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Thursday, April 25, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD AAZAAN
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating; ***1/2
As we see rescue operations post a bombing attack being carried out in slow
motion, the soundtrack goes almost inert in a show of frozen protest…And you
know there and then that Aazaan has something out-of-the-ordinary to
offer to the action genre.
Tackling global terrorism and Islamic isolation as seen through the eyes of a
tormented Muslim secret agent, Aazaan heads towards its flaming
phases of flash-points with the least amount of fuss or ostentation. The
narrative knows all the sign posts.
The screenplay by Shubra Swaroop is gritty and gripping, ensuring that every
episode stays a step ahead of the audiences` expectations. The characters speak
a language that belongs to the world of terrorism and anti-terrorism.
And yet the spoken words in various languages including Hebrew and French do not
obtrude or impinge on the harmony that the narrative creates in the discordant
disembodies world of serial bombing across the world.
Explosive as the theme is, no one is here to have a blast. The most remarkable
aspect of the action in Aazaan is the lack of flamboyance. The hero
(debutant Sachiin Joshi, decent and modest) is a one-man army but no super-hero.
He bleeds, he hurts, he feels the lashes on his soul of a world hell bent on
destroying itself. We feel him feeling all of this, partly because the
screenplay doesn`t shy away from emotions when required. Men do cry. But not for
long. Really, guns don`t go with violins.
There is a touching but distant story about two brothers ideologically separated
by extremism in Taliban-torn Afghanistan who come together towards the end in a
show of strength where the script emerges the real hero.
Post-interval the clenched tactile plot (no comic relief here) introduces a
brief romance between the hero and Caucasian woman, who we are told, practices a
very unusual vocation. Afreen (Candice Boucher, eye-catching) is a sand designer
(not to be confused with a sound designer who does a fine job on this film).
Afreen`s little daughter could possibly save the world from a deadly viral
terrorism. Don`t ask how. The action moves with quiet dexterity from Morocco to
Agra. The Taj Mahal is under threat. Luckily the action genre is safe.
The merger of the themes of global terrorism and the personal demons that drive
the characters beyond the edge, is achieved with a surprising lack of brouhaha.
Though Aazaan is arguably the best-looking action film shot in
India, it neither flaunts its resources nor takes the narrative on a world tour
just for the heck of it.
Every location from Morocco to Germany to Hong Kong and Poland is shot by
cinematographer Axel Fischer to stunning minimalist effect. What we are looking
at is not the countries and cities that the protagonist visits. But the country
of the soul where a battle rages between religious and cultural allegiances and
a quest to come to terms with a civilization that needs to stop killing in the
name of God.
Aazaan takes the action genre in this country to a new level of
finesse and restraint. The script is layered, though not quite free of
inconsistencies and of questionable moral and political tenets as it would like
us to believe.
The action is implosive opting for understatement where extravagant mayhem would
have been the more obvious choice. The editing (Amitabh Shukla, Humphrey Dixon)
is razor-sharp. There is no room for humbug in the narrative. Every character
that populates the swarming plot has a job to do. It`s done by actors who know
their jobs.
The background score by Salim-Suleman and the sound design are remarkably
bridled.
Debutant Sachiin Joshi knows his limitations as an actor and works way around
them by playing a character who would rather be closer to realism than larger
than life. The other performances particularly Aarya Babbar, Ravi Kissan and Aly
Khan too are in keeping with the films less-is-more mood. But what on earth is
the talented Sarita Choudhary doing in a role that looks like James Bond`s M on
steroids.
As for Prashant Chadha`s direction, not for a second does it allow us to feel
we`re watching a film that tells us, terrorism is not a formula for
entertainment and violence is not an occasion for choreographed splendour. Style
and substance come together in an explosive clasp that doesn`t give us a chance
to gasp.
Aazaan is not a film which wastes time in self-congratulation after
staging one more terrorist explosion. It moves on relentlessly. The world has to
be saved. Self-importance is miraculously averted.
Go for it.
Mallika Sherawat, Sohail Khan and Urvashi Sharma added glitz and glamour to the red carpet to the world premiere of "Azaan"Read More
Sachiin Joshi suffers burns while shooting for 'Azaan'Actor Sachiin Joshi, who is making his Bollywood debut with "Azaan", suffered a few burns while shooting a song for the movie in Mumbai last week.Read More
India is a mixed bag of contradictions and paradaoxes
A country with a tenuous hold over its people, power and future; and also one of the top 5 economies of the world. A nuclear power with staggering evels of poverty!
An emerging player in world politics, much to the surprise of the developed world and the envy of its neighbours. India has a population of 1.6 billion: its biggest curse some think and some its possible strength. What if this very population was used as a weapon against India itself?
