Tag: Pratik Gandhi

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Agni : A heartfelt tribute to the bravery of fire-fighters

The movie makes you feel for the numerous trials and tribulations of firefighters, something that we as a common man don’t fully appreciate.
Agni (Hindi), 05-12-2024, Action, Drama, 2 hours, 16+, OTT
  • Main Cast: Pratik Gandhi, Divyendu Sharma, Jitendra Joshi, and Saiyami Kher
  • Director: Rahul Dholakia
  • Producer: Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidwani
  • Music Director: John Stewart Eduri
  • Cinematography: KU Mohanan
  • Rating: 3.5/5

Given Indian cinema’s obsession with men in uniform it is surprising that we haven’t had a full-fledged movie so far on the lives of firefighters.

Rahul Dholakia best known for his brilliant Parzania (2005), in Agni streaming on Prime Video, takes a deep dive into the many dangers that these fire-fighters put themselves in.

The movie makes you feel for the numerous trials and tribulations, something that we as a common man don’t fully appreciate.

Synopsis

The story of Agni revolves around the investigation of uncovering a dangerous plot behind the periodic fires in the high-rise buildings of Mumbai. These events follow a particular pattern hinting at arson.

Pratik Gandhi plays Vitthal Rao, the head of a fire station. He and his team risk their lives daily without the recognition they deserve. Divyendu Sharma plays Samit Sawant, Vitthal Rao’s brother-in-law and a successful police officer with more material comforts than the former.

Parallel to the investigation, there is also a subplot of interpersonal relationships, in which, Vitthal Rao’s son considers Samit as his hero instead of his own father.

Social commentary

Agni is directed by Rahul Dholakia
‘Agni’ is directed by Rahul Dholakia. (X)

An important aspect of Agni is its impactful social commentary. As the story is about the fire accidents, the makers also dvelve into the risks of illegal buildings, these include restaurants and other public spaces which more often than not accommodate far more people than allowed.

Rahul Dholakia and Vijay Maurya make some important points about the construction of illegal buildings and the risks involved due to the lack of safety protocols. These have come out in a hard-hitting manner making the viewers ponder about the government’s poor handling of basic civic safety.

In spite of all this, the firemen put their lives at stake in order to save as many as they could, in the process losing their lives too.

Agni also scores in how it captures the trauma that a firefighter undergoes. The CGI fire coupled with the shots of flames taking over the sky-high buildings sends a shiver down the viewer’s spine. The movie keeps the viewers on edge over whether the firemen would successfully come out of those flames.

The dynamics between Vitthal Rao and Samit Sawant add a layer of humour to the otherwise tense proceedings. The rivalry between the two could have done with a little more depth. Still, there are numerous entertaining moments. Divvyendu Sharma as Samit Sawant successfully plays to the gallery and works a perfect contrast to Pratik Gandhi’s serious persona.

Performances and technical aspects

Still from the film Agni
Still from the film ‘Agni’. (X)

Talking about Pratik Gandhi, the Scam 1992 actor continues to prove his versatility with an arresting portrayal of a firefighter navigating the various challenges of his dangerous profession.

The way Pratik portrays Vitthal’s inner demons is exemplary, to say the least. Among the other actors, Saiyami Kher also strikes a chord with her emotional act. Her character brings in a different layer as the prominent woman among the male firefighters.

Agni also benefits from the constant twists and turns particularly in the second half. Just when the viewers think they have figured everything out, the movie comes up with an unexpected twist.

Among the technical departments, the production design and the cinematography deserve distinction marks for a job very well done. The recreation of the fire station has an authenticity to it. Also, the first-rate cinematography of KU Mohanan further helps in creating a palpable tension.

Talking about the slight flaws, the movie needed to explore the animosity between Vitthal and Samit in greater detail. Also, a subplot involving a builder’s assassination doesn’t add much value to the proceedings.

Final take

Keeping these small hiccups aside, Agni is a gripping emotional drama with elements of action and thrills.

(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha)

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/agni-movie-review/

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Do Aur Do Pyaar: A well-made marital drama about the difficulties in sustaining love

Vidya and Pratik Gandhi bring alive the complexities of a couple who loses love. They are in extramarital relationships, unknown to each other.
Do Aur Do Pyaar (Hindi), 19-04-2024, Romantic-Comedy, 2 hours 19 minutes, U/A, Theatre
  • Main Cast: Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, Ileana D’Cruz, and Sendil Ramamurthy
  • Director: Shirsha Guha Thakurta
  • Producer: Tanuj Garj, Atul Kasbekar, and Swati Iyer Chawla
  • Music Director: Abhishek-Ananya and Subhajit Mukherjee
  • Cinematography: Kartik Vijay
  • Rating: 3.5/5
  • Published in: Southfirst

There was a period when romantic movies used to end with the cliché of “happily-ever-after”. The messiness and complexities of marriage used to be sidestepped by the filmmaker.

But all this has changed in the recent past, thanks to the new-age directors who looked at the difficulties in sustaining love and how it is not all about cuddling with each other. This, of course, also has a lot to do with the way our society has evolved.

Shirsha Guha Thakurta’s Do Aur Do Pyaar is a good example of the new-age sensibilities.

Synopsis

Do Aur Do Pyaar primarily focuses on Ani and Kavya (Pratik Gandhi and Vidya Balan respectively). On the surface, they both are successful professionals living in a plush apartment in Mumbai.

However, their married lives are anything but that. They are in extramarital relationships, unknown to each other.

‘Do Aur Do Pyaar’ is a rom-com. (X)

Ani is going steady with a struggling actor Nora (Ileana D’Cruz).

On the other hand, Kavya is having an affair with a hotshot photographer Vikram (Senthil Ramamurthy). They are almost ready to move into a sea-facing apartment.

Their respective partners want to take the relationship to the next level but Ani and Kavya are still struggling with revealing the news to each other.

Words of affection have long gone. And now, the only exchange of Ani and Kavya is anti-allergic medicine, etc.

Interestingly, Ani and Kavya elope and marry, leading to a strained relationship with their respective families, particularly with Kavya’s strict father Venkat (Thalaivasal Vijay).

Back to the present. Things take a turn when Kavya’s grandfather dies. So, they both pack their bags to Ooty. This journey rekindles old memories.

The rest of the story is about whether Ani and Kavya give their marriage a chance or find lifelong happiness with Nora and Vikram respectively.

Best treatment by Shirsha Guha Thakurta

The premise of rediscovering love or choosing between lovers isn’t exactly a groundbreaking story, but the movie works because of the treatment.

Director Shirsha Guha Thakurta avoids the approach of moralising and getting into overt melodrama. There is a certain lightheartedness for the most part, and this works big time for the film.

Even the tense moments are peppered with some chuckle-worthy dialogues. For example, there is a scene where Ani has a nervous slip-up calling his father-in-law “Appam” mixing Appa and Uncle. This is just one of the numerous examples.

The scenes of Ani and Kavya rekindling their love all over again in Ooty and falling for each other again while doing mundane things back home give the movie some of its best moments.

The distinct characterisations of Ani and Kavya have come out well. For example, Kavya is the more temperamental one, and Ani, on the other hand, is a man burdened with responsibilities with poked-faced humour.

This variation in characters has come out well and adds to the drama, particularly when it reaches the point of crescendo.

The extra-marital relationships have also been treated with dignity.

Sendil Ramamurthy’s Hindi accent does get bothersome on occasions, but as viewers, you feel the love of Vikram and how deeply he wants her.

Vidya’s chemistry with Senthil is on par with the one shared with Pratik.

Similarly, Ileana D’Cruz’s Nora can occasionally come across as clingy, but her desire to have a normal life with Ani has been well written and enacted.

Explores complexity of relationships

Sendhil Ramamurthy, Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, and Ileana D’Cruz. (X)

The complex relationships of rebellious daughters with their fathers are something we have seen before. But once again, it is the writing that makes the difference.

A scene that deserves a particular mention is when a frustrated Kavya asks her father the secret behind his long-lasting marriage. The father replies, “There is no secret. We just showed up every day.”

On the surface, it is a simple dialogue but the director makes a strong point that consistency in a marriage is quite important.

The second half of Do Aur Do Pyaar does sag somewhat in terms of writing. The attempts of Ani and Kavya at rekindling romance and juggling the existing relationships get repetitive. But still, these are not a major grouse.

Performances

Both Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi give top-notch performances apart from sharing a sizzling chemistry.

Ileana D’Cruz also gives a fine account of herself, in both light moments and dramatic bits.

Sendil Ramamurthy, too, is convincing as a hotshot photographer completely smitten by Kavya.

The music by the various composers also adds to the narrative. The case in point is the numbers “Tu Hai Kahaan” and “Jazbaati“.

Verdict

Do Aur Do Pyaar needs to be watched for the fine acting performances and the director’s depiction of modern complexities in a marriage.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/do-aur-do-pyaar-hindi-movie-review

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The Great Indian Murder: Much More Than Just A Murder Mystery

Vikas Swarup’s Six suspects was a book which used the format of an investigate thriller to talk about the rampant corruption that runs through in all the systems. The character of Vicky Rai who gets killed in his own party was a just a medium through which Vikas Swarup explored the different facets of our contemporary society. For those who are not aware, the book was about a playboy called Vicky Rai. He is the son of the home minister of Uttar Pradesh. He gets embroiled in a murder case, but he quickly gets acquittal being the home minister’s son. To celebrate his acquittal he throws a party in his farm house. In that party he gets killed by a gun shot. The police arrest six guests on the grounds of suspicion.

Among those who are arrested there is a bureaucrat who claims to have become Mahatma Gandhi. Director Tigmanshu Dullia takes the Skelton of this book and gives it his own touch. There are certain characters in the book which aren’t here but you don’t really miss them as Tigmanshu delivers a mostly satisfying thriller.

The very first episode sets the base for what is to follow. You have a wealthy womanizer Vicky Rai (Jatin Goswami). He has thrown a bash to celebrate his acquittal at his Delhi farmhouse. The party includes family, friends, foes and also quite a few gate-crashers.

Ashutosh Rana plays the father of Vicky Rai. He is a power mongering home minister. Fireworks begin soon after Vicky Rai’s speech. In these fireworks someone has shot a bullet that leads to the death of Vicky Rai.

There are three people who come under the most suspicion for Vicky Rai’s death. One is a slum- dwelling thief (Shashank Arora), another is a tribal who is looking for a stolen ancient idol and lastly there is the former chief secretary (Raghubir Yadav). He is suffering from split personality, due to the split personality he sometimes starts behaving like Gandhi.

There are also other characters that may or may not have had a hand in the murder of Vicky Rai. One of them is Vicky Rai’s own father. Thrown into this mix are a top cop and a CBI officer. These characters are played by Richa Chadda and Pratik Gandhi respectively. Revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate since this is a thriller, also there are many mini stories within that are important to the plot.

The most striking aspect of The Great Indian Murder is the grip that writer director Tigmanshu Dhulia maintains for the most part of the show. There is lot of back and forth which is going on, the sequence of events keep on changing with plenty of twists and turns. It is a lot to handle but Tigmanshu makes good use of the Rashomon approach. The underlining theme of the show is the manipulating of evidence for political mileage.

Each character shows a different side of our society. My most favorite one is that of Shashank Arora. Yes, he is a slum dwelling thief but at the same time there is an inherent decency to his character. The trajectory of his role has an emotional touch. His love for Vicky Rai’s sister and how he goes out of his way to help her leaves you quite emotional.

Another character which needs to be mentioned here is that of Raghubir Yadav. His split personality gives the show some of its best moments. The scenes where he switches over to Gandhi are very amusing, to say the least. There are several jibes that the director takes through his character. 

While most of the characters are well written there are also some which could have done with more bite. An example of this is Paoli Dam who plays an actress. She is someone who has been body shamed and also physically assaulted by Vicky Rai. She even goes to a television channel and blasts Vicky Rai with her words. However, she is soon pushed to the background after the first two episodes.

Also the handling of the many tracks slows the proceedings at certain junctures. You can see that Tigmanshu is trying his best to tie up the many subplots, the strain of that shows up more than once.

In this huge ensemble Shashank Arora and Raghubir Yadav stand out the most.