocrity and has not recognized this gem from the South! I wish the movie's background music score is made available. Of the songs, there's one which kind of remained in the background for some reason, it is an excellent melody.. 'Har Koyee Samjhe' sung by classical artist, Ajoy Chakraborti.

Cinematography and art-direction too are flawless. All in all a great film. If you are tired of watching candy-floss romances, inane comedies, garish family dramas and weddings... this is THE antidote! Go for it!

A fine but brutal film.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 31 January 2013]

Before I discuss the film in depth, I want to talk about the distributor of this DVD--Eros Video. Despite the name, it is not a pornographic film company. But, I am less than impressed by their practice of forcing ads upon the viewer. When the DVD begins, it forces you to watch previews (you cannot hit the menu button to skip them). Then, AFTER you finally push the DVD button to begin the feature, it forces you to watch another ad! This is the only company I know which does this. They also do something else which is terribly annoying--they don't bother to caption the songs sung throughout the film! Come on Eros, are you deliberately trying to get potential customers to deliberately avoid your releases and look for other Indian films to watch instead?! I know that because there are thousands and thousands of Indian films out there, I sure will look for those from other companies first.

The story is told as a giant flashback by Saketh Ram (Kamal Hassan) and is set in 1946--just a year before India became independent of the United Kingdom. While many in the West may not realize it, this was a VERY scary time in India, as partition into East and West Pakistan and India would help to bring a lot of suppressed hatred between Hindus and Muslims to the surface--and countless people (at least in the hundreds of thousands) would die in sectarian violence. Many more would be forced to immigrate because of this violence.

Ram adores his new wife--so much so that his friends think he's a bit henpecked and make fun of him. When, in the midst of the violence that is overtaking his city, he sees a woman being attacked by a crowd he rescues her--but, as the expression goes, no good deed goes unpunished! Later, a crowd of Muslims storms his home--raping and murdering his wife! Not surprisingly, he now hates Muslims and joins a group of extremists--determined to kill as many of 'them' as he possibly can. However, he and his new 'friends' come to hate one person more than anyone else...Gandhi. Although a Hindu, Gandhi calls for peace and forgiveness--which enrages these radicals and he is their number one target....and Ram is their chosen instrument of revenge.

You probably noticed my summary in which I called this a fine but brutal film. Now the brutality certainly is necessary--this film is about a very, very violent time in India and I think everyone should know more about this period in history. But it is NOT a film for the young. While it doesn't show the rape occurring (thank God), it has quite a few scenes of shocking brutality. You can't help but flinch at several scenes--I know I did. Plus, this DID make the movie more realistic and hard-hitting---so have some Kleenex nearby just in case. And what is to like about the movie? Well, a lot...that's for sure. To me one of the best things about the film was choosing Kamal Hassan for the lead. He not only did a good job but looked so ordinary--not the larger than life sexy leading man. This 'ordinariness' of Ram and his wife as well made the film much easier to connect with and appreciate. I also liked the story....with one minor exception. Although the film is told through flashbacks, sometimes you can't tell when it's in the 1940s or the present--and that is a tad confusing--as are some of the surreal dreams. But, these are minor complaints, as the overall film is entertaining, touching and informative.

For another film about the same period, though told from a different viewpoint, try also watching Deepa Metha's "Fire". I don't think the film is superior to "Hey Ram"--just different and quite touching.

My favourite indian film

[theenathayalank · 3 August 2002]

The most eye popping film i have seen. It is bold, brilliant and spares the audience of the candy floss romance. It's not flawless, but worth the watch. Kamal deserved a best foriegn film award for this fil but Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon came along at the same time. Maybe next time!

Long Live the King!

[inani · 10/10 · 9 July 2001]

Not just Lord Ram, but also Kamala Haasan. Whatever be the verdict of the general public, I have to say that this was one HIGH IMPACT movie! The director has indeed done a great job at handling such a sensitive issue with great tact. It shows events surrounding India's independence the way they would've happened in real life. It beautifully brings out the mindset of an average well-educated man who has gone through various turmoils in his life and how his fickle mind tends to shift between the temptations of wordly affairs and his true inner feelings. The final twist adds extra spice to the whole affair. This movie will remain on my favorites list for a long time to come ...

a brilliant film making but not for the masses....

[SumanShakya · 6/10 · 7 January 2023]

"Hey Ram" is a fictionalized period drama revolving around the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and delves into the Hindu Muslim riots during India Pakistan partition. Gandhi had been made accountable for these riots and few Hindus vowed to assassinate him. Such character is portrayed by Kamal Hassan whose wife is raped and brutally killed in the riots, which leads him to join Hindu extremities to kill the Muslims and Gandhi till he withdraws the idea.

Subject wise the film is commendable which delves into a much untouched arena. While "Garam Hawa" portrayed the agony of the partition and "Bombay" vividly portrayed the Hindu Muslim riots, "Hey Ram" shows much of the brutality of the riots and the assassination of Gandhi goes into a background. Undoubtedly the film is technically superb and makes a gruesome depiction of the brutality of the riots. The film gets some brilliant acting and a right touch of period details. But the film is not for the masses and fails to grip in the absence of a tight script. The film feels more a preachy drama which at times is messed in the lengthy sequences of the riots than the ideologies of Gandhi and misses the human theme, for which the film doesn't work with the masses despite a brilliant film making it treasures.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4.

the best Indian movie till date

[rebel_icon · 9/10 · 28 July 2006]

the movie as a whole was realism at its best which is rarely seen in Indian movies. the screenplay was professionalism at its level best and though it did not do well at the box office it is arguably the best movie of any genre. the story is a flashback and the scenes just rollback to the pre -independence era where the situation is quite the same as it is now. the characterisation were well worked out and the music just steals the show. kamal has done a wonderful job and has done away with idiotic songs and comic tracks that is a common thing in all Indian movies. on the whole a movie cannot get any better than this. must see

What a awful film

[Li_85 · 2/10 · 2 October 2008]

I would of given this film a zero out of ten, but i will give it a two. Reason One is that Shah Rukh Khan appears in the film, which is not really a reason. Last Point is that Rani Appears in this film and does a smooch with Kamal. I Love Rani very much and have a respect that she is a great actress. Which is why i didn't enjoy her in this movie kissing Kamal, but its no big deal. Anyway enough of the bedroom scenes that made this film noticeable, lets actually talk about this film. Is it good or bad, I think its a completely rubbish movie that made me yawn. Me being a Fantastic critic, you can see my other 250+ review's by clicking on my name, I have great taste. The movie is not entertaining is one thing and if this is suppose to be hard hitting cinema, why is there no morale in this movie. Its a biased movie thats not a true story and it stinks. Watching Kamal kissing these actresses makes me sick, Man cant kiss properly anyway.

Another Class Performance proving KAMAL IS WORLDS BEST ACTOR!!

[cijothomas999 · 9/10 · 27 August 2007]

An excellent work by Padmasree KamalHasan! No:1 performance by Kamal proves once again , he is the best actor in the whole globe! The movie is a tribute to the society. Very well pictured.

The movie is moving with slow pace through out. Though at times we get the feeling that its gonna pace up, but it still moves in slow pace which might have disappointed some viewers and hence the movie couldn't do well in box office!

I think the background music ram .. ram.. hey hey ram ram.. should have been played through out the movie which would have made this more thrilling!

Anyways this is a masterpiece!

Kamal,RaniMukherji, Shahrukh all done a good job!

Cijo Thomas

In-depth movie!!

[sriramthestranger · 9/10 · 30 June 2020]

This is a kind of movie where you will find a new details every time you watch it.

The plot is set around the events in the time period between Direct Action Day (16 Aug, 1946) to Gandhi's assassination (Jan 30, 1948). This is definitely a wonderful watch if you know background of characters like Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Godse and Direct Action Day. The story proclaims itself as a combination of Fact + Fiction when the movie starts in the house of a bedridden old Saket Ram. And, except Gandhi, Suhrawardy, Godse other real characters from the Partition era are given least importance as the plot is about how the fictional characters, their family and friendship is affected because of this partition decision and the ensuing riots.

There is also a small bit of alternate history, where Saket Ram hallucinates his wife saying - "This is Vijaya Dasami Day... You are chosen to accomplish the mission.." while in reality it was Muslim League who said "Muslims must remember that ... it was in Ramazan that the permission for jehad was granted by Allah..." and provocated the Direct Action Day riots.

And, this is one of the boldest attempts in portraying Gandhi, where two sides of the character are presented. There are some who praise Gandhi and there are some who criticize Gandhi for his actions. And, this happens right from the starting till the last part. I think no other film has taken such a dual stand on Gandhi.

This is one of the rarest and finest work of Indian cinema that everyone should watch to know what Indian cinema can produce!!