So its time for the first biggie of 2012, the remake of Agneepath, where Hrithik plays Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, a character made iconic by Amitabh Bachchan. Does this rehashed version entertain enough to draw you to watch Mandwa be reclaimed?
After a riveting first half, the film gives way and meanders to become Agonypath.
As with the earlier one, this one too is a revenge saga. In the 70s, a village in Maharashtra called Mandwa has a professor who fights for all thats right. Kancha Cheena(Sanjay D), wants to manufacture cocaine & ends up killing the professor to get his way. Cut to 15 years later & his son Vijay(Hrithik) is criminal Rauf Lalas(Rishi K) right hand man. He has only one aim, to kill Kancha and take back what is his. The film showcases his rise to the throne and eventual encounter to settle old scores.
After the initial 10 minutes, the film goes into overdrive mode and has a brilliant first half. Sadly, the downhill journey then begins as this 3 hour narrative looses steam and ends with an excruciatingly long climax. The Hrithik-Rishi confrontation is the best scene of the film.
The music by Ajay-Atul is good and has high energy. Kiran Deohans lens captures the dark mood of the film beautifully.
The best part of the film is its performances. The most outstanding one is the sinister & conniving portrayal of gangster Rauf Lala by Rishi Kapoor. He is effortless and steals the show.
Sanjay Dutt comes in a close second as he looks more devilish than ever before. He reeks evil and his appearance does half his job. Hrithik Roshan is good but far from his best. Priyanka is a natural and shines in a small role.
Newbie director Karan Malhotra shows some signs of great storytelling but doesnt quite have a handle on when to stop. Sitting through a 180 minute journey requires a lot to keep the audience gripped. Unfortunately this doesnt scucceed.
To sum it up, Agneepath 2012 is a one-time watch film that has excessive violence, great performances and an end that will surely tire you out. Watch it for Rishi Kapoor & Sanjay Dutt if you must. They outshine our superhero who fails to step into the big shoes of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan.
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