Dostana (1980 film)

Dostana (transl. Friendship) is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Raj Khosla, written by Salim–Javed, and produced by Yash Johar under the Dharma Productions banner. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha as two close friends, with Zeenat Aman in the female lead. Supporting performances are provided by Prem Chopra, Amrish Puri, Helen, and Pran. Set against the backdrop of law enforcement and criminal underworlds, the narrative follows the friendship between a police officer and a lawyer that becomes strained when both fall in love with the same woman, leading to a series of conflicts involving loyalty, justice, and betrayal.

The film marked Khosla's final directorial venture and is considered one of his most commercially successful works. Principal photography took place in India, with cinematography by Marcus Bartley Jr. and art direction by Bansi Chandragupta. The soundtrack was composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi.

Released theatrically in 1980, Dostana received positive reviews from critics, who praised the lead performances, screenplay, and music. The film emerged as a major commercial success, emerging as the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year, behind Qurbani, Aasha, and Ram Balram.

At the 28th Filmfare Awards, the film earned four nominations, including Best Actor for both Bachchan and Sinha. The film was later remade in Tamil as Sattam (1983), starring Kamal Haasan.