ong before he came famous for his "Go-Crazy" comedies, Priyadarshan was a name associated with some serious and hard-hitting cinema. Later on, when he wore his "Mad Cap", it turned out to be that this cap of his blocked his brain and he kept on making so called "No-Brainer" rollercoasters for his audience. What happened over the years is that we forgot the brilliance of the director who brought us superb serious movies such as "Gardish" and "Viraasat". After a long long time, finally he decides to take the cap of his head and bring his long-hidden brain to the daylight. The question is ... did his brain rot off during all these years or did it kept on flourishing like some secret root? Let’s Dissect...
The movie begins with an assortment of factual clippings of papers, exhibiting the events related to honor killing ... followed by a thunderous stamp of "FICTION" written on the screen. This might be an indication that this fiction is also going to contain an assortment of news for the viewers. Well after going through this piece of "Fact-based Fiction", there is some Good News and there is some Bad News.
The Good News is that "Aakrosh" is a very good movie; the Bad News is that "Aakrosh could've been way better than very good ... it could've been a masterpiece". So what makes it a very good movie and what stops it from becoming a masterpiece...
First, what stops it from becoming a masterpiece?
* The first half is a bit disappointing. The pacing in this half is somewhat slower than what one expects from a hard-hitting thriller. There a few scenes which punch you exactly at the right spot, but there are certain other portions, which could've been way better than they are. Well, it is not bad but at the very core, this is actually the basic reason why the movie can not be called a masterpiece.
* With not much happening in the first half, the characters remain inactive for the most part. Its seems as if all the characters are fully loaded but held back , like eager athletes who cant wait for the umpire to blow the whistle so that they can run to their destination with full glory and passion. A few of the characters in the film are actually brilliantly crafted, and these characters seem like waiting to be unleashed.
* The placement of the item number "Ishk sey meetha" is not too bad, but we could've done with lesser than the complete song. (but maybe this is intentionally done for the front benchers in the single screens). Anyhow it does sound awkward after the initial few seconds.
* Though she tries to be as decent as she can be, but Bipasha seems like a Martian thrown in the attire of a princess. Her character is not that insignificant, but she doesn't seem to be the right choice. Especially there are galaxies between the two phases of her character and the circumstances do not bother to give us a sufficient justification for this transformation. This is one of the weakest aspects of the screenplay.
* Although it was supposed to be extra-ordinary, even then the music of the film is very very bad.
* A few might find some sequences too full of gore (but that should be expected from a movie that got an "A" certificate for Violence)
Now, the reasons why this is a VERY GOOD FILM...
* The second half is simply mind blowing. Everything, from the screenplay to the dialogues, from the direction to the editing, from cinematography to the twists and turn ... everything is simply outstanding. In crisp contrast to the first half, the second half is basically the core reason of this being a very good film.
* The characters are freely unleashed in the second half, and once they are set free, they make sure to sway us along with their courage, enthusiasm and passion. Once the umpire blows the whistle, these powerhouses run straight to the destination line and all through their running spree, you can not take your minds off them.
* All through the film, the performances are exhilarating. Ajay Devgan, Akshay Khanna and Paresh Rawal are on fire over here. Ajay is simply outstanding once again. The man has lately become a master of expressions and dialogue delivery. Paresh Rawal makes you hate him to the core of his existence. He is all drenched in his role/ Akshay Khanna is also outstanding. This has to be his best performance after Dil Chahta hey (I am not counting his "Gandhi my father" due to lack of commercialism).
* All through the two halves, the dialogues are very nicely written. Aditya Dhar has done a commendable job over here. Cinematography is 100% in sync with the theme of the movie. Back ground music could've been better.
* Direction is just a notch above ordinary in the first half, but the second half is supremely under control of the director. Making the overall effort noteworthy and praise-worthy
So in the end, we can say that the "Mad-Cap" though hasn't totally wasted his brain, yet Priyadarashan himself should consider that if keeps his brain more under the sunlight, it can generate far better results for him and his audience. If he is wise enough and kind enough to realize this, then his next attempt on serious cinema might give us the brilliance which is evident in totality rather than bits and pieces.
Overall, my recommendation is that if you start feeling bored in the first half, then please be patient. Don’t miss the hard-hitting excellence of the second half just because the infrequent pace of the first,
At the box office, realistically speaking, anything beyond "Average" would be a huge bonus...as there is a chance that more than few will leave the hall before the interval and the WOM will not be as positive as the movie overall deserves. DECENT ENTERTAINMENT though.