‘Cult hit’ Nayak flopped 25 years ago, but people are still questioning system’s corruption

In July 2026, India witnessed a new generation of citizens demanding answers about the governance of their country. While opinions varied on the protest and the government's response, one thing was clear – the CJP-led protest sparked a new discussion about questioning the system, a sentiment that had been present even 25 years earlier when Shankar made the film Nayak.

The film, starring Anil Kapoor, might have been a commercial flop when it was released in 2001, but in the two and a half decades since then, it has become one of the most watched films on television and has been repeatedly discussed in comparison to real-life political scenarios.

The film follows the story of Shivaji Rao (played by Anil Kapoor), a reporter who questions the Chief Minister of Maharashtra during a live interview. When the country witnesses an honest, hard-working Chief Minister in action, Shivaji is asked to become a full-time politician and ultimately sacrifices his personal life and morality. The film resonated with people, especially those who had lost faith in politics, and became a cultural touchstone for a generation of millennials.

Interestingly, the film's impact was not immediately apparent as it flopped at the box office when it was released. The producer, AM Rathnam, explained that this was due to the world not being in a state to watch films when Nayak was released. In fact, the release coincided with the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which dominated the global news cycle and shifted everyone's attention away from cinema.

Despite this, Nayak found a new audience on television, where it gained a large following and continued to be discussed in the context of real-world political events.