Zakhm

Zakhm
Movie poster for Zakhm
Directed by	Mahesh Bhatt
Produced by	Mukesh Bhatt Pooja Bhatt
Written by	Girish Dhamija (dialogues)
Screenplay by	Tanuja Chandra Mahesh Bhatt
Story by	Mahesh Bhatt
Starring	Ajay Devgn Pooja Bhatt Nagarjuna Sonali Bendre Kunal Khemu Akshay Anand
Music by	M. M. Keeravani
Cinematography	Nirmal Jani
Edited by	Sanjay Sankla
Production company	Pooja Bhatt Productions
Release date	25 December 1998 (1998-12-25)
Running time	126 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Zakhm (Devanagari: ज़ख़्म; English: wound) is a 1998 Hindi drama film produced by Mukesh Bhatt for Pooja Bhatt Productions and directed by Mahesh Bhatt. The lead roles are played by Ajay Devgan, Pooja Bhatt, Sonali Bendre, Kunal Khemu and Nagarjuna, with music composed by M. M. Keeravani. The film won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.

Music director Ajay (Ajay Devgan) argues with his wife, Sonia (Sonali Bendre) over whether to give birth to their child in a foreign country or in India (because of the insecurity caused by the Mumbai riots).

Ajay soon learns that his mother (Pooja Bhatt) has been burned by a group of Muslim rioters while leaving a temple and is in critical condition. In flashback, the struggles which his mother had to undergo to raise her children are shown. She was in love with a Hindu film producer Raman Desai (Nagarjuna) but was not allowed to marry him on account of her Muslim faith. He marries her but does not document or acknowledge their marriage as it was done without any traditional upholdings. The fact that she had children with a Hindu man forces her to hide her faith and live her life as a Hindu, even in front of her son.

After his father's death, Ajay realises his mother is a Muslim. She makes him promise to bury her according to her faith when she dies, for it is only through a proper burial that she will be able to find herself reunited with her lover in heaven. Ajay's mother succumbs to the burns. Sonia learns about her mother-in-law's past life and decides not to leave Ajay. She stands by him and supports his decision to bury his mother. However, Ajay's task is impeded by a fundamentalist leader Subodhbhai (Ashutosh Rana) wanted to make this a political issue and encouraged the Hindu youth to kill Muslims. Anand (Akshay Anand) happens to be a youth leader and Ajay's brother. But when Anand comes to know about Subodhbhai's intentions, he stands by his brother's side to bury his mom as per Muslim faith. Her body is buried as she wished, and she reunites with Raman in heaven.