By: Amit KumaR Agarwal
Many times the intentions of the filmmaker are noble, but the film falters because of an insipid screenplay. Anek is one such movie. The film touches an issue for almost the first time (Dil Se touched the issue albeit in a commercial format and hence failed as a film). Has a perfect cast, but unless the screenplay is crisp, no amount of novelty in the idea can help a film!
Aman is an undercover cop (Ayushmann Khurrana). He has been assigned by the government of India, of facilitating the peace process between the Centre and North East India separatist-military leader Tiger Sanga (Loitongbam Dorendra Singh) who virtually controls
the NE State and who also runs a number of illegal businesses. Aman introduces himself as Joshua, becomes more than friends with Aido (Andrea Kevichüsa). Aido aspires to represent India in international boxing, her father, Wangnau (Mipham Otsal), runs a school covertly. Actually he is supporting emerging powerful separatist-military leader, Johnson.
How Aman goes about executing his job balancing his call for duty and call for love, forms the films' narrative.
While the story had all the makings of a taut thriller as promised by a very promising trailer; the screenplay fails to deliver, there are just too many holes in the screenplay. This makes the goings-on screen confusing that an average audience struggles to comprehend to the extent of trying to understand who is fighting whom!
Any film works only when emotions connect, here director is in such a tearing hurry to tell so many stories that he doesn't even weave the basic thread of Aman and Aido's story, as such audiences feel no empathy for the characters. There will be walkouts in between the shows is for sure, as witnessed by critic in the show he watched.
While the actors have delivered top notch performances, Ayushmann Khurrana, Andrea Kevichüsa, Mipham Otsal, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Loitongbam Dorendra Singh, Sushil Pandey, Thejasevor Belho, Sheila Devi and J.D. Chekravarthy - the writers and director fail to deliver, though the film has been beautifully shot by Ewan Mulligan.
Though there have been select media both print and electronic that have heaped praise on the film, but audiences can clearly see through these fake reviews. In the end the film as predicted will be a sure shot box-office disaster.