After all the hype, speculations, rumours and controversy, Ram Gopal Varma's remake of Sholay' was finally released.
Like many, I'm a huge fan of Sholay' and a huge fan of Ram Gopal Varma's films.
Of all the current Bollywood directors, I felt RGV was the only director who could pull off this cinematic coup and the prospect had me slavering with anticipation for several months.
Was it worth the wait? In a word: NO! Not just NO, but an emphatic NO!
This film is a complete mess. Not an ordinary mess, but a mess on a colossal scale.
Every creative decision that RGV makes is the wrong decision, not wrong on a minor scale, but wrong writ very large and in so many myriad ways - a whole book could be written on the sheer stupidity of this film, not to mention the out-of- control ego of its director.
What else can you say when the director's name occupies more space than the title of the film?
If they have the equivalent of the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Films in India, then this is one walking, talking turkey that's going to scoop all the gongs, in all categories, hands down.
The film's only redeeming feature is the presence of Amitabh Bachchan, playing an out-and-out villain, who comes up with a wonderfully psychotic performance as Babban Singh (aka Ghabbar Singh). Ajay Devgan also has his moments, but the rest of the cast never convince.
The sheer awfulness of Aag' just goes to show what a monumental film Sholay' was, a film where everything came together in a perfect symmetry: great acting, wonderful script, unforgettable dialogue, unparalleled action scenes, fluent directing, superb cinematography, tight editing and a cast to die for.
Films will come and go but Sholay' will always be Sholay' - in a class of its own!
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