'Azaad' review: Extremely slow, predictable film tests your patience
What's the story
Azaad, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, marks the Bollywood debut of Aaman Devgn and Rasha Thadani (Raveena Tandon's daughter).
It also features an extended cameo by Aaman's uncle, Ajay Devgn, who plays a significant role in the first half.
A lesson in extreme boredom, the film disappoints on almost every front, feels extremely dated, and lulls you to sleep.
A completely forgettable affair.
Story
Story of a young boy and a valiant horse
Set in 1920s British India, Azaad focuses on Govind (Aaman), a stable boy, who is mentored by Vikram (Ajay), a rebel.
Govind is enamored by Vikram's loyal, splendid horse Azaad, and when Vikram dies, Govind steps up to care for Azaad.
He eventually decides to participate in a horse race, and his village's sovereignty and the villagers' independence completely depend on his victory.
#1
You can easily predict the storyline
Azaad doesn't have many redeeming qualities and apart from Vikram, offers no other memorable character.
Its cookie-cutter, bland, and predictable storyline ensures that we don't care for any character at any point.
Even the scenes depicting the Britishers' atrocities carry no weight or emotional heft, and we couldn't care less for the love story between Govind and Janaki (Thadani), a power-hungry zamindar's daughter.
#2
Wastes its supporting cast completely
It's impressive that instead of going for the regular faces, Kapoor places his bets on Mohit Malik for the role of Tej, the zamindar's son who knows no morality.
However, he is not given much to work with and is entrapped in this cliché role soaked in predictability.
Unfortunately, this is also true for Piyush Mishra, who plays his father.
#3
Struggles to realize its potential
A chaotic current defines the film in the first few scenes and features a long, well-shot, engaging chase sequence (which also serves as Ajay's introductory scene).
However, Azaad is not able to sustain this momentum, and though it shows signs of promise, it fizzles out not too long after that.
Apart from Govind and Vikram, other characters suffer from superficial depictions.
#4
Excessively slow, so you're never connected to the characters
At over 140 minutes long, the screenplay feels overstretched.
Several scenes cannot justify their purpose, while others take eons to get to the point, so your patience wears thin.
Azaad struggles a lot with pacing, and while the loud, rousing background music tries to fool you into believing that something important is happening on-screen, it's seldom the case.
#5
Most scenes mirror each other in terms of presentation
The entire first half goes by in world-building, and even till just before the interval, you aren't sure of the film's path.
There is some commentary about the chasm between the haves and the have-nots, but the film doesn't stop to focus on it.
Every prolonged, seemingly unending conversation between characters drains it of life and we are left with dull, soporific scenes.
#6
How do the actors do?
Aaman portrays the ache and hurt of an impoverished boy well and carries most of the film.
Thadani carries the spunk and the caliber required for the role but falters heavily in emotional scenes.
As for Ajay, this is a tailor-made role, one that only asks him to summon his usual intensity and he is easily the best performer in the cast ensemble.
Verdict
Can skip it completely; 1.5/5 stars
If the film were as obsessed with the writing of its characters as Govind is with Azaad, then perhaps it would have been much more engaging.
The film is wiped clean of curiosity and is stuck in a rut for most of its runtime, and I wish Azaad had lent some of his speed to the screenplay.
A dated, disappointing film.
1.5/5 stars.