AGNI is worth watching for its performances and suspense

Agni Review 3.5/5 & Review Rating

Director: Rahul Dholakia

Agni Movie Review Synopsis:
AGNI is the story of unsung heroes. Vitthalrao Dhonduba Surve (Pratik Gandhi) is the chief of Parel Fire Station, Mumbai. Joseph aka Jazz (Udit Arora), Avni Purohit (Saiyami Kher), Ganpat Shinde and others work under him. Mahadev Nigade (Jitendra Joshi), chief of Byculla Fire Station, is Vitthal’s close friend. Vitthal is married to Rukmini (Sai Tamhankar) and her brother and Vitthal’s brother-in-law is the corrupt inspector Samit Sawant (Divyenndu). Viithal and Samit don’t see eye-to-eye but interestingly, Vitthal’s son Amar aka Amya (Kabir Shah) is a fan of Samit. On January 16, 2017, the Parel Fire Station is informed of a fire in an upmarket restaurant. The team tries their best, but the extreme blaze destroys everything in the property. Vitthal is shocked to see the unusual, blue-coloured flame emitting from the restaurant. During the investigation, Avni realizes that though the restaurant had multiple violations, the fire was not accidental and was possibly a case of arson. She also suspects that the recent fire instances at a theatre and a club also had the same pattern. In other words, there’s someone out there who’s causing these fires and hence, Vitthal and Avni appeal to the cops and BMC to act upon it. But their plea falls on deaf ears. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Agni Movie Story Review:
Rahul Dholakia’s story is significant and the need of the hour. Rahul Dholakia’s screenplay is very engaging. The film just doesn’t focus on the work of the firefighters but also has a whodunit angle. Vijay Maurya’s dialogues are conversational while a few one-liners stand out.

Rahul Dholakia’s direction is appropriate. He keeps the story as a priority and then focuses on adding commercial elements. He nicely sucks the audience into the world of firefighters and their challenges, be it not being seen as heroes by society or the absence of even a medical insurance. The tussle between the cop and firefighter makes for a great watch, especially the scene at the latter’s home. There’s suspense in the narrative which is sure to shock viewers. The finale is nail-biting. On top of it, there’s also unexpected humour. The madness that ensues at a high-scale restaurant in the second half is very funny.

Agni – Official Trailer | Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu | Prime Video India

On the flipside, in some places, things are not simplified, and it might confuse the audience. For instance, it takes a while until viewers understand that Mahadev works at a different fire station. The twist is unpredictable, but it also raises certain questions as the intention of the villain is not fully convincing. It’s also not clear how did he aim to make his voice heard through his actions.

Agni Movie Review Performances:
Pratik Gandhi, as always, puts in a sincere effort and plays the lead part with aplomb. Divyenndu is the life of the film and enhances impact with his performance and comic timing. Sai Tamhankar puts up a superb act and delivers a confident performance. Saiyami Kher leaves a huge mark as the fiery firefighter. Jitendra Joshi, as expected, rocks the show and has a crucial part to play in the narrative. Udit Arora and Kabir Shah manage to register. Sakhi Gokhale (Sayali; Samit’s wife) is a great find. Anant Jog (Deputy CM) is over the top, but it works for his role. Pramod Pathak (Pankaj Mishra) raises a few laughs. Paritosh Tiwari (Torch), Kanchan Pagare (Kamble; cop), Abhishek Khandekar (Tawde; cop) and Aatul (Uday Raj Balsara) also do well.

Agni movie music and other technical aspects:
AGNI is a song-less film. John Stewart Eduri’s background score adds to the tension and chaos. K U Mohanan’s cinematography is top-class and gives the film a big-screen appeal. Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Ghosh’s costumes are straight out of life. Dr K Ravi Verma’s action is engaging while the VFX is superior. Acropolis, Sumit Basu, Snigdha Basu and Rajnish Hedao’s production design is realistic. Deepa Bhatia’s editing is smooth.

Agni Movie Review Conclusion:
Overall, AGNI is worth watching for its performances, suspense and heartfelt tribute to firefighters, the unsung heroes of our society. This technically superior film truly deserved a theatrical release.