The Warrior

"When his conscience awakens, his journey begins."

2001 1h 26m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 47

AdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In feudal India, a warrior who renounces his role as the longtime enforcer to a local lord becomes the prey in a murderous hunt through the Himalayan mountains.

“When his conscience awakens, his journey begins.”

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Cast

Irrfan Khan
Lafcadia - Warrior
Puru Chibber
Katiba, Warrior's Son
Aino Annuddin
Biswas
Manoj Mishra
Warrior
Nanhe Khan
Warrior
Chander Singh
Warrior
Hemant Maahaor
Warrior
Mandakini Goswami
Rabia

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Asif Kapadia
Writers: Asif Kapadia, Tim Miller
Languages: Hindi
Countries: India, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: India, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Asif Kapadia, shot by Roman Osin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dario Marianelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ewa J. Lind shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Irrfan Khan and Puru Chibber and Aino Annuddin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When his conscience awakens, his journey begins.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Asif Kapadia directs. Roman Osin behind the camera. Dario Marianelli scores. Ewa J. Lind cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in India, United Kingdom. Dialogue in Hindi.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: India, United Kingdom.
4Directed by Asif Kapadia, shot by Roman Osin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Dario Marianelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Ewa J. Lind shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Irrfan Khan and Puru Chibber and Aino Annuddin carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "When his conscience awakens, his journey begins.".
9IMDB entry: tt0295682 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 47 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Roman Osin
Original score: Dario Marianelli
Editing: Ewa J. Lind
Makeup / hair: Lesley Lamont-Fisher
Sound: Andy Shelley
Stunt coordinator: Allan Amin
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Warrior (2001)

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Asif Kapadia

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-07-17
★ 7/10
The warrior from the title is “Lafcadia” (Irrfan Khan), an enforcer for the local chieftain who deals with arbitrary brutality those who defy his lord. He also has a young son who is keen on a young girl from a nearby village. Told to crack down on that very village, he only just manages to save the girl - thanks to an amulet she was given by his son. Somehow her presence and the sight of her neighbours being raped and slaughtered causes him to take a long hard look at himself. He concludes that he has had enough of his job and determines to quit. His boss, however, does not agree with his plan and with him in hiding takes things out on his child “Katiba” (Puri Chibber). Now truly without purpose, “Lafcadia” sets off for the mountains of the Himalayas and his home village. Along the way he has to evade the pursuing and persistent henchman “Biswas” (Aino Annuddin); encounters a pensive young wanderer “Riaz” (Noor Mani) and also meets a blind lady (Damayanti Marfatia) who, upon touching his blood-soaked face, becomes suspicious that he may have been the man that killed her beloved father. What’s difficult for our traveller with this question is that he doesn’t actually know. It is quite possible that he might have slain the man. Increasingly conflicted and dejected, what hope for a man now devoid of family and friends as he approaches the snow-capped north? Now if you’re after an action adventure, then the first fifteen minutes or so might sate that appetite, but thereafter this becomes something of a beautifully shot guilt-trip without a great deal of dialogue. The lead character is so completely immersed in his introspection that it can be rather a dull watch and, rather than be called warrior, it might better be called pilgrim, or maybe even ashamed? It is, however, a gorgeous film to look at and serves as travelogue of an agrarian Rajastan where little had changed with it’s feudal and subsistence systems for generations. It doesn’t quite deliver what it says on the can, but Khan delivers quite a poignant performance and it is well worth a watch.

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