Ittefaq

Ittefaq

Year: 1969

Runtime: 104 mins

Language: Hindi

Director: Yash Chopra

MysteryCrimeThriller

Taking place almost entirely over the course of one stormy night, a woman is terrified when an accused murderer escapes from a mental hospital and seeks refuge in her home.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Ittefaq yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Ittefaq (1969)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Ittefaq (1969). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Rekha's house, Dilip's house, Hospital, Police station, Calcutta

The narrative unfolds across a modern urban setting in a wealthy metropolitan area. Rekha's residence and Dilip's house serve as key stages for the thriller, with the stormy night trapping characters inside. The hospital and police precinct provide the procedural backdrop, while Calcutta is referenced as a distant tie to Rekha's husband.

🏙️ Urban city 🏡 Wealthy neighborhood 🏥 Hospital 👮 Police station 🌆 Calcutta

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:32

Main Characters – Ittefaq (1969)

Meet the key characters of Ittefaq (1969), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dilip Roy (Rajesh Khanna)

Dilip is a passionate painter and husband who suddenly finds himself the prime suspect after his wife’s death. He battles rage, memory loss, and a stubborn sense of injustice as the investigation closes in. His volatile temperament and refusal to fully recall the night propel the drama.

🎭 Troubled 🔎 Suspect 🧠 Intense

Rekha (Nanda)

Rekha is a wealthy socialite who shelters Dilip during his flight and becomes entangled in secrets, including an affair with a police inspector. Her actions are driven by self-preservation and guilt, making her both alluring and dangerous. The investigation peels back her layers, revealing a complex mix of vulnerability and calculation.

🎭 Socialite 🕵️‍♀️ Mysterious 💔 Complex emotions

Dr. Trivedi

Dr. Trivedi is the psychologist who evaluates Dilip and recommends extended hospitalization. His analysis provides a clinical lens on Dilip’s memory gaps and emotional volatility, shaping how guilt and innocence are interpreted. The doctor’s observations become a tool for the story’s tension.

🧠 Psychologist 🔬 Insightful

Inspector Diwan (Sujit Kumar)

Inspector Diwan is a policeman in Rekha’s orbit whose past visits and possible collusion cast doubt on his reliability. He embodies the tension between authority and secrecy, influencing the investigation’s twists. His actions are pivotal to the plot’s shifting loyalties.

👮 Police 🕵️‍♂️ Cunning

Inspector Karwe (Iftekhar)

Inspector Karwe is the thorough investigator who uncovers crucial evidence that clears Dilip and points to the real killer. His methodical approach contrasts with the emotional drama, providing a moral counterweight to the story’s chaos.

👮 Police 🧭 Diligent

Renu (Bindu Desai)

Renu is Sushma’s sister who initially appears to be a witness in the case. The investigation gradually reveals her as the true killer of Sushma, driven by hidden motives and family tensions.

👩 Sister 🕵️‍♀️ Deceiver 🔎 Suspect

Public Prosecutor Khanna (Madan Puri)

Public Prosecutor Khanna represents the state's case, pushing for a verdict that confirms or contests the narrative spun by the witnesses. His role tests the limits of legal strategy within the courtroom drama.

⚖️ Lawyer 🕵️‍♂️ Investigative

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:32

Major Themes – Ittefaq (1969)

Explore the central themes of Ittefaq (1969), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔎 Truth vs Deception

Truth is slippery as conflicting narratives emerge from memory gaps, evasions, and insinuations. The story stacks clues and misdirections to keep the viewer guessing about who truly killed Sushma. Each character’s account invites doubt, transforming deduction into a tense game of interpretation. The final reveal forces a reassessment of what really happened and who bears the guilt.

🧠 Psychology

Dr. Trivedi’s evaluation places Dilip under clinical scrutiny, turning the mind into a crime-solving tool. The hospital setting frames behavior as data, influencing perceptions of innocence and culpability. The thread shows how psychological insight can shape a trial and the audience’s belief. It also exposes how professionals may be drawn into dramatic machinations.

💔 Infidelity & Guilt

Love and betrayal entangle Rekha with others in the investigation, complicating motive and loyalty. The affair with Inspector Diwan reveals a dangerous nexus of desire and deception. Rekha’s actions catalyze violence and tragedy, driving the plot toward a fatal reckoning. Guilt pervades the characters as relationships fracture under pressure.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:32

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Thrillers set in one night like Ittefaq

High-stakes psychological battles confined to one location and a ticking clock.If you liked the high-tension, single-night setting of Ittefaq, explore more movies that use a compressed timeline and confined space to create unbearable suspense. These stories feature characters trapped with imminent danger, leading to rapid psychological unraveling and shocking twists.

claustrophobicsuspensefulurgenttenseparanoidunsettlinganxious

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a confined setting, a limited timeframe (often a single night), and a central crisis that forces characters to their psychological limits. Secrets are exposed under pressure, allegiances shift rapidly, and the plot progresses through a series of tense discoveries rather than expansive action.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared use of temporal and spatial constraints to generate extreme tension. They prioritize a fast pace, high intensity, and a feeling of claustrophobia, making the viewer feel as trapped and desperate as the characters.

Mysteries with unreliable narrators like Ittefaq

Stories where perception is distorted and the truth is a shifting target.Fans of Ittefaq's complex web of deception and shifting accusations will enjoy these movies where the truth is elusive. These films feature characters whose testimony is questionable, forcing the audience to piece together a puzzle from conflicting perspectives, often culminating in a major revalation.

psychologicalunreliable narratormind-bendingcomplexsuspensefuldarkmoral ambiguity

Narrative Summary

The narrative journey is defined by doubt and re-evaluation. Information is presented through a potentially biased or compromised lens, forcing the audience to actively question what they see. The plot typically involves a central crime or mystery, but the investigation is as much about the characters' psyches as it is about forensic evidence, leading to a final twist that recontextualizes everything.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their core focus on subjective reality and moral ambiguity. They share a complex narrative structure, a heavy emotional weight dealing with betrayal and psychological distress, and a tone that is consistently tense and unsettling as the viewer's certainty is systematically dismantled.

Unlock the Full Story of Ittefaq

Don't stop at just watching — explore Ittefaq 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 Ittefaq is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Ittefaq Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Ittefaq, 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.

Ittefaq Summary

Ittefaq Timeline

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

Ittefaq Timeline

Ittefaq Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Ittefaq that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Ittefaq Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Ittefaq

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

More About Ittefaq

Similar Movies to Ittefaq

Discover movies like Ittefaq that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.