The 1998 Hindi action film ‘Gunda’ completed 28 years in 2026. Directed by Kanti Shah and written by Bashir Babbar the film featured Mithun Chakraborty, Mukesh Rishi, Shakti Kapoor, Mohan Joshi, and Harish Patel in key roles. The film was released on September 4, 1998, and it revolves around a coolie who vows to take revenge on a crime lord and his associates after they brutally kill his loved ones. As the film completed 28 years, Mukesh Rishi looked back at his experience working on the project and openly admitted that he initially questioned his participation in it.
Mukesh Rishi on 28 years of ‘Gunda’
Mukesh Rishi played the now-iconic character “Bulla”. As reported by IANS, reflecting on the shoot, he said, “When we were doing it, I felt like it was not going well, or I shouldn’t have been in this film.”
‘Gunda’ turns out to be a sensation
Despite his early uncertainty, Mukesh Rishi acknowledged how the film eventually found a strong audience over time, especially among younger viewers.He said, “But after a few years, the new generation liked ‘Gunda’ a lot. The biggest thing is that they see the humour, all the lines and everything…”The film, which was once seen as unconventional in tone, gradually gained popularity through repeated viewings, VCD circulation, and online discussions, turning into a cult favourite among cinema enthusiasts.
‘Gunda’s iconic character and writer’s vision
Mukesh Rishi’s character Bulla became one of the most memorable elements of the film, especially for the dialogue “Mera naam hai Bulla, rakhta hoon khulla”, which continues to be widely popular among the new generation as well. He credited the uniqueness of the film’s character writing to Bashir Babbar. He said, “It was the writer’s game. Whenever I think of ‘Gunda’, I think of him, because he didn’t make a character just for me. All the characters Mohan Joshi, Shakti Kapoor, Harish Patel, they all had their own characters,”He further added, “Okay, we put in a little bit of our information, but I think those lines were like that. They could have been said in the same way. And he was there with us.” Mukesh Rishi also praised the structured guidance given during filming: “When we started, he said, ‘You should be like this, you should be like that, you should say it like this, you should say it like that.’ We kept doing all that, but I want to give full credit to the writer. It’s amazing, I have never seen six or seven people speaking differently about their lines.”Over time, ‘Gunda’ has built a strong cult following, reportedly selling over 2,000 VCD copies at a single outlet during its peak popularity. The film also saw a limited re-release in 2018.
