Aaghaaz Review

Ever since societal ills started gaining centerstage in Hindi films, you've had angry young men bashing up baddies more or less single-handedly. Rarely, however, have Hindi films come up with a hero who advocates the maxim "In our unity lies our strength". This Sunil Shetty starrer is unique precisely because of such a different resolution to the very many societal ills that plague our polity.

Govind Narang (Sunil Shetty) is a decent enough fellow. He sacrifices his only love in life, Sudha (Sushmita Sen), to protect the honor of his teacher's daughter who was going to be a maa before marriage. But the crafty bahu makes his and Sushmita's lives hell. Her ever-yelling brother poisons her when he finds out the truth.

Govind comes to Bombay with his loving sister to get over the incident, and here he unwittingly gets into a tussle with the worst goondas of the metro when, the honorable gentleman that he is, he tries to save an Azadnagar girl from their clutches. Thereafter, life becomes one big hell for him. But he overcomes the goons, sorts out the local problems, and guides the community into a harmonious togetherness.

But the goons strike again. And the victim of all these machinations is Govind's sister. Not a single soul comes forward to help the pair. Govind issue a summons against the colonywallahs, and there is the melodrama in the mandatory courtroom scene convincing them that in unity lies the power to bash up the baddies.

Though the screening is a trifle lengthy, Yogesh Ishwar, not very well known, has managed to shape out a credible enough formula. The Shetty persona is a unique combination of the contemporary muscle man and the anaadi Raj Kapoor - a simple, good-hearted country bum, forever ready to help out and a pillar of strength. Sunil Shetty, despite his rather funny dialogue delivery, manages to portray his role with conviction.

The film is also interesting because of the way women are portrayed. The usual trashy triangle gives way to a good camaraderie when the cheerful and strikingly pretty Namrata realizes whom Govind has all along truly loved. Sushmita gets a unique role of a committed police officer who stays put despite the dishonor meted out to her due to the cunning convenience of a frustrated woman.

All this message baazi is properly coated with all the usual entertaining ingredients. So there's the standard comedy with the Madrasi -Punjabi mix-up. The songs, which range from the traditional wedding song to the hip, disco number are effectively shot. The technical aspects of this public awareness raiser are efficient enough. In brief, a once-seeable film. It might just inspire you to address unitedly the ills that plague our social sphere.