Ahaan (2021) :
Movie Review -
It's been quite some time Bollywood industry hasn't met a Classic film that can be suitable for international audience too. The last was 'Tumbbad' (2018) which came almost two-and-a-half years ago and then for an year so Bollywood kept making average to good film but didn't see a Classic. Then the lockdown happened and the wait became longer. But now it seems like the wait is finally over. Yes, you heard it. Ahaan is a prime example of Classic filmmaking which can rule the hearts of international audience and critics too and it wouldn't be surprising if this film gets universal acclaim in some international film festivals. Ahaan is a film made on a sensitive topic and the same sensitivity is held by the director while handling this motivating and socially important subject. Additionally, the high quality filmmaking, perfect cinematic sense and skillful execution makes it a Must Watch Experience that you will not forget for some time at least, if not for lifetime.
Ahaan is named after the central character Ahaan but it's not just about him. It has the other side of coin which is a normal character to justify the experimental content of urban lifestyle. Ahaan, a 25-year young man with Down Syndrome is endearing & free spirited who desires to lead a normal life; one that is financially independent and beyond the shadow of his parents. The other normal character is Ozzy, a self-indulgent man in his mid 40's, suffers from OCD. His high-handedness and unwillingness to have a child, estranges him from his wife. It wouldn't be fair to spoil the most of the story here and take away the solid impact of it from audience so let's end it in a brief. So, Ahaan is about Normality in Abnormals vs Abnormality in Normals which is a a freaking great idea already.
If you remember watching similar performances played by Shah Rukh Khan in My Name Is Khan or Priyanka Chopra in Barfi or to exaggerate a little, Daniel Day Lewis in ' My Left Foot' then please keep your expectations high for Ahaan. It sounds unbelievable but yes Abuli Mamaji has delivered a performance to remember and that too on his debut. The first dialogue comes out of his mouth and it was like, "Wow... 'How did he do it?". The way he delivers the dialogues with that unique accent is truly amazing and just not once or twice but many times. The way he says, "Super.. Tasty Biryani", it was like, Yes we all wanted to him to mouth it exactly just the same. Arif Zakaria as over-sensitive Ozzy is brilliant piece of character portrayal by any actor recently. A special mention to the supporting cast Niharika Singh, Plabita Borthakur, Rajit Kapoor, Shilpa Mehta and others for their fantastic performances. The overall set of performances in this film is one of the finest thing happened in bollywood recently and it might remain finest for some years.
Ahaan is blessed with a heart-touching writing but above all it is far more intellectual than it looks. Emotions are easy to capture but intelligent sentiments are difficult or should we say almost impossible to fetch in cinematic universe but Ahaan does it and how. Just don't look at emotional quotient, but please try and notice the reality bounded towards it and how it actually relates to real life and without using cinematic liberty. Like mentioned above, Ahaan is high class filmmaking because the person who had a vision of bringing artistic cinema through simple theories had actually understood what to do and where to do. The framework in the film says it all that it is not a mainstream filmmaking but it's a learning lesson for other filmmakers not only in India but for international filmmakers also.
You know it's an advantage when the writer and the director is the same man because then he knows it already while writing something that how to bring it on screen. He can imagine the exact frame in mind while writing the same thing and then covert it accordingly which helps to bring more conviction and allows him to try different techniques. A grand salute to Nikhil Pherwani, first for writting such a brave and inspirational script and secondly for putting it on screen with top class methods. Ahaan is hurt by the low budget as some of the scenes are not shot well or may be are not edited well where the lights and sound effects look dull. Forgetting those minor faults, Ahaan is a terrific experience overall. In a nutshell, Ahaan takes you on a soul-stirring journey of entertainment, thoughtful message, inspiring story driven by superlative performances and fabulous direction. A MUST WATCH!
RATING - 8/10*
