However, the perception of Agneepath changed gradually down the years, where at the time of its release, it had a tepid reception, today it boasts of a strong and loyal cult following. The very same characteristics that acted against the prospects of the movie, i.e., the gritty tone, the gory and stylized violence, the modulation of Bachchan's voice, the glossy cinematography and experimental background score which were considered way ahead of their time, are now considered its key attractions. Interestingly, it is Bachchan's performance in Agneepath that is considered as the primary reference by mimicry artistes while imitating the actor to this day. The National Film Award for Best Actor being bestowed on Amitabh Bachchan changed the perspective in which the film was appreciated. Over the years, favorable reviews trickling in made "Agneepath" a cult classic. Currently, "Agneepath" has been rated 7.7 on a scale of 10 in the Internet Movie Database by 7,555 users. In review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 715 user ratings favour the movie. Sanjay Dutt, the actor who plays Kancha Cheena's role in the remake praised the film saying that it was well ahead of its time when asked about the original film: "I loved the original film and if I was the whole of audience, I would have made it a big hit. I think may be the film was too ahead of times. Mukul is a brilliant director and his vision was so much ahead of his time."