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Director: Apoorva Lakhia
Producer: Bunty Walia & Jaspreet Singh Walia
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Perizaad Zorabian, Baby Rucha Vaidya
It's open season for vigilantes and kidnappers as Ek Ajnabee enters the company of an esteemed predecessor- Apaharan that has enthralled viewers and critics. But, if Apaharan was hard hitting and real, Ek Ajnabee is slick and cool... or at least tries to be!
Amitabh Bachchan plays Suryaveer Singh, an ex-commando with the Indian army who is at loose ends. Unable to forget his past and oblivious to any kind of meaningful future, he drifts to Bangkok to meet Shekar (Arjun Rampal), his old pal from the army. Shekhar hooks him up with a job as a bodyguard to protect Anamika (Rucha Vaidya), the young daughter of an Indian businessman, Ravi Rathore (Vikram Chatwal, A New York based celebrity restaurateur whose fiancée Priya Sachdev stars in Neal N' Nikki) and Nikasha (Perizaad Zorabian).
Anamika seems a ripe target for kidnappers (don't know why are Indians singled out, probably because all kidnappers are half or quarter Indians!). Initially, Surya resists Anamika's attempts to make friends but her charm eventually wins him over and he takes on the role of a 'father.' But the happiness does not last long as one day, Anamika is finally kidnapped despite the attempts of Surya who lands up at the hospital, wounded by sveral bullets!
While he languishes in the hospital, the transfer of ransom money is botched. But then, he comes out with only one goal in mind : to kill everyone involved in the kidnapping. And we all know that nobody takes better revenge than the Big B!
Apoorva's second directorial attempt (after the dismal Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost) is marred by desperately attempts to ape the slick style of Hollywood that includes jump-cuts, whip-pans and all sorts of herky-jerky camera work- a little extreme for the Indian audience. There is no obvious reason for this visual posturing except that Tony Scott used it in Man On Fire. More annoying than effective, it throws the viewer out of the story on several occasions.
While Apoorva's stylistic flair is questionable, he has evolved the bond between Surya and Anamika very well. This ensures that he never needs to force things and it evolves naturally as a result of their interaction. But the twist-in-the-tail ending tailored to suit Indian tastes jars a bit, given the trajectory that the story has taken and the character motivations outlined so far.
The technical aspects of the film are first rate. The film has a slick look and is embellished with a great background score. Music, commensurate to requirements of an action thriller, is racy.
Arjun Rampal looks good and is competent. Rucha Vaidya avoids the too cute trap into which actresses her age always fall into. She is sweet and likable but not saccharine and exhibits commendable range. Perizaad Zorabian is ok. Rest of the performances get lost in the ever more frenetic camera work.
Finally, it is Amitabh Bachchan who pins you to your seat the entire film. Angry roles like this have made him a legend in the 70s & 80s and it's been some time since we saw him essay a role like this!.. He towers over the film: from the tender moments with the kid to the blazing action, he is brilliant.
There are superstars and there is Amitabh Bachchan and Ek Ajnabee proves it again. So, if you are an Amitabh Bachchan fan (and who in India isn't?) go and watch it. But don't forget to take your motion sickness pills along to insulate yourself from the camera jerks!
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-- Ashutosh Mordekar
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