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By Taran
Adarsh, August 31, 2007 - 02:00 IST
 Let's get one thing straight! To remake a film that
not only set box-office records and is referred to as
a classic, but also one that by far has the biggest
recall value, is playing with aag. Ramgopal Varma, the
maverick film-maker, has the courage to remake SHOLAY,
a film that continues to be one of the favorite
entertainers across the globe.
Comparisons with SHOLAY are obvious and one presumes,
RGV knew it all along that's he's bound to feel the
heat by those who swear by SHOLAY. To give the credit
where it's due, RGV remains faithful to the classic,
not once does he deviate from the plot, not once does
he twists facts… you know exactly what to expect and
where the story is heading.
Jai, Veeru, Thakur, Basanti and above all Gabbar are
characters that attained cult status over the years,
especially Gabbar. RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG does justice
to those characters, especially Gabbar, who wore a
sinister look on his face all the while. Terror has a
new name now. It's Babban!
Shortcomings? Oh yes! The romantic track, involving
Ajay - Nisha Kothari, is a yawn. To be more specific,
the by-now-famous 'suicide' sequence doesn't work.
Prior to that, Prashant and Sushmita's meeting with
Nisha's parents to seek her hand in marriage for Ajay
also falls flat. Besides, this is not for the
faint-hearted who detest violent films. RAMGOPAL VARMA
KI AAG is sure to give them hiccups.
 To cut a long story short, the comparisons with SHOLAY
will tell on RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG.
In the dark underbelly of Mumbai city, a nihilistic
new leader has risen to rule the fetid underworld. His
name is Babban [Amitabh Bachchan]. Cruel beyond
imagination, psychotically violent and far more
devious than any gangster the city has ever known.
Nobody has ever seen him and if they did, they didn't
survive to tell the tale. But one man believed in his
existence. And that is Inspector Narsimha [Mohanlal],
who has a single-minded determination to finish Babban.
RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG is SHOLAY, yet different. Sure,
the story is the same, but the setting and
interpretation of the story are different, very
contemporary. As a storyteller, the RGV stamp is
visible in a couple of sequences. Note Bachchan's
spine-chilling introduction. Nisha's introductory
sequence also makes you break into a chuckle. The
Sachin episode that gives birth to a bitter enmity is
tremendous. The sequence outside the courtroom [Bachchan
- Mohanlal face off] is remarkable. Bachchan avenging
his brother's death by eliminating Mohanlal's family
is terrifying…
After a riveting first half, the pace suddenly
slackens in the post-interval portions. Courtesy: The
prem kahani. These scenes are far from exciting and
only add to the length of the film. In fact, the
second hour should be judiciously trimmed by at least
20/25 minutes so that the events unfold at a feverish
pace.
 There aren't many songs in the narrative. The song
that deserves 10 on 10 is 'Mehbooba'. The track is
foot-tapping and Urmila's presence sets the screen
ablaze. Abhishek Bachchan's appearance in the number
will be greeted with surprise and of course, whistles.
The Holi track is interesting as well, more for the
picturization, not as much for the tune.
Amit Roy's cinematography is outstanding. Note the
scene when Bachchan plays with an apple and simply
watch the movement of the camera. Awesome! Dialogues [Sajid-Farhad]
are in sync with the mood of the film. Besides, the
writers haven't lifted any of those legendary lines ['Kine
aadmi thhe?', 'Soja, warna Gabbar aa jaayega', 'Yeh
haath mujhe de-de Thakur'], but provide interesting
alternatives. Action scenes [Pradhyumna] cater more to
the desi audiences. Do not expect the MATRIX stunts
here!
Bachchan as Babban is exemplary. The veteran has
portrayed a variety of roles in his illustrious
career: Vijay in ZANJEER, Vijay in DEEWAAR, Jai in
SHOLAY, Anthony Gonsalves in AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY,
Don/Vijay in DON, Vijay in TRISHUL, Sikandar in
MUQADDAR KA SIKANDAR, Vijay Dinanath Chavan in
AGNEEPATH, Baadshah Khan in KHUDA GAWAH, DCP Anant in
KHAKEE, Debraj Sahai in BLACK, Sarkar in SARKAR and
Eklavya in EKLAVYA. Now add Babban to this enviable
list!
 Mohanlal is topnotch. He matches up to Bachchan in
every sequence. Ajay Devgan is competent and balances
the mischievous streak with the serious one with ease.
Newcomer Prashant Raj does very well. He stands up to
the veterans and looks confident all through. Sushmita
Sen is restrained. Her performance is perfect. Nisha
Kothari does well in her introductory sequence and
maintains the pace all through. Sushant Singh is
first-rate. Rajpal Yadav irritates. Virendra Saxena is
okay. Rasika Joshi makes her presence felt. Sanjay
Narvekar, Jeeva, Raju Mavani, Ravi Kale, J.D.
Chekravarthy and Suchitra Krishnamoorthi are adequate.
On the whole, RAMGOPAL VARMA KI AAG has a strong first
half, but a lengthy and violent second half plays a
spoilsport. At the box-office, the film will find the
going tough in the wake of its comparisons with the
mighty SHOLAY. Its dull opening coupled with
uninspiring publicity [the posters/billboards give an
impression of an outdated film] will make a dent in
its prospects.
Rating:- * *
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