New Delhi:
Soldiers, police and gangsters are well ingrained in the consciousness of Hindi cinema. But firefighters have never made it beyond a sporadic mention here or a passing reference there in Mumbai films. Agni, writer-director Rahul Dholakia’s first film in seven years, is a stark departure from the norm.
Produced by Excel Entertainment and streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Agni is a must-watch thriller that not only gives firefighters their due but also redefines notions of heroism perpetuated by traditional action films.
It offers ample amount of thrill and drama without resorting to sharp shootouts and heart-pounding races. The intensity and impact of the film is marked by a cool, coiled quality. The dialogue written by Vijay Maurya gives Agni a tone that is firmly rooted in the world in which it plays.
Instead of gun-toting heroes and villains, or smooth-talking encounter experts and super spies, Dholakia’s script focuses on those who save lives or sacrifice themselves in the line of duty. These are not armed people. They fight the hell out of hosepipes.
But the film isn’t just about flights by firefighters. It is equally concerned with the emotional and psychological impact that the battle with the demonic flames has on those involved and their families.
With all the authenticity that it can pack into a story rooted in fiction but backed by research, Agni explores the emotions, frustrations, and misunderstandings that inevitably unfold in deeply frightening situations that involve split-second decisions. Demand for. The often tragic consequences of the firefighters’ heroic actions form an important part of the story.
The Prateik Gandhi-led film is a tribute and celebration of the men and women who day after day perform dangerous tasks in complete anonymity and receive little return from the people they serve or save. . Showcasing his unsung heroism, Agni aims to show audiences what courage under fire really looks like.
One of the lead characters in Agni is a police officer, Samit Sawant (Divyendu), who calls his team the Avengers, but the story is primarily about firefighter Vittal Rao Surve (Gandhi) and what he does in and around his business and beyond. How to deal with the challenges. it.
A significant part of the film revolves around Surve’s son Amar (Kabir Shah), who idolizes Sawant and thinks nothing of what his ‘unaglamourous’ father does for a living. For the boy, the much-admired policeman is a real hero.
The contradiction between law and order and the calling of firefighters is highlighted repeatedly in Agni. In a party sequence, Surve makes a stinging joke at the expense of the police when one of Sawant’s men ridicules firefighters as a tribe. There’s apparently little love lost between the two groups of professionals.
Beyond the father-son relationship and the dysfunctional equations between Samit Sawant and Vitthal Surve, the film explores larger personal and public issues that firefighters face in the course of their lives and jobs.
Medal chhod medical bhi dete nahi (Forget medals, they don’t even give us medical allowance), veteran fireman Mahadev (Jitendra Joshi) laments during a heart-to-heart conversation with Surve, a hard-drinking companion.
Surve and Sawant, persons different in nature, are related to each other. Senior Inspector Sawant’s sister Rukmini (Sai ​​Tamhankar) is Surve’s wife. They inhabit parallel universes that begin to connect with each other when Mumbai is hit by a series of fires.
While the Parel fire station chief and his team continue to battle the flames coming from across the city – a busy restaurant, a residential building, a coaching center and a garment factory are among the affected sites – Sawant and his men are at the scene of the incident. Deployed by the city administration for investigation.
The fire department also has its own internal investigation officer, Avani Purohit (Sayami Kher). He discovers several violations of safety regulations. He has expressed fear of sabotage and arson. However, no matter how diligently he tries to gather evidence, a wall blocks his path.
Looking for some fireworks? Does an unscrupulous builder want to demolish existing structures to further his real estate business? Or are fires just accidents? Neither the police nor the fire department has the answer to this. The search for truth is full of impossibilities.
Avni’s girlfriend, fellow firefighter Joseph “Jazz” Castellino (Udit Arora), provides an additional dimension to the plot. The romantic thread this relationship contributes to the film serves to strengthen its core argument about the dangers of the profession.
Agni offers an unexpected twist before the climax that puts into perspective the anger, disillusionment and helplessness that haunts those who put their lives on the line to keep the city safe.
In the film’s opening moments a disembodied voice says, “Those who live in the flame become immortal.” The irony is harsh. That line is repeated in the final section of the film to provide context for the thanklessness of the firefighter’s job.
Agni’s unconventionality as an action film stems primarily from Vitthal Surve’s type. He is deprived of the masculinity that Hindi film heroes usually possess. She is weak but tough. His lungs are weak and often stop working.
Surve often has trouble breathing – a condition that makes him unsafe when he has to enter smoke-filled buildings and face raging fires. But the spirit of a gritty man never goes bad. He keeps working without any care.
Pratik Gandhi carries the film on his shoulders without showing the burden. Divyendu doesn’t get his share of action until the end of the film, but the role gives him enough leeway to make an impact. Among other artists, Saiyami Kher and Jeetendra Joshi are prominent.
Agni is a deep dive into a world where every day is a matter of life and death. It’s cleverly crafted, immediately engaging and offers unvarnished truth.
