Agyaat

Medium : Hindi
Starring : Nithin Reddy, Nisha Kothari, Ravi Kale
Director : Ramgopal Varma
Music : Imran Vikram, Bapi Tutul, Amar Mohile

Notable producer – director in the country, Ramgopal Varma has come up with his new film ‘Agyaat’, co-produced by UTV and Ronnie Schrewvala. The director has launched an unusual promotional campaign in Mumbai for the film’s release. Many dead bodies were hanged in open air here and there which caught attention and created heavy traffic block in the metro. Later only the crowd came to know that they were all “live” dead bodies and they are created as a part of the marketing of the film. This is what Ramgopal Varma, who believes in the theory of “break the rules” does these days.

Like his own film, ‘Jungle’ this time also the director had selected the thick forests as the back drop for telling the story. The film which has got around 10 characters in total is shot in the thick forests of Srilanka and Athirappally (Kerala). The theme is based on the film unit who reached the jungle for the shooting schedule of their new film. The group consists of the producer, director, hero, heroine, camera man, stunt master, asst. director etc. Here telugu actor Nithin plays the role of asst. director and Varma’s favorite star, Nisha Kothari comes in the heroine’s role.

While going through a ride in the dense bushes, they have to face an unknown enemy. One by one, the members of the group were targeted and are killed. At last the hero and the heroine were left only and they escaped from the forest in the climax. The enemy is still not shown and the director has not given an end for the story hoping to reveal it through its second part, ‘Agyaat 2’ which is given “coming soon” in the climax portions.

Generally, I am against the attitude of not giving a full stop for the story in a film. Here I can’t blame the director, since he had got a chance pending to do another project with the same theme. At around half time while watching this film, a friend sitting beside me told that he had seen almost similar situation in a Hollywood film and told that this is the remake of Arnold’s hit film ‘Predator’, which happened 22years before. I have not seen it yet, but my friend told that the new remake is not a bad attempt.

Like the previous films by the director, here also the main attraction is the good visuals with lesser dialogues accompanied by a thrilling background score. Surjodep Ghosh had worked brilliantly behind the lenses. Amamr Mohile gave the re-recording and Mixing Engineer Leslie Fernandes also did his job well. The real beauty of the thick forest at day and night is shown through the frames placed by the director in his style. In the middle you have got a couple of glamour songs by the heroine also. The second half of the film is fast and thrilling. Only negative here is that, one might not be satisfied fully, since the real fear is not guaranteed as expected and the enemy is not revealed even after the climax.

‘Agyaat’ is a different voyage through the thick forest, which won’t be as easy and peaceful as you anticipate.

Rating : 7 / 10