Betrayel, Obsession and Terror goes the tagline. Thrillers recently are a done to death category of films in Bollywood and one addresses this one too with skepticism.They generally have similar hackneyed themes and m.o. Is Aggar different?
This film manages to fulfill its expectations a to a very large extent. Not once does the pace slacken. The script is original, the screenplay cohesive and tight and the curiosity to know whats rolling ahead keeps the tempo going till the very end of the superbly edited 2 hrs.
It starts off with Tushar being arrested for the murder of Sophie chaudhary, his girlfriend and he is henceforth confined to the dark dungeons of mental asylum. Enters the suave Shreyas, a reknowned Psychiatrist who is regarded as demi god by his patients for his magic healing touch to impaired minds. He expertly, almost sneakily manages to gain Tushar’s trust and sets him on the road to recovery and rehabilitation.
Enter flashback as to how in a fit of passion Sophie had fallen to her death when she is caught red handed making it in bed with Tushar’s boss. An enraged Tushar is speechless when she defends her infidelity as a "career adjustment" in her flight up the corporate ladder. He is not aware now that very soon a deja vu of this event is going to occur in his life and his life will never be the same again.
IN his new life, he gets a new optimism and a new job, very circumstitious at that. He bumps into Nauheed, literally, at a coffee shop and over spilt coffee, slips into her life, her company and her boss’s bed, in that order. Now begins the mind games when Tushar’s attraction to his boss turns initially into obsession and later into vengeful terror.
Mahadevan is becoming adept at handling thrillers and this one can be considered his finest piece of craft till date. The characterisations are superb. Tushar as the twisted minded psychopath who sees reflections of his unfaithful girlfriend in Udita is superb. His performance is restrained and surprisingly very close to real life reactions. Not one instance of over the top. He impresses silently.
Udita packs in a real punch. She looks glam, chic and very much in control, the boss of a 200 crore media company. She is what I call "sweet and sour" in this movie, soft and vulnerable one moment and ooxing fire and ice with her eyes the next as she puts the nuisance makers firlmy in their place. Excellent Performance.
Then there is the third angle, of Shreyas as the somewhat megalomaniacal doctor. One dose’nt know whather to trust his too sweet nature or to find the gray in his gleaming white.Kep your eyes peeled till the climax for this revelation.His presence livens up the proceedings. Good acting coupled with a suave makeover complete with Versace glasses!
The film does not have any big names or stars but here the story and screenplay are the king and frankly as the fate of biggies like kabhi alvida na kehna or jhoom barabar jhoom points out, the audience is tired of meaningless color and jazz. They want a meaty script and honest performances that can sustain the audience interest. Aggar gets full marks for that. Music is a bit of a letdown as all tunes are mediocre. Also songs come up too often marring the flow of the film.
The locations of Bangkok have been captured beautifully and overall the film is noticeable for its aesthetics especially the interior designing, most notably the apartment that Tushar moves into once out of the asylum. Its airiness and fluttering curtains contrast starkly with the gloom of the asylum also showcasing the change in mental condition of the protagonist. Udita’s company offices are also very modern-comfortable but stylish reflecting her glamorous field and her passionate nature.
Some bloopers also : Why in the name of heaven does Udita hand over her
mobile to Tushar when she goes on stage? She could easily carry it with her like all people do and then stranger is Tushar actually switching on and gazing into her saved messages. Hello, invasion of privacy anyone?
Also Tushar looks unconvincing romancing the leading lady Udita as she appears more mature than him.
All on all I liked this movie and would recommend it to anyone interested in thrillers. It really thrills and keeps the curiosity alive till the very end. Some excellent performances and a free flowing well written script make it notch above ordinary.
Go watch it.