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Go, for the novelty of it
Aankhen, the latest Amitabh Bachchan film to hit the marquee is a thriller in the real sense of the term. Adapted from a Gujarati play by debutante director Vipul Shah (who also had directed and acted in the play) is a novel attempt in the subject as well as the execution department.
The story is about a schizophrenic bank manager (An Indian Beautiful Mind! anyone?) obsessed with his job, who is unceremoniously shown the door because of his violent ways of dealing with his subordinates who are found negligent or dishonest in discharging their duties. Feeling betrayed, he plans to settle scores with his employers by robbing the bank with the help of three blind men, played by Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal and Paresh Rawal.
The plot may seem to be far-fetched or even implausible on paper, but the director succeeds in convincing the audience by clearing the doubts in the narrative itself. As the story unfolds you are told about the logic and motive behind using the talents of visually impaired people to carry out this dangerous exercise.
The first half of this blind caper is devoted to the selection and training of three blind people by a suave special teacher, played by Sushmita Sen. The training sessions form the most interesting part of the plot with ample dose of comedy, tension and excitement making it rich and wholesome.
The second part is where the actual thing is set in motion: the robbery and its repercussions.
These were supposed to be the high points of the story, but they somehow fail to maintain the tempo achieved in the first half as the screenplay becomes a bit too tardy and tame.
If one is to guess the count of bouquets and brickbats that this film will get, it will be safe to put the odds in the ratio of 60:40. The major chunk of bouquets will go to the non-technical sections like performance of the main actors, basic story idea and the rest for the fresh approach in telling the story.
Amitabh Bachchan as the wronged bank manager delivers a breathtaking performance, which is totally different from the spate of roles in the angry-old-patriarch mould that have been his staple in the last few movies and he seems to be relishing the change.
Some people may feel that he is sidelined with a minuscule role, but the fact remains that Amitabh is the pivot on which the film revolves. If a lesser actor was cast in this role it would not have been as gripping as it is.
As for the rest of the cast: Akshay Kumar is competent, playing a blind man with supernatural intuition. He carries it off with enough confidence. Arjun Rampal is just about okay. Paresh Rawal shines in the role that is designed to provide comic relief in this heavy duty drama, portraying the role of a blind beggar in the Mumbai local train: he executes it with elan. Sushmita Sen is good when she is not hysterical.
And now the brickbats: first of all, the set design of the bank may give you eyesores, it looks more like the lobby of a five star hotel rather than a bank in a crowded suburb of Mumbai.
A realistic and minimalist set would have been more natural.
Another disappointment is that the director lacks the conviction to go all out and make a daringly different movie so there is a regular scene in the climax, Akshay Kumar doing an unbelievable stunt. But Aankhen is worth a dekko for the sheer novelty of it.
PARESH C PALICHA
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