Sanchita
Anek has its heart in the right place and is an important film that needed to be made. But it lacks the ‘engagement’ factor.
Read Full Anek Movie Review:
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Andrea Kevichüsa, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra
Rating: 3/ 5
Run time: 2h 27m
After layered, hard-hitting and socially relevant films like Article 15 and Thappad, expectations were high for Anubhav Sinha’s Anek. But this time the messaging feels too preachy and in-your-face….whether it’s about peace, control or discrimination.
Nevertheless, it is worth watching for the background of its North East conflict and kudos to the director for exploring the topic.
Storyline:
Ayushmann Khurrana plays Aman, who is working as the undercover cop Joshua in the insurgency-ridden North East. (Sinha has decided not to name the state, but that takes away from the narrative a little bit)
Joshua’s superiors are Delhi politicians – Kumud Mishra, and Manoj Pahwa who plays the Kashmiri Muslim Abrar Bhatt. The bosses want to sign a peace accord with Tiger Sanga, the militant leader of the state’s biggest rebel group.
To force Tiger’s hand, the politicians create a fake rival group – ‘Johnson’ to shake things up, so they can continue pulling the strings from behind. But surprise, surprise…someone else is actually using that group’s name and reputation to become the people’s voice!
While Joshua/Aman is tasked with hunting down the real ‘Johnson’, he finds the answer might be closer to home. Which brings us to his girlfriend Aido (played by the debutante Andrea Kevichüsa).
Aido is a boxer who wants to make it to Team India and win gold, so that she’ll finally have a platform to talk about her people. And why they shouldn’t be continually alienated from the mainland. Meanwhile, Aido’s father is in stark contrast with her views – seeing India as the enemy.
Watch Anek to see how things unfold in this twisted war of ‘peace vs peace accord’!
Also Read: ( WHO Is Andrea Kevichüsa? Actress Makes Bollywood DEBUT With Anek Movie!)
What Do We Think:
The topic is grim and the first half feels too overwrought and monotonous. 2nd half picks pace slightly. Anek falters in keeping your attention immersed.
For the first time, I felt Ayushmann’s acting was quite tediously one-tone as the constantly sniffling Joshua. Newcomer Andrea gives a decent debut performance and we hope she gets more roles in the future.Veterans Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra are dependable as always.
Hit Or Miss:
Anek deserves a watch for bringing the North Eastern politics into the limelight. Sinha’s treatment of the subject matter may have been average, albeit well-intentioned this time, but the topic alone needs to be brought to the forefront.
