Reviewer's Summary - Above Average
Language: Hindi
Year: 2005
Actors: Ajay Devgan, Bipasha Basu, Nana Patekar, Mohan Agashe
Producer & Director: Prakash Jha
Story & Dialogs: Prakash Jha
Music: Wayne Sharpe
Screenplay: Prakash Kha, Shridhar Raghavan, Manoj Tyaji
Apaharan aspires to greatness but doesn't quite get there despite a commendable effort.
Ajay Shastri (Ajay Devgan), the son of a retired professor fighting corruption in public life, is an unemployed youth vainly
striving to get a job in the police force through honest means.
As his efforts to walk the straight path leads only to frustrating disappointments and more disappointments, Ajay turns to
the crooked road. The new path leads him to kidnappings, murders and into the arms of the venal politician Tabrez Alam (Nana
Patekar).
And a quick descent into an abyss from which there can be no return.
While clearly a cut above the usual Bollywood tripe, Apaharan fails to reach great heights. Ajay Devgan's failure to bring
enough passion to his role of the good guy turned bad, less than average camera work, and a superficial treatment turn what
could have been a classic into just an above average film.
Nana Patekar dazzles as the murderous politician Tabrez Alam. Like other fine actors such as Marlon Brando or Robert Redford,
Nana Patekar's talent is in making acting look so natural and effortless. Besides Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgan seems puny.
What adds to the allure of Apaharan is the absence of the cacophonous music that is a staple of most Hindi movies.
Bipasha Basu has such an insignificant role in the film to make it pointless.
Apaharan throws the spotlight on kidnapping, the cottage industry of criminals in North Indian states such as Bihar.
Apaharan is a welcome respite from an industry that's habituated to spitting out mediocre film after mediocre film. - Copyright SearchIndia.com.
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