China Gate

After witnessing the brutal slaying of her Forest Officer father, Sunder Rajan, at the hands of dreaded dacoit Jageera, Sandhya goes to Colonel Krishnakant Puri and asks for his assistance in bringing an end to Jageera's rule in the Devdurg region. Krishnakant agrees to assist her, and summons about a dozen of his fellow officers and subordinates to assist him. They all assemble at Devdurg with all the necessary ammunitions and arms to combat Jageera, not realizing that Jageera has influence over the local police detachment, who will prevent Puri and his men to possess any guns and weapons. This does not deter Puri and his men, and they continue to stay on in Devdurg and gain the confidence of the villagers. What the villagers do not know that Krishnakant and his men had all been dishonorably discharged from the army for cowardice and retreating when attacked by the enemy. Will Puri and his men abandon Devdurg and let history repeat itself?

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, China Gate leans on a strong ensemble — Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Danny Denzongpa — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 1998.