Anek Review: This political drama explores the ugly truths of north-east India but leaves the audience with plenty of unsettling questions
Anek Movie Rating: 2.5 Stars
Just watched Anek movie on Netflix. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Andrea Kevichüsa, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Mipham Otsal, Loitongbam Dorendra Singh and JD Chakravarthy
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Release Date: 27th May 2022 in Cinemas & Digital Premiere on 26th June on Netflix
Story: Movie is about the politics which has made North East Indians feel like outsiders in their own country. Although it appears that the government wants to treat them as equal Indians, the fact is that probably, nobody is interested in really including them in the mainstream, and the government at the Centre is also not doing enough for them.
The story is about an undercover cop Aman (Ayushmann Khurrana) who has been assigned the job by the government of India to facilitate the peace process between the Centre and North East India, even if that means only signing a peace treaty. He introduced himself as Joshua and opens a Café in a city somewhere in the North East and sets it up as his base of operations.
Aman asked to neutralize Tiger Sanga (Loitongbam Dorendra Singh) who is a militant leader who runs a parallel government in the region. The government wants him to fall in line and sign a peace accord. He also befriends Aido (Andrea Kevichüsa) who is struggling to represent India in international boxing but does not get the push because of her North East Indian origin.
Her father Wangnao (Mipham Otsal) runs a school which also prepares students to revolt against strife and fight for their region. Effectively, both father and daughter love their region but they are pained that the region and its people are not treated as Indians. Aido wants to become a part of India’s boxing team as she thinks recognition in sports would give her a platform to highlight the problems of her region on a national and international scale. Wangnao is a revolutionary who believes in becoming self-sufficient. He feels independence isn’t necessarily earned through guns but can be won through social reforms as well.
However, there is another very powerful person Johnson, in the region and he is assumed to be the main militant who often wreaks havoc on the people of North East India. The armed forces of India also regularly attack the inhabitants of the region, killing them and burning their houses. Along the way, Aman finds that everything isn’t as black and white as he had initially thought and finds himself conflicted, emotionally and professionally. Will Aman succeed in his mission and will peace really prevail?
Positives
1. Excellent Performances
2. Story
3. Dialogues
4. Cinematography
Negatives
1. Length
2. Music
3. Screenplay
4. Direction
Durgesh Tiwary’s View : When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch this movie on digital premiere because of Ayushmann Khurrana and story is based on true incidents of north-east.
An untold story of an undercover cop set against the geopolitical backdrop of North East India. An action-thriller about a rebellion, an uprising. An Indian, who wants nothing more than peace for the nation.
The film points out that if you rub off the names, most Indians won’t be able to name the seven Northeastern states of our country on a map. And we agree with this sorry state of affairs. The North East is a much neglected region mired in political conflict. It has been given a short shrift by the establishment. Its denizens are racially abused in the rest of India. The alienation and a lack of opportunities have led to the youth taking up arms and demanding independence from India. As the film points out, numerous peace accords have been signed, but there’s no sign of real peace. The assimilation of the people of the North East into greater India and its overall development has been one of the talking points of the film. We are still bound by regional affiliations and language barriers. It inhibits us from thinking of ourselves as Indians first.
The North East is a beautiful region and more filmmakers should go and explore the place. While the political message packs a punch, its power is somewhat diminished by the execution and the writing, which is rusty in places. Also, you feel that you’re listening to political ideology rather than actual conversations. After a while, it does get heavy-handed and verbose. The film’s heart beats with love for the region, and that’s its biggest strength. It’s saying in large bold letters that we should celebrate our diversity while being united, and we certainly need to hear that more in today’s times.
The film leaves the audience with plenty of unsettling questions primarily, what makes you an Indian. Overall, The film is engaging but it could have done with a tighter screen time. It’s a tad slow pre-interval and comparatively fast-paced post that, and unpacks a lot in that timespan. My view on this movie Recommended to explores the ugly truths of north-east India.
For more Bollywood and Cricket updates visit my page on Facebook Durgesh Tiwary’s View and website Cricket Movie Website