Apharan is a story set against the milieu of Kidnapping, which is a
booming industry in Bihar, India. The writer and director Prakash Jha
has tactfully captured the pulse of the crime city and translated it
realistically and most effectively in the movie. The business of
kidnapping is so mechanized that even the smallest part of the
machinery, which is a 'pan wallah' performs his part in crime with
precision. From a middleman to a police officer, to a high profiled
politician behind the crime, kidnapping is the name of the game
everyone likes to play for high cuts and speedy gains. The protests are
curbed, lives are taken without a thought and the city is on the
one-way road to becoming a 'jungle-raj', where the whole process of
raising voice for the victim and the protector assuring them of solving
crimes, is nothing but a facade. It is difficult not to feel revulsion
and empathy at the same time for the generation that is fast becoming
the victim and perpetrator of such racket. Apharan is also a story of a
complex father-son relationship that falls out because both see each
other as the culprit to the ideals and values they hold high. There are
no black and whites when one views their relationship from outside, but
the director in Prakash Jha chose to conclude the story where the
poetic justice must be met. This however, leash the creative genius
what the film was capable of becoming. It's a great film nevertheless,
and a must watch for Nana Patekar's fans that would like to see him in
the same element as the thespian was in Parinda. Prakash Jha after
Gangajal has again managed to extract simply breathtaking performance
by Ajay Devgan as Ajay Shastri who once dreamt of becoming a police
officer. He refused to live like a failure and switched lanes that only
led him to the path of success, power and eventually self-destruction.
The item number in Apharan is quite weak compared to 'Babuji Zara
Dheere Chalo', which shot model Yana Gupta to instant fame in Gangajal.
Because of a herd of characters that are not all essential to the plot,
film loses its pace after the interval. The climax could certainly have
been more heroic. Actors Mukesh Tiwari in the role of honest police
officer Anwar Khan and Yashpal Sharma as Tabrez Alam's (Nana Patekar)
key kidnapper who operates from jail, are simply brilliant and actors
to watch out for. Mohan Agashe, Ayub Khan, Murali Sharma, Mukul Nag and
Ehsaan Khan also did justice to their roles. Bipasha Basu as Megha
Basu, playing Ajay's ladylove didn't come across very naturally, though
her performance was satisfactory. Why watch Apharan? Because it's an
undeniable eye-opener, boasts of realistic acting, effective
cinematography, fitting premise and production, and has almost a
flawless direction.
The Story: Ajay Shastri (Ajay Devgan) aspires for a job in the police
force, which is his ticket to a future of power, respectability, social
status and a secure life with his childhood sweetheart Megha (Bipasha
Basu). And he hopes it will make his father (Mohan Agashe) proud too.
Ajay is prepared to do anything to meet this end. Tragically, his
desperate attempt at success is snapped by the choices made by his
father. Dejected and disillusioned, Ajay is drawn into a dark world
from which there is no return…Under the aegis of self-proclaimed
minority political leader Tabrez Alam (Nana Patekar), Ajay soon tastes
success and power.
What happens when power and ambition clash with ideals and values? Is
there a way Ajay's repentance can lead to his redemption as well? Watch
Apharan to find out!
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