AK vs AK
RATING
Introduction
Last night was a bit of a trauma with Pandemic No. 1 getting the better of me. The vaccine hadn’t arrived till then, rather it was delayed. First thing that I did today morning was stream AK vs AK on Netflix. Right from the time its trailer had released, I was super excited for this one. Not only did it star my favourite filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, the concept was so new. It literally promised to blur the lines of reel life and real life. Does the movie live up to my expectations, stay tuned!
Story & Screenplay
AK vs AK has Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap having a crack at each other, after the latter kidnaps the former’s daughter in order to make a ‘real’ film on it. Such an exciting and fresh concept. Now I am not sure if this concept has been explored internationally but it is definitely a first for India. Which also brings me to the screenplay that can be tricky in a genre like this. One of the main hurdles would be where do you draw the line. The screenplay is just perfect on point and Avinash Sampath(who has originally written the story) and Vikramaditya Motwane deserve distinction marks. The proceedings exploring black comedy are hilarious. The screenplay is taut and doesn’t give you time to breathe. And the twists and turns keep you hooked right till the end. And the banter between the two AKs is the highlight here! Real locations and real actors make this a roller coaster! In other words, it is eccentric, edgy and exhilarating!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are extremely natural and the ones which you would use in your routine life. The music gels brilliantly with the drama. Director Vikramaditya Motwane is a visionary and he constantly tries to push the envelope of filmmaking in his films. Here, the script demanded a dash of madness and he has delivered and how! We need more directors like Kashyap and Motwane who are truely the flag bearers of this new age cinema!
Performances
All actors are playing themselves here! Sonam Kapoor in a cameo is good. It was Harshvardhan Kapoor that caught my eye here. His monologue had me in splits! Pawan Singh as Javed has his moments. Yogita Bihani is such a natural here and totally a joy to watch. The show though belongs to the 2 AKs – Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap. They literally feed off each other – it was so refreshing to see Anil Kapoor in such a titular role. And he is getting younger by the day! And Anurag Kashyap has so far underachieved as an actor, but he definitely can act and should take up more acting assignments as well. The other actors are real and all of them add a fresh vibe to the film.
Conclusion
AK vs AK is an experimental film that has turned out to be the best film of the year! It is eccentric, edgy and electrifying! And thus this film flags off a new genre in filmmaking – Reel vs Real! Available on Netflix and Highly Highly Highly Recommended!
PS : The vaccine is here finally! Happy Watching