''Samandar'' is a

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

Indian

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

-language gangster drama film directed by Vishal Vada Vala. The film stars Mayur Chauhan and Jagjeetsinh Vadher in lead roles, alongside a supporting ensemble cast. Produced by Kalpesh Palan and Udayraj Shekhwa, the project is distributed by Rupam Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Plot

Set against the backdrop of the ruthless and entrenched fisheries mafia, ''Samandar'' follows childhood friends Uday and Salman, who forge an unbreakable bond while navigating the perilous waters of their criminal underworld. As they rise through the ranks, their alliance is tested by escalating tensions involving power struggles, political machinations, and personal vendettas. What begins as a shared ambition soon fractures under the weight of betrayal and revenge, unraveling their once-unshakable camaraderie and plunging them into a high-stakes conflict with irreversible consequences.

Cast

* Mayur Chauhan as Uday * Jagjeetsinh Vadher as Salman * Dharmendra Gohil *

Deeksha Joshi Deeksha Joshi is an Indian actress from Gujarat who primarily works in the Gujarati film industry. She made her acting debut in 2017 with the film ''Shubh Aarambh'', followed by '' Karsandas Pay & Use'' (2017), '' Sharato Lagu'' (2018), ''Dhun ...

* Reeva Rachh * Chetan Dhanani * Mayur Soneji * Kalpana Gagdekar * Dhara Trivedi * Nilesh Parmar * Akshay Mehta * Dhairya Thakkar * Tirth Thakkar * Dr. Prashant Panchlothia

Production

Filming for ''Samandar'' took place across multiple locations in

Porbandar Porbandar is a city and the headquarters of Porbandar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama. It was the former capital of the Porbandar State, Porbandar princely state. Porbandar and Chhaya, ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, capturing the coastal town's distinct regional essence. The film marks the first collaborative production venture of Kalpesh Palan and Udayraj Shekhwa under their banner KP & UD Motion Pictures. The soundtrack and background score were composed by the duo Kedar & Bhargav, featuring vocals from prominent Gujarati and

Indian playback singers This is a list of playback singers from India. Female playback singers Male playback singers See also * Playback Singer * List of Indian film music directors The following are notable Indian film music directors: References { ...

, including

Nakash Aziz Nakash Aziz (born 24 February 1985), also known as Nakash, is an Indian composer and singer. He has worked as an assistant to composer A. R. Rahman on films such as ''Highway (2014 Hindi film), Highway'', ''Raanjhanaa'', ''Rockstar (2011 film) ...

Aditya Gadhvi Aditya Gadhvi (born 3 April 1994) is a playback singer and lyricist from Gujarat, India. He has rendered numerous chart-topping songs in various Indian languages. He is involved in Gujarati film scoring and has released a number of singles. Am ...

, Vratini Purohit, Bhargav Purohit, Osman Mir, and Amir Mir, among others. The music production aimed to blend traditional Gujarati folk influences with contemporary orchestration to complement the film's gritty narrative. This collaborative effort highlights the producers' focus on merging authentic regional storytelling with technical expertise in music and cinematography.

Soundtrack

Tracklist

Release

The film was officially announced on 30 August 2023. Its promotional campaign commenced with the release of the first single, ''"Maar Halesa"'', on 26 February 2024, featuring vocals by

and

. This was followed by the second track, ''"Dil na Dariya Ma"'', released on 11 March 2024 and sung by Vartini Purohit. The third song, ''"Saavaj Na Thekana"'', debuted on 10 April 2024. ''Samandar'' was scheduled to release theatrically on 17 May 2024.

Reception

''Samandar'' received generally positive reviews from critics. Rachana Joshi of ''Mid-Day Gujarati'' awarded the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, commending its "compelling story, sharp direction, impactful performances, polished production, and soulful music," though she critiqued its "excessive runtime." Harsh Bhatt of ''Gujarat First News'' rated it 4 out of 5, lauding the "gripping narrative, tightly woven screenplay, adept direction, and visually striking cinematography."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 30985568 2024 films Films shot in Gujarat Indian crime drama films Films set in Gujarat 2020s Gujarati-language films Films set in 2012 Films set in 2024 Indian gangster films 2024 crime drama films 2020s Indian films