Our suggested age15+
Movie family guide Reviewed 16 Aug 2026

Shakti

1982 Hindi 2h 47m

Police officer Ashwini Kumar's refusal to compromise duty during his son's kidnapping creates a lifelong rupture with Vijay, who grows into crime; gang conflict, a mother's murder and a fatal father-son confrontation drive the drama.

Overall family watch Use Caution
Comfortable with parents? Yes

What families should know

Six content ratings

Scores run from 0 (none) to 5 (severe). Every score includes a spoiler-light explanation.

Why age 15+?

Violence, Gore & Scariness Kidnapping, gang attacks, murder, shootings and a fatal father-son confrontation are central to the crime drama
Strong 4/5

Kidnapping, gang attacks, murder, shootings and a fatal father-son confrontation are central to the crime drama.

Sex, Romance & Nudity Adult romance and an attempted sexual misconduct situation are part of the plot; no explicit nudity was verified in the researched sources
Mild 2/5

Adult romance and an attempted sexual misconduct situation are part of the plot; no explicit nudity was verified in the researched sources.

Language & Abusive Words Crime confrontations and heated family conflict can include strong verbal aggression; exact profanity frequency was not independently catalogued
Mild 2/5

Crime confrontations and heated family conflict can include strong verbal aggression; exact profanity frequency was not independently catalogued.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking A major villain is described as a drug lord and the story contains crime-world substance references; a drunken setup is also part of the narrative
Moderate 3/5

A major villain is described as a drug lord and the story contains crime-world substance references; a drunken setup is also part of the narrative.

Sensitive & Disturbing Themes A child kidnapping, parental estrangement, the murder of a mother and a father forced into a deadly confrontation with his son are emotionally heavy
Strong 4/5

A child kidnapping, parental estrangement, the murder of a mother and a father forced into a deadly confrontation with his son are emotionally heavy.

Family Awkwardness / Watch-with-Parents Rating Crime, an attempted sexual misconduct theme, pregnancy/adult relationship references and severe family conflict may be uncomfortable in mixed-age viewing
Moderately Awkward 3/5

Crime, an attempted sexual misconduct theme, pregnancy/adult relationship references and severe family conflict may be uncomfortable in mixed-age viewing.

Legal availability

Where to watch

Streaming availability can change. We only link to official platforms.

ZEE5 Subscription · IN
AudioHindi
Checked 16 Aug 2026 Open platform

Credits and facts

Movie details

Release date
01 October 1982
Runtime
167 minutes
Country
India
Languages
Hindi
Genres
Drama, Action, Crime
Director
Ramesh Sippy
Writers
Salim–Javed
Cast
Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee Gulzar, Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri
Producers
Mushir-Riaz
Production company
M. R. Productions

Spoiler-free synopsis

Police officer Ashwini Kumar's refusal to compromise duty during his son's kidnapping creates a lifelong rupture with Vijay, who grows into crime; gang conflict, a mother's murder and a fatal father-son confrontation drive the drama.

For families

Editorial guidance

Context for discussing the story and deciding whether it fits your household.

01

Positive messages

Constructive themes or examples.

The film can support constructive discussion about empathy, responsibility, honesty and the consequences of personal choices. Families can also examine how relationships, authority and social expectations are portrayed, and distinguish behaviour that a story depicts from behaviour it approves. As a work from early-1980s Indian cinema, it can additionally prompt useful conversation about changing cultural norms and storytelling styles.

02

Negative behaviours

Conduct that may need context.

Content needing context includes kidnapping and criminal violence, gang conflict and murder, drug-lord/crime references, adult relationship and attempted sexual misconduct themes, a tragic parent-child confrontation. Characters may face harmful, coercive, deceptive or emotionally difficult situations, and some consequences can be serious even when the presentation is not graphic by modern standards. Parents can help younger viewers separate dramatic convention from healthy real-world behaviour, especially around power, consent, family pressure, violence or other mature choices shown or discussed.

03

Topics to discuss

Conversation starters after viewing.

Useful discussion topics include how characters respond to pressure, whether they respect other people’s choices, what fair alternatives were available, and whether consequences match the decisions made. Families can also compare the film’s treatment of gender roles, family duty, authority, romance and social reputation with present-day expectations, while remembering that historical representation is not the same as endorsement.

Final recommendation

Our family-viewing take

Suggested minimum age: 15+. The film is better suited to older teenagers than to very young children. The strongest researched concerns are kidnapping and criminal violence, gang conflict and murder, drug-lord/crime references, adult relationship and attempted sexual misconduct themes, a tragic parent-child confrontation. For shared family viewing, use the six category ratings as a guide and preview if a child is sensitive to these themes. The recommendation is editorial, not a substitute for an official CBFC classification.

Reviewed by With Family Editorial Team · 16 Aug 2026 · Updated 16 Aug 2026

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