So, yet another film about a wife on the run from her abusive husband. Back in the day it took Hindi filmmakers a few years to grasp there was an American film the story of which could not have been more suited to the Indian screen. And each time it was a really poor Hollywood film that inspired them - this time, Sleeping with the Enemy, an inconsequential but watchable film inspired Daraar, Yaarana, and this film. Now with all fairness, other than the main concept of battered wives fleeing their abusive husbands (or boyfriends whatever), there isn't much more in common. Now to the film under review, Agni Sakshi is watchable, very watchable and worthy of a one-time watch though not more than that.
The film really rests on the presence of its leads, particularly Nana Patekar and Manisha Koirala. Amusingly, that same year saw the release of Khamoshi: The Musical, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's wonderful directorial début where Patekar and Koirala played a father and daughter in two phenomenal performances. Not quite on that level here, they still do a very good job as an abusive husband and his runaway wife. Patekar seems to have found a niche in playing creepy, subdued sort of villains, as previously evidenced in Parinda and Angaar, and he does an excellent job here. Koirala, who was at the top of her dramatic power around that time with performances in Bombay and Khamoshi, is credibly intense.
There is a third edge in this triangle and that's Jackie Shroff, who started being relagated to supporting roles with films like Rangeela. While he is apparently the lead here as the kind, rescuing romantic hero, he is actually a supporting actor against the meatier parts of his coactors even despite his top-billing. Interestingly it appears that all three of them did what they did best at that time in this regard, but that Shroff is an excellent actor only helps both the film and his part. Partho Ghosh, an interesting director in commercial cinema at the time, does a good job even though the film is not of the best cinematic quality. It has flaws, quite a lot of them actually, but it's fairly gripping and enjoyable, so it's a nice watch overall.
