Anek movie review: Ayushmann Khurrana, Andrea film swings between conviction and a cop-out

The North East states, lengthy been dubbed the ‘seven sisters’, a phrase which has fallen into disuse lately, is the main focus of Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Anek’. The title is sensible, incorporating not solely the acronym ‘NE’, but additionally speaking up how this a part of India, lengthy a hotbed of insurgency and turmoil, can now be introduced throughout the fold.

Is the movie a actuality examine, or want fulfilment? Sinha, who has been persistently partaking with the political in his second coming (communal politics in ‘Mulk’, gender politics in ‘Thappad’, caste politics in ‘Article 15’) dips his toe into comparatively unexplored territory, with blended outcomes. Trying to unravel the advanced layers of a area nonetheless thought of distant and faintly overseas by a big swathe of India, is in and of itself courageous, and the director who has additionally written the film, takes on the problem manfully.

However the difficulties of being totally cognizant of the North East’s many-layered sides weigh upon the movie: in attempting to say it like it’s, in addition to please the numerous gamers which at present practice a hawk’s eye on what the films say and the way they are saying it, it turns into neither this nor that.

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In Mani Rathnam’s 1998 ‘Dil Se’, Shah Rukh Khan’s All India Radio reporter Amar turns into the medium by way of which we hear the voice of Assam’s gun-toting insurgents, in addition to their sympathisers. So a few years later, it’s Ayushmann Khurrana’s Aman who, regardless of being a way more energetic and propulsive instrument of the state, does one thing related in attempting to develop into that conduit.

Belonging to a state-owned radio community, Amar strikes from asking statist inquiries to how long-term oppression by the armed forces, and central neglect, has impacted the individuals of Assam. Right here, the secret agent Aman ricochets between his emotions for the engaging Aido (Andrea Kevichusa), a gifted boxer who needs to play for India, and his loyalties in direction of those that make use of him. A part of what the movie makes an attempt is to point out how Aman strikes from one finish of the spectrum, the place he’s merely following directions, to develop into conscious of extra – not simply the woman along with her boxing desires, but additionally a mom and teenage son who’re victims of the video games being performed on the bottom, and a person who might characterize what ‘the individuals’ need. We get a collection of expository statements, however the main man, and the movie stays woolly, being cautious to remain in the midst of the while-on-the-one-side, but-also tightrope.

Machinations in Delhi, ably carried out by senior sarkaari officers (Manoj Pahwa pointedly taking part in a Kashmiri Muslim, and Kumud Mishra smiling darkly by way of his artful babu) pull strings within the faraway state the place we see individuals play soccer, sing songs, strum the guitar, and land punches within the ring, all of the stuff individuals do ‘within the North East’. We hear racist, crude remarks like ‘chilli rooster’ (one among the many many pejoratives used for individuals from the North East) being flung about. We see rows of younger males, their arms tied to bamboo sticks, being crushed mercilessly. We see a rag-tag bunch of armed insurgents being caught within the crossfire: one is a younger boy who needs to be a farmer, one other simply ‘needs to go dwelling’. We see a strong chief who’s pushing for ‘peace’, however is concerned in all types of unlawful actions. These are robust strands however they by no means fairly develop into an impactful complete: whereas the movie is at it, we’re additionally given, inexplicably, a rah-rah ‘Uri’-like second, the place a surgical strike takes place and the mission is profitable.

Ayushmann Khurrana in Anek.

Aman speaks of his perception within the Structure greater than as soon as. He additionally will get an ‘Article 15’ second when he brings up the vexed ‘Who Is An Indian’ query, sparring with one other man on the identical mission (J D Chakravarthy), on a hillside. Whereas they commute, ranging everywhere in the nation (Andhra/ Telangana/ Tamil Nadu/ UP/ Bihar/ Kashmir), we all know precisely the way it will finish. That we’re all Indians, that there’s ‘ekta’ in ‘anek’ (unity in range). Aman tells us we must always hear ‘the individuals’ extra than simply as soon as -in-five-years ; we must always hear them on a regular basis. For a movie which states this so firmly, and so many occasions, we’ve got to pressure to listen to these voices.

On occasion we additionally hear the deep-rooted cynicism that instantly cuts near the bone, and which belongs rather more to what this movie is striving for: do ‘they’ need ‘peace’ or ‘a peace accord’? There’s a distinction, and solely those that know, know. There’s additionally this: ‘who actually needs peace, as a result of struggle is rather more worthwhile’. These are the moments which really feel true. After which the movie swings again to its springy security internet. Conviction or cop-out? Your determination will rely upon which aspect of the fence you’re on.