akshay shah

http://passionforcinema.com/rgvs-aag-film-review/

Ram Gopal Verma, predictably, disappoints big time in this one. This film might create a history of sorts. Reviewers might run out of synonyms for the word ‘bad’.

The film begins almost quietly, as if scared to exist amidst all the voices of dissent around. You kind of like it. The now historic events happen without any whimper, and you feel you are watching any other B grade film. There is no laughs, no cries, no reactions. Soon you hear names that you couldn’t have escaped in your childhood Doordarshan days. And you wonder, is that so? No, I must be mistaken. And you see Raj and Bheeru/Heeru/Hero (whatever is correct as per numerology or IPR) trying to pitch in a contemporary version of the classic narrative. You begin to squirm at the atrocity, and a pretty expensive one at that. It keeps getting worse, the character sketches that could beat any small town mimic mouthing those immortal lines. An impression act would actually be better. The so-called contemporarization of the narrative defies all logic and gravity. You feel sad as it plays with your happy memories. You close your eyes and wish you were rather doing anything else than being subjected to this excruciating trip in name of cinematic tribute.

Ram Gopal Verma has made a disaster of a film. And this is coming from someone actually doesn’t mind the indulgent camera and the emotion behind paying a filmic homage.

Some of the better parts are the opening titles and their placing, it catches you unawares. It impresses with its quiet entry. It works fine where it is non-Sholay, and more of RGV. Babban‘s entry is rightly prolonged. It comes late and adds to the effect. His intro scene is surprisingly tolerable if you can digest a “Kitne” instead of the proverbial “kitne aadmi the” (it almost seems that the whole cast has made the assumption the audience knows the lines by heart, so they don’t even bother to utter them in whole). Not going into further specifics, Babban impresses in only one more scene, the much talked about amputation/crying-out-loud-till-your-woofers-give-up scene.

Rest of the cast is a sad compromise. The whole film smells of a series of half-hearted intentions gone terribly wrong. And what’s worse? There is no inkling of a regret. The actors are so ineffective its no wonder the camera prefers to keep them out of focus most of the times. And I mean the long shots, not the pimple-obsessed close-ups. It’s a messy affair, and a historic one, as Ramu himself puts it(“Either way, I am gonna create history!). Basanti’s worst avatar, Ghungroo keeps switching to anger to confusion to god-knows-what emotions. There is only Devgan, Bachchan and Mohanlal who can carry such levels of mediocre briefing to an actor. It would be criminal to expect that from newcomers. Sushant Singh can be happily added to the list. His smirk and Babban’s “aye Tamble” sequences make for some rarely seen good moments in the film.
Sushmita Sen needs a vacation. She views films in black and white. Its either expression or the lack of it, make-up or the lack of it, sincerity or the lack of it.

I kept looking for the much proclaimed ‘cinematic moments’ till the very end. Even a remote follower of the film milestone that Sholay is would have some spark somewhere. At least a couple of characters reaching half the height of their ancestors? None at all. It almost feels the director started with something, went back to direct 2-3 other films, then realized he has to blow the money on this one as well, came back and wrapped it up somehow. RGV’s love for Sholay keeps fluctuating to annoying effects. And you keep scratching your head as to what the hell is happening. Is it a take, a spoof, a joining together of reference points, a practical joke, or just a stoner’s outing?

The grip is surprisingly alive till the first half. After that, its just a rush to reach the titles. And God Almighty, what a rush! It takes longer than Shivaji’s climax to wrap up the affairs. It is only the almost holy place that Sholay and Amitabh Bachchan occupy in the Indian psyche that you still see people holding on till the very end. Even a “Diwali kab hai”(God knows who could suggest ‘that’ adaptation) induces suppressed giggles.

Talking about the technique, Amit Roy is good. Sadly his work gets masked behind a sleep-friendly direction. The music is racy but let down by poor realization on screen. Mehbooba is better….than the recent version by The Man with the Cap, if that is some consolation. I am glad they edited that bare-chested Devgan song, or I wouldn’t have sat till the end.

The setting is another huge disappointment. It beats me to think why someone would give up the lovely ravines for dull and dark studio interiors. The whole western feel of the plot is sacrificed. Babban’s character should roar like a lion, his echoes should numb you. He should send shivers down your spine. Nothing happens. What you get instead is a geriatric version of the lion, along with a thinking, mulling, sulking Thakur, who is neither stark in his revenge/anger nor dynamic in his reactions(forget the inimitable portrayal by Sanjeev Kumar),who also ends up looking more like a caricature towards the end. Such a shame to see an actor of such caliber stoop down so much. His sincerity through all this nonsense continues to prick you. The delivery and the intensity you loved in Company is reduced to a laughing matter here. And all this for what? “My homage to a film that inspired me”? Not justified.

If you have just been born, come back from a time travel or a lifelong hibernation, watch it. If you have the faintest memories of Sholay, stay as far as you can. It might just make you full of ‘Aag’ in any other case.

Rating : 6/10