Agneepath Hindi Movie
All eyes have been set on Agneepath for this year hasn't really quenched the thirst of cinegoers who are yearning for a good film. Karan Johar's ambitious venture has all going for it, great cast, great and not to mentioned safe plot, roaring item number and ample publicity to not escape the eyes of anyone. However, the risky part comes with the alterations in the storyline. So does the newage Agneepath manage to please the audience? Let's find out.
A revenge saga, Agneepath, set in Mandwa, is the story of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan (Hrithik Roshan), who's sole purpose of living is to take avenge his father's death. But to take down Kancha (Sanjay Dutt), a ruthless and ferocious man, Vijay must grow to his stature and he does so under the wings of Rauf Lala (Rishi Kapoor) the biggest drug mafia of Mumbai. How eventually does Vijay maneuvers his way to seek revenge from Kancha follows through the rest of the plot.
One of the prerequisites for watching Karan Malhotra's Agneepath version 2012 is that one comes with a clear and open mind as after the initial 20 odd minutes that match up to the original version, the film takes its own course and establishes a new plot, which too mind you, has its own potent standing in the main plot running in the backdrop.
One cannot completely eliminate the comparisons this film will draw from its original counterpart and many might still sigh for missing the heavy kohl eyed Amitabh Bachchan mouthing dialogues in his deep baritone and moving around with his contagious swagger, newage Agneepath takes its own time to create Vijay's character and bring him to a point where you begin to yearn along with him for the revenge he seeks.
The developments made in the story of new Agneepath work for the good as well as the bad. The shock value of the film has been increased to grip the audience further more into the story. The entry of Rauf Lala's character works completely in favour of the film and provides a very convincing change in the plot. Moreover, the exceptionally brilliant portrayal of the character by Rishi Kapoor engulfs the audience into the brutality of the world Vijay breathes in.
The negatives to the film come in the name of Priyanka Chopra's character Kaali which is a complete waste and by no means adds any bit to the film. Even the initial portions of the movie appear highly fragmented and structured haphazardly. Director Karan Malhotra gives glimpses of brilliance but fizzles them soon enough with the repetitive errors he makes in direction.
Despite having a potent plot running along, the story meanders meaninglessly into sub plots that are needless and only eat up screen time. Some of the highlights of the film lose their impact owing to the fragmented execution.
However, the portions where Karan excels deserve special mention. The credit goes to him alone to create a dark world, envision an evil character such as Kancha and give him that brutal ruthlessness or even grow Vijay's character to a level as that of Kancha. Some of the scenes that stand out are the execution of Dinanath Chauhan, the introduction of Rauf Lala, the fight between Rauf Lala and Vijay and eventually the climax.
Although there are minor flaws, for example, the stab wounds on the stomach of Vijay disappear the moment his shirt rips off to showcase his chiseled eight pack abs giving a very '90s feel where the hero never dies, it's the execution of the fight sequence between a huge Kancha and a daring Vijay that keeps the audience at the edge of their seats.
Right from the first promo itself the unanimous opinion remained that Sanjay Dutt would easily overpower Hrithik Roshan in this film. However, Hrithik proves everyone wrong and outshines in his portions. Sanjay Dutt too does a brilliant job. Priyanka as mentioned before gets wasted. Zarina Wahab and Om Puri are decent in their parts.
Music by Ajay-Atul, except Chikni Chameli that sets the screen on fire, is passable. Cinematography and dialogues are average at best. The film could've been made crisp by slick editing.
Much against some flaws, Agneepath deserves to be lauded for performances and should be encouraged for a very convincing remake to a cult classic.
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