We have seen several films where the hero rises upto the baddies, many of them, and defeats them single-handedly. Now replace the hero with a heroine – do you think the film would be able to a similar impact? The answer is Yes, especially when that film is Akira, and when the director is the mighty A R Murugadoss. Despite the flaws and cinematic liberties, Akira is immensely entertaining, thrilling and engaging and deserves a watch!
The story of the movie: Akira(Sonakshi Sinha) is based in Jodhpur and unlike other girls, she is not the one to be messed with. She has confronted the baddies and has paid the price for the same. Yet, she is determined to go down the same path if she faces a similar situation. Circumstances bring her to Mumbai. Meanwhile, ACP Rane(Anurag Kashyap), immoral and corrupt to the core, chances upon a golden chance of earning crores of rupees. However, when he realizes the plan is not going as per how he expected, he creates madness all around. And this brings him face to face with Akira.
Akira has a terrific first half. The childhood sequence of Akira is damn good and makes a huge impact as it speaks about an important issue faced by women. Things get better as Akira shifts to Mumbai. She facing the bad girls in college is entertaining but it’s something seen before. Yet, it makes for a great watch. A parallel story running is of ACP Rane which also has its great moments. Surprisingly, in the first half, the focus is more on ACP Rane than Akira but there would be no complaints as ACP’s track too is very entertaining and engrossing. The pre-interval point is where the film goes on a high. The action and drama continues in the second half. However, it’s here that the film slips a bit sadly. After a point, things become too convenient. The manner in which Akira is able to execute her plans when the police are on her lookout everywhere is unconvincing. Also, the entire college function bit in the climax is hard to digest. Thankfully, there are scenes in between that keep the interest going. The climax could have been more powerful but nevertheless, it leaves a mark. The film ends on a nice note.
Sonakshi Sinha delivers a smashing performance. Akira is a mooh-tod jawab to all those who feel Sonakshi is not talented and doesn’t take up meatier roles. She is not just beating people in the film, she shows various emotions and is all done very nicely. Watch out for her when she is playing with her infant nephew in the second half – her performance is something to watch out for. And it’s so cool to see Sonakshi walking in slow motion after teaching the baddies a lesson! Great work Sonakshi and hope she continues to surprise audiences in the future as well!
Sonakshi however is not the only one who rocks. Anurag Kashyap surprises with an equally powerful performance. He has acted before but this is lengthiest and most detailed character yet. And he proves that he’s not just a great filmmaker, he’s a terrific actor as well. As said before, he dominates the first half in a way and he amazes with his great acting and comic timing. Anurag is sure to be flooded with offers post Akira! Konkona Sen Sharma(Inspector Rabiya) is lovely as always in her supporting role. She carries herself well everytime and tries to bring something new to the table, which is really praiseworthy! Amit Sadh(Siddharth) is sincere in a cameo. Raai Laxmi is stunning and does a fine job. She has a crucial part in the film. Lokesh Vijay Gupte(Inspector Rane) has a great screen presence and is aided by a fine character. Nandu Madhav(the cop who badmouths Rane) is damn good and makes his presence felt. Teena Singh(college bully) is fine and never goes overboard. Urmila Mahanta(Principal’s daughter Anna) is okay but has a nice screen presence. Atul Kulkarni is sincere as Akira’s father. The actors playing Akira’s brother and sister-in-law and mother do a fine job. Special mention should go to the actor playing Rani – she irritates initially but is sure to win hearts in the subsequent scenes!
Vishal-Shekhar’s music isn’t necessary but songs, all relegated to the background, add a nice touch. John Stewart Eduri’s background score however is damn good and enhances impact. R D Rajasekhar’s cinematography is neat and rugged at places for impact. ANL Arasu’s action is rocking and very believable. In fact, if the action was over the top or mild, it would have looked bad. But the action is just perfect! Santha Kumar’s story is ordinary in a way but it has enough material to keep the interest going, particularly ACP Rane’s track. Screenplay(Santha Kumar, A R Murugadoss) is fine and very neat in fact. The whole thing is neatly put down in front of audiences and the two tracks – that of Akira and ACP Rane – nicely merge at the appropriate time. However, the cinematic liberties are too many. Also, few sequences don’t seem justified, particularly how Akira gets convinced to come to Mumbai. Also, the manner in which the mother reacts at the mental asylum is not easy to digest. A R Murugadoss’s direction is also fair as always. This is not his best work definitely as his previous 2 Hindi films – Ghajini and Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty – were far superior. But still it has its merits. The best thing is that his direction is simplistic and hence, the film can reach out to a wider audience. Sadly, the glitches will prevent the film from becoming a huge hit but yet, the film is worth a watch!
Some of the best scenes:
Akira’s childhood
All scenes of ACP Rane in the first half
Akira at the protest
Akira beats up students in canteen
The intermission point
Akira escapes from mental asylum
Akira in the gents toilet
Akira comes back home; plays with nephew
The climax
On the whole, Akira rests on the performances, engaging script and direction and believable and some great action scenes. Sonakshi Sinha kicks butt and how- she is ideal to play the role and she comes out with flying colours. But it’s Anurag Kashyap who surprises – he’s simply an amazing actor to say the least and he gets to play a rocking character! The first half is terrific but sadly, the second half falls and is riddled with some unconvincing moments. But the film rises in the climax and this surely makes it worth watching once!