Indian movies

Obsession. The word has been a hot favorite of dream merchants in Bollywood. From Abbas-Mustan's DARAAR to Yash Chopra's DARR, to films made to this date, a number of storytellers have woven themes around the obsessive streak of individuals.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan's AGGAR also does that. A number of thrillers have successfully explored the darker side of human personality with dexterity. AGGAR is a fine addition to the list, although the sole glaring flaw lies in the fact that the director has chosen to opt for an atypical end to the story.

When everything was so unpredictable from start till pre-climax [screenplay: S. Farhan], when layer after layer was peeled with such finesse, when the viewer was absolutely clueless vis-à-vis what lay in store, why Ananth why opt for a tame ending?

Yet, in all fairness, AGGAR keeps you involved in most parts. That's the hallmark of a good thriller, isn't it?

Becoming attracted to the wrong man can have deadly consequences. Janvi's [Udita Goswami] life seems ideal on the surface: she runs a thriving business and is married to Dr. Aditya Merchant [Shreyas Talpade], a psychiatrist. But a faint air of discontent begins to creep into her relationship when she begins suspecting her husband of having an extra-marital affair with Radha [Saadhika], an interior designer.

Janvi impulsively gets drawn into a steamy affair with Aryan [Tusshar Kapoor], who works in her company. But in a strange twist of events, she realizes that she has stumbled badly and tries to break off her affair. Aryan, however, is not willing to give her up so easily and his attraction to her soon becomes a dangerous obsession.

AGGAR has three interesting words below its logo -- Passion, Betrayal and Terror -- and AGGAR does justice to it in those 2 hours. There's never a moment that gives you the feeling of déjà vu. Not once do you feel that it's one of those been-there-seen-that kind of movie-going experiences.

Note the sequences: Sophie Chaudhary accidentally falling of from the rooftop mansion… The gradual attraction between Tusshar and Udita… Udita's outburst in the office. Ananth executes the written material wonderfully well.

But, as mentioned earlier, the culmination to the tale should've been equally unpredictable, not abstract mind you. A badly bruised Tusshar emerging from the pool and beating Shreyas black and blue is a complete cinematic liberty. Ditto for the end.

The other area where the film dips is Mithoon's music. The young musician showed promise in his earlier works, but the tunes in AGGAR sound similar to his recent work THE TRAIN [the songs of this film are still fresh]. Hello, why this need to repeat yourself? Have you exhausted your stock of tunes already? K. Rajkumar's cinematography is topnotch.

AGGAR rests on three characters mainly and each of them packs in a solid punch. Tusshar is a revelation. The actor has always come up with honest performances in the past, but he pitches his best work to date in AGGAR. We're used to watching actors hamming away to glory in roles of obsessed lovers, but Tusshar doesn't go over the top at all. Tremendous work!

Shreyas Talpade is in complete form. Enacting the role of a shrewd operator who's in search of a guinea pig to carry out his devious plan, the young actor proves his versatility yet again. His volte face will catch the viewer by surprise.

Udita Goswami is fantastic. She sinks her teeth in this challenging role and enacts it with gusto. AGGAR is one film that showcases her talent to the optimum. Excellent work indeed! Nauheed Cyrusi is adequate. Sophie Chaudhary makes her presence felt in a brief role. Saadhika is okay.

On the whole, AGGAR is a well-made thriller that should appeal to the multiplex junta primarily. But its business will get affected due to several vital reasons: The 20/20 cricket matches [the India-Pakistan match specifically], the commencement of the holy month of Ramzan and Ganeshotsav. Obviously, a large section of moviegoers will stay away from cineplexes in days to come. The poor opening will also tell on its business.