Anwar

Anwar

Year: 2007

Runtime: 144 mins

Language: Hindi

Director: Manish Jha

DramaRomance

Anwar follows a young artist who leaves his home to escape a world he no longer recognises. Seeking only a love story, he is abandoned by his mentor, betrayed by his best friend and true love. Devastated, he takes refuge in an old building, only to wake up mistaken for a terrorist. He is thrust into chaotic circumstances that reflect the modern Indian condition and the broader human experience in today’s global village.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Anwar (2007)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Anwar (2007). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 2000s, post-9/11 era

The narrative unfolds in the years following the 9/11 attacks, a period marked by heightened religious and political sensitivities in India. The city rhythms, family pressures, and media spotlight mirror a society grappling with modern aspirations and communal anxieties. The backdrop reinforces the film's exploration of love under scrutiny and the cost of intolerance.

Location

Lucknow, Dholpur

Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, frames the film with its Muslim-urban milieu and family life. The story also shifts to Dholpur, where an ancient Hindu temple stands as a symbol of faith and refuge. Together these locations highlight the tension between tradition, religion, and personal longing in a contemporary Indian setting.

🏙️ Lucknow 🕌 Dholpur

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:24

Main Characters – Anwar (2007)

Meet the key characters of Anwar (2007), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Anwar (Siddharth Koirala)

Anwar is a thoughtful, academically inclined young man from a middle-class Muslim family in Lucknow. He loves Mehru and navigates conflict between desire and religious identity, ultimately sacrificing his own happiness. His guilt over the events surrounding Mehru drives him to seek solace in a temple, and his final vision reframes his struggle as a spiritual reunion with Mehru.

💑 Romantic 🧭 Inner conflict 🧠 Intellectual

Mehru (Nauheed Cyrusi)

Mehru yearns to escape poverty and dream of America, but she pursues love with Udit while keeping Anwar at a distance. Her choices reveal the pull between personal longing and family loyalties, culminating in a tragic sacrifice that exposes the consequences of social pressures.

💔 Tragic love ✈️ Dreams of America 🕊️ Family loyalties

Udit (Hiten Tejwani)

Udit is an engineer whose plans to marry Mehru and move to America collide with religious tensions and Anwar's warnings. His pursuit of a better future leads to a violent ending that intensifies the drama and tragedy surrounding the lovers.

💑 Desire for a better life 🧭 Cross-cultural romance ⚖️ Risk and consequence

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:24

Major Themes – Anwar (2007)

Explore the central themes of Anwar (2007), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

❤️ Love and Religion

Love crosses religious lines as Mehru, a Muslim woman, contends with her attraction to Anwar and her alliance with Udit, a Hindu engineer. Anwar's unrequited love for Mehru sharpens the tension between faith and personal desire. The film uses romance to question whether tradition can allow true choices. Tragedy and conflict emerge from the collision of beliefs and affection.

🔍 Misconceptions and Fear

Post-9/11 anxieties permeate the story as Anwar becomes a suspect in a terrorist plot based on his presence in a temple. Media and politicians fuel a frenzy to win votes, shaping public perception and endangering ordinary lives. The film critiques how fear can override evidence and humanity. The outcome exposes the danger of stereotyping a person by their faith.

💔 Tragedy and Sacrifice

The sequence of betrayals and murders leads to a communal tragedy. Udit is shot, Mehru dies, and Anwar is fatally shot, turning personal heartbreak into public spectacle. The ending frames a vision of Krishna and Meera as a plea for reconciliation, contrasting with the harsh real-world consequences. The theme underscores the cost of hatred and the fragility of peace.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:24

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Fated tragic romance stories like Anwar

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a couple whose deep connection is challenged by an unforgiving society. The story builds their romance only to systematically dismantle it through betrayal, violence, or systemic oppression, culminating in a heartbreaking loss that serves as a commentary on societal failures.

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These films are grouped by their shared core of a powerful romance made tragic by external prejudice. They create a heavy emotional experience through a steady, inevitable descent from hope into despair, driven by themes of intolerance and the cruel intersection of personal lives with political conflict.

Movies about wrongly accused spirals like Anwar

A personal tragedy mistakenly launches an innocent person into a dangerous political maelstrom.For viewers who appreciated the tense premise of Anwar, where a heartbroken man is mistaken for a terrorist. These films feature innocent protagonists whose personal dramas accidentally entangle them in high-stakes political chaos, mistaken identity, and societal paranoia.

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Narrative Summary

The pattern begins with a deeply personal crisis for the protagonist—loss, heartbreak, or a simple mistake. This private turmoil is then misinterpreted by authorities or a paranoid public, leading to a rapid, uncontrollable escalation. The story becomes a tense examination of how easily an individual can be consumed by larger, impersonal forces of fear and prejudice.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a specific narrative arc where personal despair collides with public hysteria. They are united by a dark, oppressive tone, high tension, and a steady pacing that methodically builds from an intimate character study to a wider societal breakdown, creating a profound sense of injustice and helplessness.

Unlock the Full Story of Anwar

Don't stop at just watching — explore Anwar in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Anwar is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Anwar Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Anwar, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Anwar Summary

Anwar Timeline

Track the full timeline of Anwar with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Anwar Timeline

Anwar Spoiler-Free Summary

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Anwar Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Anwar

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Anwar: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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