Ghamasaan was first premiered at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, then at Cinevesture International Film Festival in Chandigarh, and then screened at 16th Chicago South Asian Film Festival.
The film was released on 11 September 2026 on ZEE5.
Plot
Set in 2006, the story follows a cat and mouse chase against Maharaj (Arshad Warsi), a ruthless dacoit inspired by Bundelkhand bandit Dadua. Maharaj is powered by corrupt politicians and police. But Aditya Singh(Pratik Gandhi), an honest IPS officer, determined to hunt down Maharaj.
The film was officially announced on 29 September 2022 with Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi in lead roles. Initially the film was titled as 'Yash'. Warsi had to learn Bundeli language for the film.
Casting
After completion of the script director Dhulia approached Shahrukh Khan for the role of the Maharaj, but Khan rejected the role saying "I don’t do realistic films."
A trailer of the film was unveiled in late August 2026.
Post production
Warsi and Gandhi revealed that there could be a sequel to the film.
Music
Anuj Garg composed the music for the film. The musical rights are acquired by Zee Music Company.
Track listing
No.
Title
Music
Singer(s)
Length
1.
"Parajay"
Anuj Garg
Anuj Garg, Dinesh Pant, Vishal Chaturvedi
3:57
2.
"Dhain Dhain"
Anuj Garg
Anuj Garg, Sahil Aditya Ratan, Vishal Chaturvedi
3:54
3.
"Bhor"
Anuj Garg
Anuj Garg, Dinesh Pant, Yajat Garg
4.10
4.
"Aalaah"
Anuj Garg
Hemendra Sharma
1.56
Total length:
13:57
Release
The film was first premiered at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival on 20 October 2024. The film was screened at Cinevesture International Film Festival in Chandigarh on 21 and 22 March, 2025. It also screened at 16th Chicago South Asian Film Festival.
The film was released on 11 September 2026 on Zee5.
Shreyas Pande of The Hindu reviewed the film and opined "Without a strong thematic core guiding the characters' actions, the old-school aesthetics cannot salvage much." Shubhra Gupta for The Indian Express stated that "Dhulia’s dexterity in intertwining the politics of the land and the brutality of the landscape is something that kept me watching through the narrative, which sometimes becomes a bit uneven."
Sreeparna Sengupta for The Times of India rated the film 2.5/5 stars and writes "On the whole, 'Ghamasaan' is not among director Tigmanshu Dhulia's best works." Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times praised the cast performance and wrote that the film "benefits from Tigmanshu’s familiarity with the world it inhabits, even if it doesn’t always find anything particularly new to say about it."
Madhumanti Pait Chowdhury for NDTV reviewd the film and wrote "But the script lacks the punch and compactness that can actually uplift the film to the next level." Vineeta Kumar of India Today stated "The brokenness is visible almost from the beginning." Deepa Gahlot for Rediff.com rated the film 3/5 stars and opined "So many films about gangsters portray them in a heroic light, and make the cops look like villains, but Dhulia does not fall into that trap. Jaya Dwivedie of India TV stated "The beginning is slow, and some sequences in the middle seem to drag the story. Despite the action, the excitement doesn't sustain throughout."
Devesh Sharma of Filmfare wrote "The restraint is credible, but it isn't always exciting." Aishani Biswas of Outlook stated "The film makes no attempt to make violence look particularly heroic." Shruti Sampat for Mid-Day opined "The violence is often brutal, reinforcing the harshness of the environment."
Pranati A S for Deccan Herald felt that the "By reducing a morally grey figure into a black-and-white villain, the film strips away the systemic failures that create dacoits in the first place." Kashvi Raj Singh for News18 stated "The film even builds to a promising confrontation, but just as the conflict gets dangerously delicious, the film climaxes too soon."
Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in stated "The movie is fleet and fluid." Rahul Desai for The Hollywood reporter India opined "The story is often too busy to pause, because it knows so much, gets so comfortable, and strives to go places where others cannot."
Ria Sharma for The Free Press Journal wrote "Ghamasaan could have been sharper and more unpredictable, particularly in its second half. But the film gets several important things right." Nikita Toppo of Wion opined "There are some gripping sequences, but the overall experience remains familiar."
Bollywood Hungama reviewer rated the film 3/5 stars. Aaj Tak rated the film 3/5 stars. Akash Khare of Amar Ujala rated the film 2.5/5 stars.
