PremiumAgni Review: An inventive ode to superheroes who deserve the spotlight!
Agni dares to do something that is never attempted and proves with its storytelling why this was an idea worth taking a risk for.
Last Updated: 12.23 AM, Dec 06, 2024
Agni Movie Review: Plot - Firefighter Vithal (Pratik Gandhi) and Inspector Samit (Divyenndu), who also happens to be Vithal’s brother-in-law, are at loggerheads. But the frequent fires in the city and the modus operandi behind them compel the two to come together to bust the culprit behind the racket that puts many lives at risk. How will Vithal stop the nameless enemy with the scarcity of good resources and the risk of life? Watch Agni for that.
Agni Movie Review: Analysis
The superhero tales that we talk about in everyday conversation from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DCU are kind of a part of our pop culture. India lagged in that zone, but does that mean we do not have superheroes to look up to? The duty of cinema is also to bring out the heroes from the obvious turn and give them the spotlight that they deserve. The fact that it took a century of the existence of cinema in India, for a filmmaker to tell the story of the firefighters like a celebratory ode, is not just shocking but also an alarming reminder of how not many filmmakers dare to take the risk for the first time. The obvious thought is to let the idea cook and let us be the second in line to take that risk if the one before us works. That is exactly where National Award-Winning filmmaker Rahul Dholakia’s latest offering Agni stands tall with all its novelty.
Rahul makes a comeback to direction and writing after Raees starring Shah Rukh Khan, and chooses to tell a story so niche is in itself a surprise because what is the sky for the filmmaker who scored an SRK movie? But he goes for a story that is something that Hindi cinema has not tried its hands at. A full-blown movie about the firefighters who risk their lives for everything else. What is very interesting about this screenplay is how he treats this story like a superhero origin story and their first mission together. A very wise decision considering the state of affairs in this country and especially the state is much darker than one can entirely show on the screen. So when the story organically travels through family, friends, jobs, and an ecosystem that has not been seen in films, it all takes the duty of having your attention.
At the end of the day, Rahul Dholakia is the same man who once made Parzania and Lamha: The Untold Story Of Kashmir, so it is given that a look at the politics and the condition these fighters function in will seep into his screenplay. The filmmaker, while not completely taking the political route, makes sure of his message about how the system and us as the citizens have turned a side-eye towards these men and women who are entering literal fires to save our lives almost every day of their lives. In one scene, a character says, ‘System se bada koi joke hai to suna,’ and you see a lot of Dholakia in that one dialogue. All of it blends quite organically into the script that never turns preachy, which is very good. Rather it even takes the dramatic turns and twists quite smoothly without feeling like the story has changed tracks.
That doesn't mean there is no education. Who knew firefighters call fire Angaar in Mumbai and that there is a concept called PAGAL that teaches people to avoid any life-threatening situation at their homes when they are not available? Rahul makes sure he peppers this little trivia around to not just educate us but also make his film a multi-dimensional story that is researched and well-edged. That brings me to the other side of this screenplay which has a family drama. A son looking at his father as a lesser inspiration than his uncle who is a police inspector. The same police inspector belittled his sister’s husband because he was a firefighter. It is all shaped to feel like a boiling broth, and it works just fine.
You know that plot devices are obvious, and there is nothing very novel about it, but you also know that it is servicing something that is novel. So you are not being told to be happy with the obvious, there is a part that is indeed rewarding. However, what feels like a bitter part is the motivation of the antagonist. They are, of course, broken because of the system that never validated them or their family that lost a lot while serving the nation. But why would they kill their own kind to make a point and not target something bigger if they are this lethal and strong? In addition, the film takes an hour to come to the main conflict, which might not be an easy thing for many.
Let us now take a moment to appreciate Vijay Maurya, a prolific dialogue writer who is brilliant at this job. There is rarely anyone else who can blend two languages so well without making it feel odd. His dialogues are spoken language, not pretentious. This makes the characters feel like someone you know and not fictional people you will never meet. That brings us to the performers. Pratik Gandhi as Vithal is so good. The actor has shown a range this year, and you have to see him try his hands at varied things. Do Aur Do Pyaar, Madgaon Express, and Agni are all brilliant films, and you have no reason to miss either. The same is with Divyenndu, who has the biggest job of breaking his Munna Bhaiya image in the mind of his audience, and he does that so well every time. It is not easy to detach the audience from a part and take them back to it again and again. The actor is ready to take that risk, and that is commendable.
Jitendra Joshi is, of course, in form. Saiyami Kher needs to do more of this because she fits the part right. Sai Tamhankar wears her part, and you do not see an actor but a person. Udit Arora is charming and has a very good screen presence in Agni. The action sequences are top-notch, and so is the cinematography by K.U. Mohanan, who takes you through the fire and through the fire station with similar unease because both places are never calm. The long shots help you immerse more into this world, and the actors do the rest of the job.
Agni Movie Review: Final Verdict
Agni must be applauded for how well it manages to hold the ground with its intriguing storytelling and good acting performances. Even when it is doing the obvious, it is still convinced that it can do it better, and that matters.
Agni will now be streaming on Amazon Prime Video starting on December 6, 2024. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.