Anna

Cast: Shashank Udapurkar, Tanishaa Mukerji, Govind Namdeo, Rajit Kapur, Sharat Saxena,Kishor Kadam

Director: Shashank Udapurkar

Producer/s: Manindra Jain
Plot:

Rating: 1.5/5 Stars (Ono and half stars)

Star Cast: Shashank Udapurkar, Tanishaa Mukerji, Govind Namdeo, Rajit Kapur, Sharat Saxena, Kishor Kadam

Director: Shashank Udapurkar

What’s Good: Hardly anything.

What’s Bad: This biopic is like a PR activity for Anna. He is celebrated in the film like a hero with an extremely melodramatic script.

Loo Break: Yes! Yes and Yes!

Watch or Not?: I’d say no. You could just Google the personality and learn all about him without all the drama.

User Rating:

Anna – Kisan Baburao Hazare is a biopic on the popular social activist Anna Hazare. Known for his Gandhian views, the film traces his life from his early days a child, to his army stint and ultimately his revolution against corruption.

The film throws light on his efforts for urging the government to pass the Jan Lokpal bill in 2011.

Also his single handed efforts in the development of his village, Ralegan Siddhi.

Anna Review: Script Analysis

Time and again, it has been observed that when it comes to biopics, there is a thin line between making it a tell all or a heroic tale. Clearly, Shashank Udapurkar wanted to adopt the second approach. He makes Anna – Kisan Baburao Hazare look like an all rounder. We are subjected to watch dialogues such as, “Ye Anna Nahi Aandhi Hai, Desh Ka Doosra Gandhi Hai” and “Kisan naam hai mera”, like he was Prem Chopra or something.

The storytelling is absolutely pathetic. While there are a lot of inspiring tales from Anna’s life, the treatment is unbelievably shallow.

Very conveniently, Udapurkar makes Anna a one man army in every case be it his contribution in the Indian Army or his fight against corruption. There is no mention of Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan or Kiran Bedi who all stood along with Hazare during the 2011 movement. Udapurkar strays away from Hazare-Kejriwal fall out and such other important things.

Udaprurkar’s script is hagiographic and that’s why there is no subtlety to his work.

Scenes of him reading books of Gandhi, Vivekanad and Vinoba Bhave are supposed to be a signal that these are the heroes he took inspiration from, only to himself also become one of them.

The plot is unnecessarily dragged in the second half as it takes a la Swades turn where Anna decides to make his village self-reliant.

Overall, the film shouts in every frame that Anna is a hero and puts him on a pedestal for every little thing. They would’ve rather called the film ‘Saint Anna’.

Anna Review: Star Performance

Shahshank Udapurkar not only directs the film but also acts as the lead Anna. He overacts in most scenes, especially the ones where he is seen giving speeches. He also turns into an action hero when he breaks down a alcohol factory in the village and it is practically impossible to bear that scene.

Tanisha Mukerji as a media reporter is another irritating aspect in the film. Her poor dialogue delivery is a huge setback for her character.

Rajit Kapoor also has a cameo in the film as a media guy.

Govind Namdeo is seen in a negative role which is extremely cliched.

All other supporting actors fumble in their roles.