AK V/S AK Review: The Vikramaditya Motwane Film Blurs The Lines Between Fiction And Reality; Is Raw And Refreshing

2020, without a doubt, has been a year that has thrown us off guard and sent us on a roller coaster ride. The entertainment industry, in fact, has suffered some major setbacks and losses, even though OTT boomed. This is also the year when we got some of the worst films, that not just disappointed us, but shook our belief in the quality of Hindi cinemas in general. And then, there is something like AK V/S AK, a film that would add the correct amount of zing in the festive season. This film is not just one of the quirkiest and refreshing films of the year but is also one that will easily go down in the history of cinema.

The nature of the film, as we had seen in the trailer itself, was new. But, the film had much more to offer. It did blur the lines between fiction and reality and did a great job in doing so. Anyone, who would have some knowledge of Bollywood would know that most facts stated by Anurag Kashyap or Anil Kapoor are true. The former did write the dialogues for Nayak, the latter was a part of the former's debut film's Mahurat and they were to do not one but some more films together. All this while, it does make us think that whatever is happening in the film is real. But we guess, blurring these lines is what a film is supposed to do and this one does the job perfectly.

AK V/S AK is basically a hostage thriller, which keeps you hooked to the edge of the seat. The postmodern film also has layers around it and we particularly loved the part where Anil Kapoor takes the stage to ask for a favour on his sad day, only to be met with requests for dance. The man, who is bleeding profusely and going through a crisis, then breaks into his memorable hook steps to 'My Name Is Lakhan'. This scene is undoubtedly one of the best scenes of cinema that etches the ethos of on-screen performers. We, in this country, view actors as someone larger than life, almost like a superhuman. So when we see them in real life, we often forget that they are just like us, with flesh and blood and feelings. Throughout, we see how everyone around him asks for a selfie, the modern form of the autograph, a reflection of our first reaction to seeing someone we see on screen in real.

The film stands out only because of Anil Kapoor and his seamless performance. If blurring the lines between acting and reality is the takeaway, he is the one who is doing it super effortlessly. C'mon, give him the National Award already! Anurag Kashyap is no less. His ability as a performer comes out here, and we would totally forgive him for playing cops in films like Akira and Ghomketu for his performance here. Special mention- Harshvardhan Kapoor! Yes, we could have cut some 'f***ing' parts, but we love how he ranted about Vikramaditya Motwane sinking his career with Bhavesh Joshi! Also, don't miss the 'in the name of justice' part!

So much credit goes out to director Vikramaditya Motwane. It requires someone deft and confident in his craft to carry a meta film like this so efficiently. The only scene that probably goes a little overboard is the fight between AK and AK in between. But till the end, we are kept guessing. Amit Trivedi deserves special mention for the music, which is definitely amazing. A lot of experiment has also been done with the cinematography. Avinash Sampath , who has written the story and screenplay, too deserves applause.

All in all, this one is a must-watch, for how refreshing and raw it is. DO NOT MISS this one!