Farishtay (Angels), the 1991 Hindi action-drama directed by Anil Gaddar Sharma, was released on 22 February 1991.
Vinod Khanna (born 6 October 1946) was 44 years old at the time of the film's release (he turned 45 later that year).
Sridevi (born 13 August 1963) was 27 years old (she had turned 27 about six months earlier).
The film featured a massive ensemble cast including Dharmendra, Rajinikanth, Jaya Prada, and others, with music by Bappi Lahiri. It was Anil Sharma's early directorial venture (his first outside production, as some sources note). If you watch the film now, and even back then, by all accounts it was a hot mess, just an awful movie and yet, fueled by film stars, it was a surprising success despite getting almost all negative reviews.
Farishtay turned out to be a solid box office hit (described as a "blockbuster" or strong performer in certain box-office collection reports), especially considering it was a multi-starrer masala entertainer in a competitive era. Budget estimates hover around ₹2-3.3 crore, with India net collections reported around ₹3.65-4.8 crore in some analyses—making it profitable and one of the notable successes of 1991. Which was great news for the film producer, the firebrand that was Sattee Shourie, ie mother of Mona Kapoor.
Its success was somewhat unexpected given the long production, choppy editing, mediocre songs, a haywire script, a bizarre screenplay, tacky costumes, crowded star lineup and typical risks of ensemble films, but the action, drama, and star power (including the rare pairing of big names like Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, and Rajinikanth) helped it connect with audiences and perform well commercially. A severe 80s leftover hangover kind of film that has not aged well. But in Bollywood, a hit, is a hit, is a hit.
Even if the film is shi...
