If you’ve seen one of Clint Eastwood’s Sergio Leone spaghetti Westerns (A Fistful of Dollars; For a Few Dollars More; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), then you know what you’re getting into with Indian crime thrillerThar. Directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Thar tells the story of a town in the Thar Desert and the gang violence that shakes it to its core. 

In addition to clear Western inspo, the film draws a hefty influence from the sunburnt 1975 Bollywood classic Sholay (if you haven’t seen Sholay, it’s one of the great films in the pantheon of Dudes Rock cinema). Thar is an intense watch, full of sweaty cops and criminals double-crossing one another in the dusty wasteland from which the film takes its name. 

Here, we’ve answered all your Thar-ific (get it?) questions about the new movie, which is streaming on Netflix on May 6.

Harshvardhan Kapoor and Chetna Fatima Sana Shaikh in Thar.

What is Thar about?  You may have heard this story before: Aged gunslinger Surekha Singh brings his brand of justice to a lawless, dacoit-controlled town. Meanwhile, mysterious stranger Siddharth Kumar has returned home to take revenge on the criminals who wronged him. He becomes entangled with young village bride Chetna, but just how different are the two sides of this equation? And what is Siddharth planning?

Anil Kapoor surveys the desert.

Who is in Thar? Anil Kapoor, who has a starring role as Officer Singh, is the star of Bollywood hits like Malang and the Race films, as well as Academy Award winner Slumdog Millionaire. But for the first time, Kapoor’s co-star is his own son, Harshvardhan Kapoor, who had a scene-stealing role in his father’s film AK vs. AK. Fatima Sana Shaikh (Ludo, Ajeeb Daastaans) takes on the role of Chetna, and Jitendra Joshi (Sacred Games) plays her abusive husband, Panna. 

Wait, what is a dacoit? It’s an Indian term for “bandit.” The northern part of India was once well known for its dacoit population, and many Bollywood films take inspiration from their lifestyle. The town portrayed in Thar is being terrorized by a dacoit group, and Officer Singh is out to stop them.

Anil Kapoor and Satish Kaushik inspect a crime scene.

Where does Thar take place? Thar’s title and setting are drawn from Rajasthan’s Thar Desert. Fun fact: The Thar is the 18th largest desert in the world and the most densely populated, with more than 80 people per square kilometer. 

It sounds like there’s some extreme violence. Will I be OK watching this while I eat a delicious dinner after a long day of work? Depends how strong your stomach is. Thar is definitely not for squeamish audiences. In the first few minutes alone, a man’s ear is gruesomely removed; the film includes a gang rape and multiple extended scenes of torture, some including very hungry rats. By the end of the film, everyone — heroes included — has gotten their hands dirty. Make sure you get the kids to bed before watching Thar.