Raajneeti () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language political thriller film co-written, directed and produced by Prakash Jha, with a screenplay by Anjum Rajabali and Prakash Jha. Depicting an archetypal conflict between rival political families and parties, based on Mahabharata, the film starred an ensemble cast of Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee, Sarah Thompson and Naseeruddin Shah. It was originally produced by Prakash Jha Productions and distributed by UTV Motion Pictures and Walkwater Media.
Raajneeti was shot extensively in Bhopal. The title, which translates literally as "Politics" and contextually as "Affairs of State", was promoted with the tag-line "Politics and Beyond..."
Amid much controversy, Raajneeti released in theatres worldwide on 4 June 2010. The film received positive reviews from critics both in India and internationally, receiving high acclaim for its direction, screenplay and performances of the ensemble cast. It became a major commercial success, grossing over worldwide, emerging as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2010.
At the 56th Filmfare Awards, Raajneeti received 4 nominations – Best Actor (Kapoor) and Best Supporting Actor (for Rampal, Bajpayee and Patekar).
Indiagames also released a mobile video game based on the film.
Plot
Bharti Rai, the daughter of Ramnath Rai, an eminent politician, is influenced by rival leftist leader Bhaskar Sanyal. She bears an illicit son from Bhaskar, who is abandoned in a boat by Brij Gopal, Bharti's 'rakhi' brother. Bharti is later married to Chandra Pratap, the younger brother of Bhanu Pratap, who leads the Rashtrawadi party.
The minority state government collapses, when Rashtrawadi party withdraws its support. On his birthday gathering, Bhanu Pratap suffers a stroke and hands over power to his younger brother Chandra Pratap. Chandra's elder son, Prithvi Pratap tries to take advantage of his father's power and starts to impose his own decisions on the party, which results in a clash with his miffed cousin, Veerendra Pratap. Chandra Pratap begins to sideline Veerendra. For the upcoming mid-term polls, Prithvi rejects the nomination of a kabaddi champion and local leader Sooraj Kumar, who is chosen by the common people. However, Sooraj gets Veerendra's support to join the Central Committee of the party. Unknown to all, Sooraj is Bharti's abandoned son, who was found and brought up by the Pratap family's driver Ram Charittra and his wife. When Sooraj demands a candidacy in the elections, Brij Gopal shrewdly nominates his father Ramcharitra from the same seat. Meanwhile, Chandra Pratap's younger son, Samar Pratap, returns from the United States and meets his childhood friend Indu, who loves him. She proposes to him, but he declines.
In order to regain his power within the party and be the chief-ministerial candidate in the state assembly election, Veerendra, with Sooraj's help, has Chandra Pratap assassinated. In an ensuing drama, Prithvi is arrested. SP Sharma, under Veerendra's influence, press rape charges against Prithvi Pratap. In order to bail him out, Samar Pratap promises Veerendra of Prithvi's resignation from the party. However, Samar and Prithvi begin rallying public support. The bed-ridden Bhanu Pratap officially expels Prithvi, who forms the new Jana Shakti party, with Brij Gopal as his mentor and Samar as the executive. To raise funds for the new party from Indu's industrialist father, Samar shrewdly ensures Prithvi's marriage to Indu, against her will. Meanwhile, Samar's American girlfriend Sarah arrives in India to meet him.
The battle gets murkier with both sides trying every trick to ensure their victory. Allegations and counter-allegations are made. Subsequently, Samar blackmails and kills Babulal, an old party associate of Bhanu Pratap, after uncovering from him that Sooraj and Veerendra had murdered his father Chandra Pratap. On the other hand, Prithvi kills SP Sharma and a party worker. Meanwhile, Indu slowly falls in love with Prithvi who has been nice and respectful towards her. Sarah realizes that the two brothers are committing political murders, and decide to return to the US, pregnant. Veerendra and Sooraj plan to assassinate Samar by planting a bomb in his car, but it is Prithvi and Sarah who perish in the explosion. Braj Gopal confronts Ramcharitra for Sooraj's misdeeds, when Sooraj is revealed to be the first child of Bharti.