The Burning Train


The Burning Train is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language action thriller disaster film, produced by B. R. Chopra under the B. R. Films banner and directed by Ravi Chopra. The film featured a huge all-star cast, featuring Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Parveen Babi, Jeetendra, Neetu Singh in the pivotal roles and music composed by R. D. Burman.
The plot revolves around a train named the Super Express, that catches fire on its inaugural run from New Delhi to Mumbai. This movie was inspired by an earlier Japanese disaster movie, The Bullet Train. The Burning Train grossed, becoming the seventh highest-grossing Indian film of 1980.

Plot

Ashok Singh, Vinod Verma and Randhir are childhood friends. Ashok is a son of multi-millionaire Seth Dharmdas and likes fast cars, whereas Vinod and Randhir are engineers at the Indian Railway Board along with Rakesh and dream to build the fastest moving train in India. Since boyhood, Randhir is a tetchy and wild and envies Vinod. Meanwhile, Ashok and Vinod fall for Seema and Mrs Sheetal Vinod Verma. Randhir also aspires to possess Sheetal, but she pairs with Vinod and they are blessed with a son, Raju, provoking the hostility of Randhir. Suddenly, destiny plays with Ashok, his father faces bankruptcy following his death, Seema deceives him and forlorn Ashok turns wanderer. At this juncture, the Indian Railway Board approves the fastest-moving train the Super Express. Here, Vinod, Randhir and Rakesh's designs are finalized and Vinod prevails whereby malice of Randhir summits. After six years, Vinod triumphs in building the Super Express from Delhi to Bombay in 14 hours. But Vinod's obsession with the train ruins his marriage, so, Sheeatal shoves Raju to her mother in the Super Express and banishes Vinod.
Then, the train begins signing-on many passengers namely: Raja Ram Mohan with his wife Padmini. A smuggler Chander with diamonds and fiancée Razia. An undercover cop Ranveer disguised as a church father is behind them. Major P.K. Bhandari, a school teacher with students, a Pandit Shambhunath, a Muslim Abdul Rahim, ticketless passengers along with Rakesh's pregnant wife. Besides, Seema with her Doctor cousin in addition, Ashok joins in his friend's success and he is startled to see Seema. Above all, Ravi a prowler following Madhu absconding with the jewelry and on the ride they fall in love. Randhir removes the vacuum brakes, plants a bomb in the engine and quits the train. Meanwhile, Ashok accompanies him by the presence of Seema and on chat, Randhir reveals his evil plan. Immediately, Ashok rushes and manages to catch the train. But it is too late, halfway, the bomb explodes killing the drivers and the train proceeds without breaks. Panic-stricken, Vinod and the railway board desperately try to save the passengers. Thereof, Vinod converses with the passengers through All India Radio, and outlines the method of applying emergency brakes. At present, Ashok, Ravi, and the guard Usman Ali make a plucky endeavor towards the engine.
In that chaos, the petrified train cooks fail to switch off the gas. At the same time, Rakesh's wife is under labor, the doctor asks for hot water when a cook lights and the gas explodes killing Usman Ali and several passengers. However, Ashok and Ravi barely make it back by erecting some gaps between the burning compartments and the passengers. At the same time, Vinod proposes sending a helicopter to land a person on the engine which voluntarily led by Randhir for sabotage. Anyway, he succeeds but falsifies by announcing his death as the helicopter explodes. Meanwhile, Ashok identifies the reason behind Seema's betrayal is her disability and they reconcile. Ravi divulges his identity to Madhu, yet, she accepts his love, as well as, Sheetal returns to Vinod and boasts his courage. At Bombay, Rakesh plans to build a steep incline to reduce the speed. Beyond, as an end-run, dauntless Vinod jeopardizes by arriving into the Super Express from one car to another with fireproof suits and dynamite. Soon, Vinod, Ashok, and Ravi cross the fire where Randhir seeks to kill Vinod. Vinod kills Randhir. Thereafter, Vinod detects that all systems of the engine have failed when Ashok thinks of blasting the couplings of the compartments to the engine. Vinod disagrees as it leads to derailing at such a speed then he favours the incline built by Rakesh. Currently, Ravi backs and instructs passengers to tie themselves to their seats to avoid injury. Vinod and Ashok set up the dynamite towards blast while the train is climbing towards the incline and then jump off the slowing engine. Nevertheless, the engine blasts at Bombay Railway Station but the compartments slow down and halt. Finally, the passengers rejoin their relatives tribute to the soul of India.

Cast

Legacy

The song “Bang Bang” by Pete Cannon which was used for the advert of 2018 Apple iPhone X, samples the music from "Meri Nazar Hai Tujh Pe".