It’s AK aka Anurag Kashyap Vs AK aka Anil Kapoor in the new Vikramaditya Motwane film that has released on Netflix on 24 December. Written by Avinash Sampath, the movie has cameos by Sonam Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor and Boney Kapoor. Everyone here is playing themselves. So, Anil Kapoor is very much the star who, like we see in the trailer, expresses a desire to work with the maverick filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. Kashyap isn’t too enthused and makes his displeasure quite apparent.
Both soon fall headlong into a collision, verbal repartees fly and even blows are exchanged. Anurag goes ahead and talks about his crazy idea which he projects as “the most dangerous hostage thriller in the world of cinema”. Kidnapping Sonam Kapoor where only Anil gets to rescues her. Is this for real? Well, that’s for you to find out.
What I can share with you though is that when yours truly started watching Ak vs AK I had no idea what to expect. And soon I wasn’t even bothered. Because this is a ride where the journey definitely is more eventful than the destination.
At the centre of this cinematic universe are two colourful and powerful personalities who just make it goddamn hard for us to look away. They inhabit different worlds, their philosophies and what they expect from their films is different and one cant help but relish seeing them have a go at each other.
Seeing our favourite stars play themselves on the big screen isn’t revolutionary per say. But a full-fledged film where nearly all the characters are playing their real versions is definitely a huge lure.
In its 100-odd minute run time, of course there are sequences that sometimes feel incredulous, contrived or plain bizarre, and yet we are hooked because the film starts engaging with the viewers directly. One can't help but wonder about the whole concept, or what we like to call “realistic acting”. Because no matter how real it is, it's still acting, right? But what happens when the actor and his persona get seamlessly welded together? Is it art imitating life then or vice versa?
A lot hinges on the final big twist. Some might enjoy the wickedness, others might not be as convinced, but AK vs AK doesn’t have a dull moment. If you are in the mood for something genuinely hatke, this won't disappoint you. Anurag, who is a natural in front of the camera, and Anil Kapoor playing his part vociferously is a delightful watch.
Our rating: 3.5 Quints out of 5.
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