Movie Review: Aurangzeb
Director: Atul Sabharwal
Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Prithviraj, Rishi Kapoor, Sasheh Agha, Amrita Singh, Anupam Kher and Sikandar
Boys love to play with guns. So much so, that to satisfy their gun-toting fantasies they can weave silly screenplays into movie projects. Debutant director Atul Sabharwal is guilty of such indulgence. Aurangzeb, with a mammoth dose of testosterone, is a half-baked gangster fantasy. Oh it doesn’t help when the poster of the film promotes Arjun Kapoor as the leading man. But the narrative makes Prithviraj, who plays a cop, the hero. For good measure there are two Arjun Kapoors. Yes there’s the adage, ‘the more the merrier’ but just because there are two avatars of the same actor, doesn’t make him the hero.
Nonetheless, the film uses the story of Aurangzeb (the Mughal Emperor) as a metaphor for gangsta land mythos. The edgy and violent Arjun Kapoor (Ajay) is the son of a feared mafia head. Jackie Shroff as Yashwardhan is that fearful mob boss. His name strikes terror in the hearts of all those who live in Gurgaon. But Yashwardhan is actually a seminal businessman who values his clientele above all. So much so, he has friendly lunches with ordinary farmers and hands them bags full of money. Aren’t dreaded gangsters supposed to steal money? Nevertheless, his totally wonky son Ajay likes to pick a fight and treat women like shit. Amrita Singh plays Leela, Yashwardhan’s business associate with ulterior motives. And you should hear Ajay bad-mouthing Leela on her face. No wonder Delhi has such a bad reputation of being woman unfriendly. The other Arjun Kapoor (Vishal) is put in place of Ajay with the motive of bringing down Yashwardhan’s criminal empire. Sort of like Vibhishan did with Ravana in the Ramayana. Now we’re just mixing metaphors.
Despite not being the ‘technical’ hero of the film, Arjun Kapoor is the best thing about Aurangzeb. His performance in a double role reminds of you all those Amitabh Bachchan movies from the ’80s where Mr Bachchan became a staple action genre favourite. Arjun excels in both the edgy avatar of Ajay and the more resolved and subtle character of Vishal. It’s a pity that the narrative keeps jumping away from his characters’ dramatic arcs. Prithviraj gives a commendable performance as well. He does a good job at masking his South accent but it does show in some places. Rishi Kapoor adds a menacing touch to his role. He’s a good guy and a bad guy and leave it to the veteran actor to ace a complex performance.
Aurangzeb would’ve done well had it built upon the Gurgaon premise. One where a growing city becomes a natural habitat for urban and organised crime. In fact, the movie packs quite a dramatic punch in scenes where the police become the grey force of this story. But right at the end it all goes South. Prithviraj miraculously pulls off a coup where he and the two Arjun Kapoors manage to bump off all the bad guys without even getting seriously injured. Sasheh Agha, the heroine of the movie, is practically nonexistent in the scheme of the film. If she’s the female lead, she should’ve had more to do than just don a bikini and make love to the hero.
Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Prithviraj, Rishi Kapoor, Sasheh Agha, Amrita Singh, Anupam Kher and Sikandar
Boys love to play with guns. So much so, that to satisfy their gun-toting fantasies they can weave silly screenplays into movie projects. Debutant director Atul Sabharwal is guilty of such indulgence. Aurangzeb, with a mammoth dose of testosterone, is a half-baked gangster fantasy. Oh it doesn’t help when the poster of the film promotes Arjun Kapoor as the leading man. But the narrative makes Prithviraj, who plays a cop, the hero. For good measure there are two Arjun Kapoors. Yes there’s the adage, ‘the more the merrier’ but just because there are two avatars of the same actor, doesn’t make him the hero.
Nonetheless, the film uses the story of Aurangzeb (the Mughal Emperor) as a metaphor for gangsta land mythos. The edgy and violent Arjun Kapoor (Ajay) is the son of a feared mafia head. Jackie Shroff as Yashwardhan is that fearful mob boss. His name strikes terror in the hearts of all those who live in Gurgaon. But Yashwardhan is actually a seminal businessman who values his clientele above all. So much so, he has friendly lunches with ordinary farmers and hands them bags full of money. Aren’t dreaded gangsters supposed to steal money? Nevertheless, his totally wonky son Ajay likes to pick a fight and treat women like shit. Amrita Singh plays Leela, Yashwardhan’s business associate with ulterior motives. And you should hear Ajay bad-mouthing Leela on her face. No wonder Delhi has such a bad reputation of being woman unfriendly. The other Arjun Kapoor (Vishal) is put in place of Ajay with the motive of bringing down Yashwardhan’s criminal empire. Sort of like Vibhishan did with Ravana in the Ramayana. Now we’re just mixing metaphors.
Despite not being the ‘technical’ hero of the film, Arjun Kapoor is the best thing about Aurangzeb. His performance in a double role reminds of you all those Amitabh Bachchan movies from the ’80s where Mr Bachchan became a staple action genre favourite. Arjun excels in both the edgy avatar of Ajay and the more resolved and subtle character of Vishal. It’s a pity that the narrative keeps jumping away from his characters’ dramatic arcs. Prithviraj gives a commendable performance as well. He does a good job at masking his South accent but it does show in some places. Rishi Kapoor adds a menacing touch to his role. He’s a good guy and a bad guy and leave it to the veteran actor to ace a complex performance.
Aurangzeb would’ve done well had it built upon the Gurgaon premise. One where a growing city becomes a natural habitat for urban and organised crime. In fact, the movie packs quite a dramatic punch in scenes where the police become the grey force of this story. But right at the end it all goes South. Prithviraj miraculously pulls off a coup where he and the two Arjun Kapoors manage to bump off all the bad guys without even getting seriously injured. Sasheh Agha, the heroine of the movie, is practically nonexistent in the scheme of the film. If she’s the female lead, she should’ve had more to do than just don a bikini and make love to the hero.
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