A lack-lustre debut
There can hardly be a better example of a director who has chosen the wrong venture to make his debut with. Director Yogesh Ishwar seems to have been too obsessed with the subject but know little to effectively interpret it on screen. The result is more than evident in Suresh Productions’ Aaghaaz. The fairly routine subject of good triumphing against evil has been tried out ad infinitum, and the latest in the genre lacks in good treatment and novelty to make it stand out. In the final analysis, the film just falls flat on its face owing to the routine storyline that’s devoid of freshness. The debutant’s complacent approach only adds to his woes.

Govind (Sunil Shetty) comes from Punjab to begin a new life in the complex city of Mumbai. Back in the village he has had a very gory past. His romantic escapades back home have only been sketchily dealt with. His lady love Pushpa (Suman Ranganathan) is poisoned by her brother (Sharad Kapoor) when he finds her pregnant. Back in Mumbai, the scene is nothing new for Govind as he quickly becomes a witness to the underworld culture of rape and goondaism. In the mean time, another of his village sweethearts, Sudha (Sushmita Sen) lands up in the city as a cop. A new twist is added to his romantic adventures when Geetika (Namrata Shirodkar) also happens to love him silently for his devil-may-care attitude to life. Govind doesn’t share the view of the majority that one has to remain a mute witness to the shady goings-on in society. To add to his worries, his sister is raped in the middle of the street, with no soul coming to her rescue. A frustrated Govind decides to take the law into his own hands and convinces others to fight the evil in society.

Sunil Shetty has once again been dragged into a role where he has to account for the rise in his adrenalin levels. The actor is subjected to a role where he has a fair bit of romance and action. To his credit, he has done his best, despite his limitations. The director has failed to justify his role in a definite mould. Sushmita Sen despite doing a competent job, appears to be wasted. The same can be said for Namrata Shirodkar. Suman Ranganathan is just about okay. The trio fall victim to the story that is packed with too many unwanted characters. Anupam Kher just about passes muster. Sharat Saxena in the role of a baddie is quite adequate, too, as is Johnny Lever, in a rather brief cameo. Gulshan Grover does his job well. Yogesh Ishwar has failed to do justice to the film’s Telugu original, Sivayya. The film seems ill-adapted to the tastes of the Hindi audience. Admitted, it’s his first film alright, but he does have a long way to go in terms of characterisation and treatment. He seems to have been bogged down by too many pressures, owing to the complexity of the subject.

Music by Anu Malik leaves little to write home about, but for the lone track, Mann. The production values may be adequate, though they don’t add to the aesthetic value of the film.


Padmaraj Nair

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