Aurangzeb Review – Arjun Kapoor

Ishaqzaade was one of those few films in 2012 that was critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Actor Arjun Kapoor’s performance too was well-appreciated. In his second outing, Kapoor returns with yet another film produced under Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films banner.

Aurangzeb directed by first time director Atul Sabharwal seems to take its inspiration from films that we saw in the 70’s. The police sending in their trusted men in place of a criminal in the mafia (of course because they are lookalikes) to get all the evidence against it, is a story heard time and again over the years. Aurangzeb is no different but it has few intriguing characters in the script (written by Atul Sabharwal) like the one played by Rishi Kapoor coupled with few twists and turns which will most certainly hold your interest.

The way Aurangzeb showcases corruption and the political scenario in India is what makes it different from any other film attempted on these lines. Atul Sabharwal’s direction is slick and Karthik Ganesh’s cinematography is classy. I had two issues with the film; One, it is slow-paced and resultantly looked stretched in the post interval portions. Secondly, few sequences are over dramatized and defy logic. But the different and unadulterated treatment that Atul gives the film more than makes up for these blemishes. Editing (Niraj Voralia) is perfect in the first hour but the second hour could have been better. Action (Sham Kaushal) is good and most importantly it is used in right proportion.

AurangzebAurangzeb Movie Review

Aurangzeb is one of those rare films where I would talk about the performances in great depth. Rishi Kapoor over the years has played different roles and has done justice to almost all of them. He is one of the most versatile actors we have in the industry today and he proves this yet again with his performance in Aurangzeb. Rishi is brilliant as DCP Ravikant. Arjun Kapoor shows glimpses of potential that he undoubtedly has. He has the intensity to play the role of an angry young man and Aurangzeb he gets ample chance to showcase that intensity. One actor who surprised me the most is Prithviraj Sukumaran. He is brilliant in both intense as well as emotional scenes. I hope we get to see more of him in Bollywood.

Jackie Shroff, Tanvi Aazmi and Amrita Singh play their part with utmost conviction. Other supporting actors like Sikander Kher, Swara Bhaskar have done well too. Sashaa Agha though only adds to the glamour quotient, she can’t act. Credit should also go to Atul Saharwal for extracting the best out of his cast. Casting director (Shanoo Sharma), like always, gets it right.

Even though the banner is well-known for it’s fantastic music, the songs composed by Amartya Rahut and Vipin Mishra for Aurangzeb are below average. It failed to make a mark from the word go and falls flat in the film too. Thankfully, the makers haven’t incorporated too many songs. Background score (Vipin Sharma) though is pretty decent and goes well with the film.

Overall, Aurangzeb is a technically well-made film with brilliant performances. Yes, it is not a typical ‘Masala’ entertainer but then don’t we all sometimes look for films which are not made in conventional Bollywood style?

Worth a watch.

Rating: ★★★½☆

P.S. – half a star extra for the performances.

Movie Review: Aurangzeb
Director: Atul Sabharwal
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jakie Shroff, Tanvi Aazmi and Amrita Singh
Banner: Yashraj Films
Producer: Aditya Chopra

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