Agni Movie Review: AGNI is worth watching for its performances and suspense.

Agni Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating

Star Cast: Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu, Saiyami Kher

Director: Rahul Dholakia

Agni Movie Review Summary: 

AGNI is the story of unsung heroes. Vitthalrao Dhondubba Saab (Pratik Gandhi) is the head of the Parel fire station in Mumbai. Joseph aka Jazz (Udit Arora), Avni Purohit (Saiyami Kher) and Ganpat Shinde  work under him. Mahadev Nigade (Jitendra Joshi), head of the Byculla fire station, is a close friend of Vitthal. Vitthal is married to Rukmini (Sai ​​Tamhankar) and her brother, and Vitthal's brother-in-law is the corrupt police inspector Sumit Sawant (Divyendu). Vithal and Sumit never see eye to eye, but interestingly, Vithal's son Amar aka Amya (Kabir Shah) is a fan of Sumit. On 16 January  2017, a call is made to the Parel Fire Station about a fire in a posh restaurant. Though the team tries their best,  the intense fire destroys everything in the building. Vithal is shocked to see the unusual blue flames coming out of the restaurant. During the course of the investigation, Avni realises that  the restaurant had committed some violations but the fire was not an accident and could have been arson. She also suspects that the recent fire instances at a theatre and a club also had the same pattern. In other words, there's someone out there who's causing these fires and hence, Vitthal and Avni appeal to the cops and BMC to act upon it. But their plea falls on deaf ears. What happens next forms the rest of the film. 

Agni Movie Story Review: 

Rahul Dholakia's story is significant and the need of the hour. Rahul Dholakia's screenplay is very engaging. The film just doesn't focus on the work of the firefighters but also has a whodunit angle. Vijay Maurya's dialogues are conversational while a few one-liners stand out. 

Rahul Dholakia's direction is appropriate. He keeps the story as a priority and then focuses on adding commercial elements. He nicely sucks the audience into the world of firefighters and their challenges, be it not being seen as heroes by society or the absence of even a medical insurance. The tussle between the cop and firefighter makes for a great watch, especially the scene at the latter’s home. There’s suspense in the narrative which is sure to shock viewers. The finale is nail-biting. On top of it, there’s also unexpected humour. The madness that ensues at a high-scale restaurant in the second half is very funny. 

On the flipside, in some places, things are not simplified, and it might confuse the audience. For instance, it takes a while until viewers understand that Mahadev works at a different fire station. The twist is unpredictable, but it also raises certain questions as the intention of the villain is not fully convincing. It’s also not clear how did he aim to make his voice heard through his actions. 

Agni Movie Review Performances: 

Pratik Gandhi, as always, puts in a sincere effort and plays the lead part with aplomb. Divyenndu is the life of the film and enhances impact with his performance and comic timing. Sai Tamhankar puts up a superb act and delivers a confident performance. Saiyami Kher leaves a huge mark as the fiery firefighter. Jitendra Joshi, as expected, rocks the show and has a crucial part to play in the narrative. Udit Arora and Kabir Shah manage to register. Sakhi Gokhale (Sayali; Samit's wife) is a great find. Anant Jog (Deputy CM) is over the top, but it works for his role. Pramod Pathak (Pankaj Mishra) raises a few laughs. Paritosh Tiwari (Torch), Kanchan Pagare (Kamble; cop), Abhishek Khandekar (Tawde; cop) and Aatul (Uday Raj Balsara) also do well.  Agni film music and other technical aspects: 

 Agni is a film without songs. John Stewart Edli's background music adds to the tension and confusion. K. U. Mohanan's cinematography is top notch and gives the film a cinematic feel. Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Ghosh's costumes look as if they were ripped from life. Dr. K Ravi Verma's action is gripping and the visual effects are superb. The production design by Acropolis, Sumit Basu, Snigdha Basu, Rajnish Hedao is realistic. Deepa Bhatia's editing is fluid. 

Agni Movie Review Conclusion: 

Overall, AGNI is remarkable for its performances, excitement and heartfelt tribute to  the unsung heroes of our society - firefighters. This technically superb film truly deserves a cinema release.