indian cinema heritage foundation

Paanch Qaidi (1981)

  • Release Date19/06/1981
  • GenreAction, Adventure
  • FormatColour
  • LanguageHindi
  • Run Time137 mins
  • Gauge35 mm
  • Censor RatingU
  • Censor Certificate NumberU-97079-MUM
  • Certificate Date15/06/1981
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The entire area of Fatehgarh and the surrounding villages is full of violence and an immerse scare, Bullet sounds frequently pierce the deceptive silence and alwlessness has reached a stage where no man' life or property is safe. The people in this area are the victims of Daku Mangal Singh's tyranny and cruelty. Daku Mangal Singh has made many people homeless and has turned so many happy children into tragic orphans without their parents. The villagers have lost their confidence in the police to protect them from Daku Mangalsingh and so, without the faith, help and co-operation of the villagers, it has become virtually impossible for the police force to mount operations against Daku Mangal Singh and his gang in this terror-stricken area. 

Police Officer Vijay, posted as Deputy Superintendent of Police, takes this assignment as a challenge and sets up a police chowki in Rampur village which is supposed to be a fort of Daku Mangal Singh. But his bravado cost Vijay heavily; he had to see his wife and only son butchered by Daku Mangal Singh in front of his eyes. In one stroke. like the strike of a flash of lightning, his entire life is drowned in sorrow and darkness. 

Vijay now is full of vengeance, determined to put an end to the brutal existence of Daku Mangal Singh. He prepares a scheme to exterminate the dacoits and offers it to his senior officers. D. S. P. Vijay demands that he be allowed to secure the release of five dreadful and dangerous prisoners and two robust tough guys Raja and Kaka, and carry them with him to the Rampur village where they could settle as ordinary villagers and resist the dacoits. He proposed that before he made them settle in the village, he would give the five prisoners an initial training in a training camp so that they can one day strike against the dacoits and finish them for ever. The Inspector General of Police is convinced by his scheme and allows him to take the five prisoners out of the jail and start their training in the training camp, till time that he seeks receives the permission from fhe Government.

Vijay, with his logical, emotional and forceful ideology, wins the faith of the five prisoners. They are now ready to sacrifice their lives, under the captaincy of D. S. P. Vijay for the sake of the poor, helpless villagers. But as ill luck would have it, the Inspector General of Police fails to get Government approval for this unorthodox scheme and orders the prisoners back to their cells to complete their sentences. 

Vijay is emotionally hurt and feels guilty for playing with the feelings of the prisoners and giving them false hopes of a free existence in a village, even if that village is menaced by ruthless dacoits. He is commpelled by his conscience to take a hasty step and disobey Law for the sake of Law. Even though he breaks the Law, his motive is only to serve the Law.

Vijay, the five prisoners and the two tough guys are chased and under attack of the police on one side and Daku Mangal Singh on the other. Does he succeed in his impossible mission ? What is the fate of those five prisoners - do they earn freedom for ever ? 

"Paanch Qaidi" is a most unusual, human, emotional action drama blasting its way across the screen in a forceful manner never witnessed before.

(From the official press booklet)
 

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