Introduction

D-Day is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film co-produced by DAR motion pictures and Emmay Entertainment.

The movie is directed by Nikhil Advani and stars Arjun Rampal, Huma Qureshi, Irrfan Khan, Shruti Haasan and Rishi Kapoor in prominent roles.

Outline

Agent Wali Khan, appointed by the Chief of Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Ashwini Rao, has been on a mission for nine years to keep an eye out for the activities of India’s most wanted D-Company leader, Goldman while working as a local barber as a cover. One day he notices Goldman talking about his son’s wedding cards to people in the mosque where he prays and comes to know that his son is getting married and Goldman is breaking his security protocol to attend that. The same is confirmed by an ISI operative who works part-time as Goldman’s bodyguard and is a neighbour and friend of Wali though he doesn’t know the truth about Wali’s connections to Indian Intelligence. Sensing a chance to nab Goldman alive, he informs Ashwini about the same who assembles a team quickly – Ex-Indian Army officer and mercenary, Rudra Pratap Singh, RAW’s explosives expert, Zoya Rehman, and Aslam, a Mumbai thief and a murderer who was given a chance at freedom by participating in this mission.

On the day of the wedding, Wali sees his wife and son off at the airport, as they are to fly to London. Wali goes home and stages his family’s death in the hopes that the ISI will not put them in harm’s way and he can join them after the mission is accomplished. However, all flights to Europe are cancelled, stranding Wali’s wife and son at the airport. When Wali’s wife calls up Wali his phone is switched off and she learns her house is on fire. Disturbed and upset about not being able to locate Wali, she informs the airport security about the same. The airport security personnel runs a check to see and discovers that three bodies have been recovered. Suspicious at the cover-up he summons the ISI. The ISI, while questioning Zoya and her son Kabir, notices Kabir holding pencils that belong to the same hotel where Goldman’s son is about to get married. When asked Kabir informs that the pencils were given to him by Wali a few days ago. Realising that Wali is an operative out to get Goldman, ISI alerts their counterparts at the wedding. As a result, Wali, Rudra, Zoya, and Aslam’s plan to capture Goldman is in jeopardy. Goldman escapes unscathed and the four agents have to go into hiding. Embarrassed at the failure of their operation, the Indian government disavows the four agents; only Ashwini stands by them, but he is forced to resign. Aslam is captured and tortured by Goldman’s nephew when he tries to escape through the Karachi docks. He is rescued by Rudra, who was trying to take revenge on Goldman’s nephew for murdering Rudra’s lover, Suraiya, a Pakistani prostitute. Upon hearing that Wali’s wife has died and that his son is in ISI custody, the four agents decide to find a way to complete their mission, despite the government having abandoned them.

The ISI decides that Goldman is too much of a liability to continue protecting further, so they decide to kill him. Before they can, the four RAW agents take out the ISI and take Goldman hostage. Wali notifies Ashwini, who works to find them a safe route out of Pakistan. Goldman taunts Wali by telling him that his wife and son are actually still alive, and that he can arrange their reunion. Wali is torn between accepting Goldman’s help and completing his mission, to the point where he shoots Rudra to take control of the group. Ashwini asks them to be at Checkpost 35 before 6a.m. At the same time, Wali arranges a meeting with ISI, proposing an exchange of Goldman for his wife and child. After tying Rudra up and disarming Zoya, Wali leaves with Goldman. Zoya then frees Rudra and they follow Wali.

Wali drives to Checkpost 40 but is shot dead by Pakistani forces, who, unbeknown to Wali, have poisoned and killed his wife and son. As Wali’s car is examined, it is revealed that Wali did not actually bring Goldman with him; he had apparently anticipated the Pakistani betrayal, and had left Goldman in the car that Zoya and Rudra had taken. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that this was a plan hatched by Wali and Rudra in order to get Goldman to cooperate and give Rudra and Zoya time to get Goldman across the border to India. The Pakistani forces give Rudra and Zoya chase and barely miss them before they bring Goldman over the border, where Ashwini is waiting. Once across, Goldman taunts them by saying how nothing has changed in India and he will be released soon and will be able to continue his criminal activities. Rudra shoots Goldman in the head, indicating that he is the face of the “New India”.

Cast

• Irrfan Khan as RAW Agent Wali Khan.
• Arjun Rampal as Rudra Pratap Singh, A suspended army officer, working as a mercenary.
• Rishi Kapoor as Iqbal Seth Aka Goldman (character based upon, Dawood Ibrahim).
• Huma Qureshi as Zoya Rehman, Explosive Expert.
• Shruti Haasan as Suraiya, A Pakistani Prostitute.
• Nassar as Chief of RAW Ashwini Rao.
• Shriswara as Nafisa, Wali Khan’s wife.
• Sandeep Kulkarni as Anup Mishra.
• KK Raina as Gen. Raza.
• Chandan Roy Sanyal as Goldman’s nephew.
• Aakash Dahiya as Aslam.
• Dwij Handa as Kabir, Wali Khan’s son.
• Imran Hasnee as Saleem Pathan.
• Nissar Khan as Niyaaz Ahmed.
• Chetan Motiwala in special appearance as guest in wedding.
• Anil Maggu as Pakistani politician.
• Kanika Dang as Fatima.
• Karan as Goldman’s son.
• Rashmi as Goldman’s son’s bride.
• Rajpal Yadav as Sufi singer in a friendly appearance.
• Jehangir Karkaria as father-in-law.
• Manish Khanna as Sharyar Bhatti.
• Ashwini Dhar as Khurram Mirza.
• Praveena Deshpande as Sumitra, Ashwini Rao’s wife.
• Niranjan Iyengar as Mosque care-taker.
• Savi Sidhu as K.S. Lodhi.
• Libert as Laxman Sivaraman.
• Sanjay as MEA Minister.
• J.Tanna as Vicky Thakur.
• Pathan as Goldman’s bodyguard.
• Raees as Azhar.
• Satyabrat Chakravarty as Dipankar Ghosh.
• Mukesh Singh as Lodge care-taker.
• Amin Arif as Broker.
• Arya Chaurasia as ISI Official.
• Ram Chandra Thakur as Airport Official.
• Manoj Sharma as BSF Director.
• Garvita Sharma as News reporter.
• Baba Khan as trawler captain.
• Sunil Singh as ISI head.
• Maryam Zakaria as Item number “Ek Ghadi”.
• Asif Silavat Cop at airport.
• Gurnam Singh Dhaliwal Bodyguard at mosque.
• Rajkumar Rao Moin.

Trivia

• Nikhil Advani signed Shruti Hassan opposite actor Arjun Rampal in December 2012.
• Out of the three female protagonists in the movie, only Huma Qureshi was given the option of choosing the character she wanted to portray.
• D-Day was given a U/A certificate by the censor board on 07 July 2013.
• The movie released on 19 July 2013, in 1200 screens worldwide.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Nikhil Advani.
• Producer(s): DAR Motion Pictures and Emmay Entertainment.
• Writer(s): Nikhil Advani, Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair, and Niranjan Iyengar.
• Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (songs) and Tubby-Praik (background score).
• Cinematography: Tushar Kanti Ray.
• Editor(s): Aarif Sheikh.
• Production:
• Distributor(s): DAR Motion Pictures (India) and Yash Raj Films (International).
• Release Date: 19 July 2013.
• Running time: 151 minutes.
• Country: India.
• Language: Hindi.

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