Om Ka Hari Brings Father-Son Conflict to Theatres With Final Asha Bhosle Song

Om Ka Hari, a father-son dramedy starring Anshuman Jha and Raghubir Yadav, was released in theatres on September 18, 2026. Directed by Harish Vyas, the film explores the strained relationship between a stubborn father and his estranged son as they travel from Bhopal to Varanasi.

The film is produced by First Ray Films and marks the fifth production for the banner. It also features Soni Razdan, Samta Sudiksha, and Ayesha Kapur in key roles.

Plot and Premise

Om Ka Hari centres on Hari Prasad Sharma, played by Raghubir Yadav, a retired government employee living in Bhopal. After surviving a suspected heart attack, Hari becomes convinced he has only six days to live. He decides to spend his final days in Varanasi and forces his estranged son Om, played by Anshuman Jha, to accompany him.

Om runs a salon, a career choice his father disapproves of. The father had hoped his son would take up a government job like himself and his father before him. Their journey to Varanasi forces both men to confront years of unresolved resentment and unspoken affection.

According to the filmmakers, the story asks a simple but difficult question: what if fathers and sons could finally tell each other they love them?

Director Completes Love Trilogy

Om Ka Hari completes director Harish Vyas’s trilogy of films about love and the importance of expressing it. His previous films were Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain and Hum Bhi Akele-Tum Bhi Akele.

Vyas said in a statement, ‘I think all three of my films have been about love, but about different kinds of love and, more importantly, about the things we struggle to say. Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain was about reminding a husband and wife that after 30 years of marriage, you still need to say I love you. Hum Bhi Akele-Tum Bhi Akele was about discovering love in friendship. And Om Ka Hari is perhaps the most personal and universal of the three — about a father and son who love each other deeply but have forgotten how to say it.’

He added, ‘There is no rivalry older than Father vs Son. And I have two of the finest actors from their respective generations take on the title roles. We fight, we challenge each other, we carry expectations and hurt, but underneath all of that is love. Sometimes, all it takes is saying it.’

Title Change from Hari-Om

The film was originally titled Hari-Om. The makers could not secure the rights to that title, as they were held by Tips, which had used the name for a film more than two decades ago.

Anshuman Jha explained the change, saying, ‘We didn’t get the title rights. Yes, the film was originally going to be called Hari-Om but because we didn’t get the title rights, we did the next best thing. Om & Hari are deeply spiritual words, culturally resonant with our great nation & Harish Vyas wanted to express the Father Vs Son Dynamic through the names of the characters which is Om & Hari.’

He added, ‘Om Ka Hari — the title is a testament that a son eventually does become the father & the father becomes the son in a deeper sense and that life itself is circular. And therefore Om Ka Hari is the most appropriate title for this picture.’

Asha Bhosle’s Final Recorded Song

The film’s soundtrack features the final recorded playback song of legendary singer Asha Bhosle. Titled Ae Meri Zindagi, Tu Chhipi Hai Kahan, the song was recorded when Bhosle was 90 years old. It was released on September 8, 2026, coinciding with her 93rd birth anniversary.

Anshuman Jha recalled Bhosle’s excitement during the making of the song. He said, ‘What I remember most is that she somehow caught the trailer of Lakkadbaggha. And she said, Tune woh maar-dhaad wali film ki hai, ye toh badi alag film hai. And then I said, Haan, aapne dekhi? So she said, Nahi, dekhi toh nahi hai, trailer dekha hai maine.’

Jha continued, ‘So then I showed her the footage that we had shot. This song was actually recorded two or three times. I wasn’t there for the first recording, but I was there for the second recording, and by then we had already shot the footage. I showed her the footage, and she was so excited to see it that she said, I’ll do one today and we’ll do one more after next week because I’m getting ideas.’

He added, ‘So this hunger, this drive, this want to constantly process and get better, I think is a huge, huge trademark of a great artist whose legacy is going to be timeless. For me, the biggest memory is this childlike joy she had when she was singing.’

The album also features songs by Amit Kumar, Paresh Pahuja, and Raghubir Yadav.

Festival Journey

Om Ka Hari had its world premiere at Stuttgart in 2025. It later had its Australian premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and its North American premiere at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival. The film’s Indian premiere was held as the closing gala at the Red Lorry Film Festival.

Critical Reception

Reviews for Om Ka Hari have been mixed. The Times of India gave the film a rating of 3 out of 5, praising the performances while noting that the emotional resolution could have been more impactful.

Outlook India wrote that the film wants to be about reconciliation and mortality but becomes an exercise in watching an older man’s resentment occupy almost every inch of the screen. The review noted that the women in the film have stories of their own that are not fully explored.

Filmfare also rated the film 3 out of 5. The review stated that Raghubir Yadav is excellent as a cantankerous father who has nothing but his son’s well-being at heart.

Film Information was more critical, writing that the drama offers very little entertainment value and is too routine to be noticed at the turnstiles.

Box Office

On its opening day, September 18, 2026, Om Ka Hari collected approximately ₹0.02 crore at the Indian box office.

Cast Reflections

The cast sat down with Mashable India to discuss the film. Anshuman Jha shared his own experience of rebelling against his mother’s wish for him to become an engineer. He said, ‘I was forced to take science when I moved to 11th. I wanted to pursue acting, but my mother wanted me to become an engineer, since I was good at studies.’

He explained that he intentionally left his unit test papers blank. The school principal eventually called his mother and convinced her to let him pursue acting. Jha went on to top Arts in South Delhi and scored 90 per cent.

Ayesha Kapur said her mother was always supportive of her acting ambitions, while her father was more academically focused. She said, ‘To be honest, I’m grateful for both. It’s a good balance to have.’

Soni Razdan spoke about her parents’ approach. She said, ‘My parents were just amazing. They were very understanding. They didn’t know how to help me when I said I wanted to be an actor. But they encouraged me to figure things out on my own.’

Raghubir Yadav recalled his farming background. He said, ‘I belong to a farming family. We would drive bullock carts, take our bullocks to graze grass.’

Om Ka Hari is currently playing in theatres across India.