Akira review by Anupama Chopra: Hits and misses

The curse of the second half strikes so badly in this film that it almost completely negates the first half, which is effective.

AKIRA

Sonakshi is wholly convincing as the steely young woman, Akira, determined to fight injustice. But the plot isn’t good enough to give us a memorable heroine.

Direction: AR Murugadoss

Actors: Sonakshi Sinha, Anurag Kashyap, Konkona Sen Sharma

Rating: 2.5 / 5

At one point in Akira, the cheerfully corrupt cop Govind Rane tells his junior, ‘Poore game ki Lanka laga di’. I thought it was a wonderfully expressive way to say ‘you messed up’. And I’d like to borrow it right now.

The first half of Akira is gripping and taut. I was really enjoying the story of this feisty small-town girl who gets embroiled with dirty money and murder. And then, just like that, director AR Murugadoss ne poore game ki Lanka laga di.

The curse of the second half strikes so badly in this film that it almost completely negates the first half, which is effective. We are introduced to Akira, which means graceful strength in Sanskrit. Her father nurtures in her a strong will to fight injustice. He trains her in martial arts. Despite an early setback, she is unafraid and tough as nails. When she is bullied in college, she worries for her tormenters because they are provoking her to beat them up.

Anurag Kashyap plays Govind Rane, the sort of fleshy, decadent cop who would fit in at a Roman orgy. And he gives the character just the right touches of menace and sleaze.

Akira’s narrative runs parallel to Rane’s story — he kills a man for a stash of cash and now must cover his tracks. In attempting to hide their crime, the cops pick up the wrong girl — Akira.

Read: Proud of my work in Akira, says Anurag Kashyap

Sonakshi is wholly convincing as the steely young woman, but what really makes the first half click is Anurag Kashyap. Rane is the sort of fleshy, decadent cop who would fit in at a Roman orgy. He kills casually and has a jovial cynicism about the world. When destiny presents him with a suitcase of notes, he doesn’t hesitate to take it.

Anurag gives Rane just the right touches of menace and sleaze. I think the director should seriously consider an acting career. As the Joker so memorably put it, this town needs a better class of criminal.

Read: Anurag should put on the actor’s mask more often, says Sonakshi

Murugadoss skillfully primes us for the battle between Akira and Rane. But post-interval, the film shifts tracks to a mental asylum, Rane disappears for too long and logic and plausibility exit the room. Now the director wants to present Akira as a full-blown Hindi film hero. So even in a drug haze, she can beat up half a dozen men. She struts in slow motion and the soundtrack amps up her punches.

In addition to Kashyap, the first half is bolstered by Konkona Sen Sharma, who plays a heavily pregnant, upright cop. Her character becomes — no pun intended — an absolute cop-out in the second half.

I love watching women do action, but there is little impact here because by now you’ve emotionally checked out. The first half is also bolstered by Konkona Sen Sharma, who plays a heavily pregnant, upright cop. Inspector Rabia instantly understands that all is not what it seems. In the second half, Rabia’s character becomes — no pun intended — an absolute cop-out.

Akira has been made earlier in Tamil and Telugu. Obviously it’s a narrative that connects. Those films had male protagonists. Here Murugadoss makes the central character a woman. It’s a brave decision, but the writing — by Murugadoss and Santha Kumar — isn’t good enough to give us a memorable heroine.

I do hope though that we’ll see Sonakshi play to her strengths more often. There isn’t much scope for nuance here but she has an emotional depth that surfaces occasionally. I would love to see more of that.

Watch the trailer for Akira