- Date of Release: 25 August 2023
- Genre: Drama, Thriller
- Language: Hindi
Akelli
Introduction
It is still a Thursday and I am onto the first new release of the weekend! With that, I finished watching the new Hindi film Akelli starring Nushrratt Bharuccha. The film instantly seemed to be promising from its promos that assured the viewers an exhilarating ride while weaving in an enthralling story about the great escape of a woman from the clutches of ISIS. But before that, I wish to talk about some of the career choices of Nushrratt Bharuccha which is quite interesting.
Nushratt Bharuccha can definitely be termed as an underrated actor whose choices have always been a shade against the tide. She could so easily have stuck to the commercial potboilers, playing second fiddle to the the alpha male. And while these films also have been a part of her filmography, there have been some interesting choices in the form of Janhit Mein Jaari and now Akeli that allow her to put her acting chops on full display. I may not have loved each of her choices but atleast there is an effort made in trying to build a career out of substantial films. As far as Akelli was concerned, I was looking forward to watching it while hoping that it would add the same amount of thrills as some of the films like Airlift or even parts of Baby(I say parts as that was essentially an espionage drama). So then does Akelli manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Loosely based on true events of 2014, Akelli follows the story of a young woman abducted by ISIS while on duty away from home, and her gritty journey of escaping from their clutches. The story by writers Gunjan Saxena and Pranay Meshram may not be very novel but there is enough in the story to keep you invested through its multiple spine chilling moments. The screenplay standing at about a shade above two hours does have plenty of moments which are filled with tension. But the screenplay could have done with some better finishing touches along with a quotient of believability to the proceedings particularly in its final act. There is no denying that this might be s true story but perhaps it could have been staged better.
Firstly, kudos to the writers for attempting to tell a personal story without any hidden agenda unlike The Kerala Story which had coated all people of a particular state with the same paint. This is exactly what I had meant then, to simply tell a personal tale as opposed to designing the bland screenplay just to get eyeballs. The drama does open on a terrific note with the tension filled streets of Mosul coming into play straight up. While you are quickly introduced to the protagonist(following an opening scene that cuts to a flashback), the writers use a screenplay hook which is similar to that in Gangs Of Wasseypur. By that I mean that the technique used here was to lure the viewers into the drama with a dramatically shocking event. That event was filled with tension right from the pulsating BGM to the shaky frames that sets the mood of the drama perfectly. Instantly, as a viewer you get to know about the precedence to follow. Slowly but surely, the mood of the drama is shifts from the tension in the air to fear.
The proceedings are engaging particularly in the first hour when the viewers are slowly engaged in the journey of the protagonist starting from her unemployed days leading to her eventual abduction. The mood of the drama is perfect with the elaborate abduction that takes place raising layers of fear in the mind of the viewer. The first issue in the screenplay takes place just before the interval wherein an important event in the film could have been fleshed out better. That event seemed to be slightly rushed and a little too convenient with the events leading up to the interval block. Clearly, the momentum in the screenplay was lost that did linger on briefly after the interval block too. There is a 15 minute dry spell before the writers recover well to kick start the narrative once again!
The events in the second half again are spot on with the mood of the drama. There is tension in some of the escape sequences which are well staged. However, I just felt that atleast a couple of sequences were cut short when the excitement was at its peak! The good part of the writing though is that it is consistently eventful even with the drama that does unfold far from where the action takes place. The events are exciting setting the stage perfectly for the final act. The final act though would leave the viewers slightly divided with the turn of events. While some may lap it up, many would find it hard to believe. This may have been a true story but I did feel that it could have been staged a little better which would have added layers of conviction to the drama. Overall though, the screenplay does account for several spine-chilling moments that does overshadow some of the shortcomings of the screenplay.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues by Ayush Tiwari are pretty good adding a sense of insightfulness to the proceedings. And I did like how the writer did not compromise by adding Hindi lines for the characters of the terrorists. That added authenticity to the drama, and wonderfully so. The music is good but I felt that the drama here did not demand the presence of songs(and an unwarranted love angle). The BGM here is terrific and it adds to several nervy moments of the screenplay. The cinematography by Pushkar Singh is perhaps the strongest element of the film. Right from some wonderful aerial shots to shaky frames representing chaos and tension, the DoP has done a brilliant job. The art design also deserves credit for adding authenticity to the proceedings. The editing is decent although I did feel that certain scenes could have been elongated further, which were brutally cut short. Director Pranay Meshram does a good job particularly in constructing the drama in the first hour which is filled with layers of tension and fear. He does minutely slip in the second hour particularly in the final act but the direction was impressive overall that accounted for an engaging watch.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here although the characterization was a suspect for a few characters. Rajesh Jais, Merve Ozel, Mannat Duggal(as Mahi) and Piloo Vidyarthi have their moments to shine. Amir Boutrous as Wahab is outstanding and quite provocative with the portrayal of his character. His character will fill you with a lot of fear. Nishant Dahiya as Raafiq has a good screen presence with a quiet little charm to his character although his character arc was missing. Tsahi Halevi(you may know him from Fauda) as Ammad is wonderful to watch infusing his character with a silent sense of aggressiveness. He puts forth a commendable act! Nushrratt Bharuccha as Jyoti is outstanding to the core. Her body language and mannerisms are in full display and her performance makes you want to root for her character throughout. It was a wonderful act that stands tall while shouldering and shepherding the film ahead.
Conclusion
Akelli is a decently thrilling drama with some spine-chilling moments that makes for a good one-time watch. Available in a theatre near you(from Friday).
