Deewangee

Deewangee is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language psychological thriller directed by Anees Bazmee. It is loosely inspired by the 1996 American film Primal Fear and stars Ajay Devgn, Urmila Matondkar, and Akshaye Khanna in leading roles. The narrative centers on a defense lawyer who takes on a case involving a man accused of murder. As the trial unfolds, the story delves into psychological tension, shifting loyalties, and the reliability of memory, culminating in a twist that reframes the nature of guilt and motive. The film blends courtroom drama with suspense and explores themes of perception, truth, and manipulation in the media.

The performances were a focal point of the reception, with praise directed at Urmila Matondkar and Akshaye Khanna for their portrayals, while opinions on Ajay Devgn’s performance and the overall screenplay were mixed. Critics noted that Deewangee borrowed its core premise from Primal Fear, but some viewed it as a conventional remake rather than a distinct reinterpretation. The film contributed to the early 2000s trend of Indian cinema adapting contemporary thrillers for Hindi audiences and remains a reference point in discussions of Indian courtroom thrillers from that period.