Agneepath, the remake of Amitabh’s 90s classic, seems to have got it right. While Amitabh remains irreplaceable, Hrithik, according to critics, has done it again. Most of the reviews have very good things to say about the film. Agneepath is set to rock the box office and give Hrithik a big hit. Here are a few excerpts.
Rediff’s Sunkanya Verma
For all his Robin-Hoodness, the revised Vijay is much more calculating, coldblooded, bumping off every obstacle in his way (adhering to the Idhar har taaqatwar apne se kam ko maar ke jeeta hai aphorism of Mukul S Anand’s protagonist) and sans any reservation towards drug peddling. This story ploy, of Vijay’s slyly shifting motives, results in some fine, unpredictable moments in the film.
That said, Malhotra doesn’t shy from recreating the original’s most iconic dialogues in such exciting fashion, it’s most befitting. Both integral moments — the legendary, Vijay Dinanath Chavan, poora naam introduction as well as the recital of Dr Harivanshrai Bachchan’s poem inspiring the film’s title are venerated with panache and dignity.
Times of India’s Gaurav Malani
Where the new Agneepath raises the bar is by casting Sanjay Dutt as the baddie. In his black-attire and bald-look, Dutt has such solid screen-presence that the director makes things difficult for himself with a challenge of how would Hrithik’s hero overpower the villain. Thereby the film employs some extreme action, which is more brutal than boisterous, to justify Kancha’s imposing persona and the subsequent seethe in Vijay’s revenge. Thankfully, what puts Agneepath a notch above the recent mindless actioners is that it has a basic human connect which it reasonably balances with the extreme action and never blatantly exploits any emotion.
With Bollywood being obsessed with remakes in recent times, Agneepath is an important lesson on how to pay proper tribute to the original. Despite the original being his home production, Karan Johar attempts playing with fire (treading uncharted territory) with Agneepath and emerges victorious. Agneepath has the fire for a lustrous entertainer!
Verdict: Better than Good
NDTV’s Piyali Dasgupta
Watch this film because this one is unadulterated Bollywood entertainment. I’ll go with three stars and add half a star for the sheer excitement palpable in those who I watched the film with, first show this morning. Near packed attendance, hearty applause and complete silence in parts. What a bright start, it can only grow from here.
Hindustan Times’ Mayank Sharma
The external logic of a star driven, fantasy fed film such as this may not be easy to gulp for many. The internal logic, or the reason you believe it all, depends a lot on the credibility of the headlining performance. Bachchan’s irreplaceable, of course. So is Hrithik, India’s hardest working, most intense super-star, ever.
In a career spanning 12 years, there’s something to be said about an actor for the number of times he’s likely to have heard, from masses or critics, that “this is his best performance yet”: Koi Mil Gaya, Lakshya, Krishh, Dhoom 2, Jodha Akbar, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Guzaarish. One can safely add this film to the list.
