Agneepath (2012)
Cast : Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Sanjay Dutt, Rishi Kapoor
Director : Karan Malhotra
Producer : Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar
Story:
Master Dinanath Chauhan (Chetan Pandit), a principled man who wants the best for his village Mandwa. Whereas, Kancha (Sanjay Dutt) wants to illegally grow cocaine in the village by fooling and ruling over the poor villagers. Now, he eliminates his only hindrance, Master Chauhan by controversially hanging him in front of his pregnant wife Suhasini (Zarina Wahab) and his 10-year old son Vijay (Hrithik Roshan /Arish Bhiwandiwala). Vijay comes to Mumbai with his mother with only one aim, to get Mandwa back from Kancha. He walks the ‘Agneepath’ (path of fire) that his father has taught him and wins back the trust of his people.
Analysis:
Karan Malhotra’s version of Amitabh Bachchan’s 1990 classic has definitely been tweaked from the original. The basic plot is the same but each member of the team has worked hard to create an original film and have partially succeeded. If Yash Johar’s ‘Agneepath’ is still remembered, Karan Johar’s too will have its own space in the history of Indian cinema.
Performance:
Hrithik Roshan convincingly plays his part. Though he doesn’t look as grand as Big B, his aggression was quite evitable on his face and eyes. Priyanka Chopra looked cute and did a decent job. Rishi Kapoor should be commended for his immense versatility as he is par excellence. Sanjay Dutt looks exceedingly scary and performs par expectations. He impeccably portrays evil. Warina Zahab and Chetan Pandit are decent enough. Also, worth mentioning is the fastastic work by child actor Arish Bhiwandiwala. It seemed as if Hrithik had watched his performance before starting shooting for the film and has improvised on it. ‘Chikni Chameli’ is absolutely entertaining and Katrina Kaif has given it her 100 per cent but casting fails here as a half Indian cannot be portrayed as a Mahrashtrian as she did not suit it.
Technicalities:
Malhotra has earlier assisted Karan Johar with his projects and makes a promising debut. He has a long way to go. He has put in the necessary masala elements in a high octane action drama. Sabu Cyril as a production designer is a master at his craft. Cinematography and picturization are good. Characterization slightly suffers as compared to the original. Ajay-Atul’s Music as well as the background score complements the film. Dialogues have been taken good care of, especially the ones that Sanjay Dutt mouths.
Positives:
- Performances
- Chikni Chameli
Negatives:
- Too much violence to handle
