Ankahee is a treat for movie lovers. Within a few minutes into this movie, you envisage a sensitive story filled with real characters, some good emotions and distinguished performances. There is nothing flashy or glossy about this script or movie, just simple and yet very classy. Though the movie does have its share of flaws, the subject is tackled in a different way that reminds a lot of Mahesh Bhatt´s Arth.
Vikram Bhatt displays a profound panache for sensitive handling of relationships. To work on such a difficult, multi-layered story of relationships, and to give it such creative and technical beauty is a rare achievement indeed.
Shekhar (Aftab Shivdasani) is happily married to his wife Nandita (Ameesha Patel) . Their relationship is further cemented with an arrival of their child.
Later, the reigning Miss World and Bollywood’s biggest star, Kavya Krishna (Esha Deol), walked into his hospital armed with a slit wrist and what Shekhar believed to be, true love.And finally Shekhar falls in love with her.
Nandita, of course, is the woman stuck in the middle. Shekhar is her husband. The only man she’d ever loved. And yet, he’d found it only too easy to walk away. From her. From their home. And from Sheena, their 6 year old daughter.
Ankahee scores in several departments. The dramatic scenes have been shot with exactitude, keeping in mind the disposition of the film, plus the music (Pritam) is upbeat and of course, the performances are sterling.
Content is king, and leaving debates about the mass appeal of the story of this film, Bhatt tells the story with great control. The script has the characters beautifully etched, and every character is defined well, cast better, and played superbly.
The conflict between Aftab and Esha at the outset and with Amisha later on, have been canned with concern and the contribution of a proficient maker is evident in numerous sequences.Pritam’s music is malleable. From the lingering ’ek pal’ to the pleasant ’Tumse’, every song is a gem. Their picturisation is simple but arresting, keeping the mood of the film in mind. Lyrics are also superior. cinematography is luminous.
There’s no refuting the fact that Ankahee belongs to Esha. The actress looks every bit the character she is portraying and the effort is laudable. She essays the multifaceted character with flourish and scores every time she comes on screen.
Ankahee presents a Amisha Patel redefined. Her superlative performance in this film gives audiences a window into Nandita’s heart and soul. She plays her character with a kind of quiet grace, nobility, and sincerity that many of her contemporaries could not dream of conjuring.
Aftab has always been a superb performer and ever-dependable in his supporting performances. With Ankahee, he shows his acting chops and his ability to carry a film as a lead. His wonderful performance is bound to get noticed and will most definately lead to further successes, propelling him into the upper echlon of stars. He is charismatic and especially strong in his emotional scenes, a sure-fire contender come awards time.
All up Ankahee is a must-see for lovers of sensible cinema and those who appreciate great performances.In spite of a few flaws in the script, the movie does have some very good defining moments and will be one of the better movies this year. Some might like it for the subject and some might reject it, saying it is too slow and not up to my taste. But, Vikram manages to make a clean and a classy product that can be enjoyed with the entire family.
The movie may not make a big impact at the box office as it clearly driven more for the classes than the masses, but terrific performances make the movie very memorable.