Movie Name: Agni
Rating: 3/5
Cast: Prathik Gandhi, Divyendu, Sayami Kher, Sai Tamnhankar, and others.
Director: Rahul Dholakia
Produced By: Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar
Streaming on: Prime Video
Story:
Vithalrao Surve (Prateek Gandhi) serves as the head of a fire station in Mumbai, where he guides his courageous team in extinguishing fires within densely populated structures. Vithal has a not-so-good relationship with his brother-in-law Samit Sawant (Divyendu), a police officer. Vithal and his team find something unusual about continuous fire accidents in the city and try to find the reason behind it. Will Samit help Vithal? What shocking truth is behind the fire accidents in Mumbai? Answers to all the questions are answered by the remaining story.
Performances:
Pratik Gandhi, who impressed everyone with Scam 1992 and became popular, excels in the role of the chief fireman, who is always good at his professional responsibilities and wants to win over his young son, who does not consider him a hero. Divyendu’s performance as a self-centered police officer is fine but an underdeveloped characterization does not provide him much scope to perform. Sayami Kher looks convincing as a fire officer, and her character has some noteworthy moments. Sai Tamhankar was neat as a doting wife and mother.
Analysis:
The main theme of the film focuses on the courage exhibited by firefighters and the obstacles they encounter during their duty such as civic responsibility among the people along with negligence and non-cooperation with other forces like the police department. The unappreciated nature of their work and the indifference displayed by authorities, such as politicians, towards their sacrifices were shown very well. The way director Rahul Dholakia narrated the film through the eyes of Vitthal Surve, the protagonist is good and we root for him for his aim and feel bad for him when his words do not get the required attention. Though the dynamic between Vitthal and Samit is not handled well, and a conspiracy involving a builder’s murder, which starts interestingly, gets sidelined, the film is able to hold the interest till the end.
Positives:
- Prathik Gandhi’s Performance
- Firefighting Scenes
- Emotional Moments
Negatives:
- Uneven Pace
- Weakly Handled Suspense
Verdict:
Agni, despite its shortcomings, impresses with its intense performances and engaging drama. Although the narrative and thriller elements could have been much better, it remains an emotionally effective experience.
