Hindi
Agneepath remake fails to impress
MUMBAI: What would justify remaking a commercial flop, Agneepath, earlier made with the reigning star of that era, Amitabh Bachchan? It seems the producers felt disappointed with the audience verdict and eventually decided to remake the film and prove the audience wrong! No business involving crores is worth doing on emotional grounds, least of all filmmaking.
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Producer: Hiroo Yash Johar, KaranJohar. |
The plot is the same old: set in Mandwa village, off Mumbai‘s coast, with its honest teacher, Dinanath Chavan and the usurper, Kancha Cheena. Sanjay Dutt is Kancha Cheena here, with a devilish getup just so that an impression is made of his sinister character. He frames the noble school teacher in a child molestation case leading to his public lynching from a village tree.
Having established the villain and his macabre ways, the process to build the angry young hero begins. It is done easily enough as Hrithik Roshan commits his first crime even before reaching teens, that of shooting a cop.
However, it is the other villain, introduced in the form of Rishi Kapoor, who remains sketchy. Introduced as the one in flesh trade auctioning young girls to shady and filthy-looking buyers, suddenly he is a drug lord and ‘owns‘ Mumbai.
Hrithik Roshan has a goal which he never discloses but the viewer somehow knows. His ultimate aim is to kill Sanjay Dutt and free the locals of Mandwa from his slavery. Therefore, once introduced, Sanjay Dutt goes invisible till post-interval when he will be needed to close the story he started by killing the village teacher.
The romantic link sans any romance on screen is provided by Priyanka Chopra who, like all angry young heroes‘ beaus, has to hang around in the background till needed for a song number or an emotional scene, both of which are scant and flat whenever attempted. There is the mandatory honest cop, Om Puri, who knows everything wrong that is happening around him but never gets the go ahead to do anything.
The story demands that the hero do it, not the police. Rishi Kapoor has refused to do business with Sanjay Dutt and bad blood exists between the two. Hrithik Roshan joins Rishi Kapoor with the aim of playing one against the other, which will lead him to Sanjay Dutt. Hrithik starts his campaign by betraying Rishi Kapoor, killing his son and heir and later Rishi Kapoor when the drug lord finds out about the betrayal. What happens hereafter is that the film, already patchy and dull, goes haywire.
Eventually, Hrithik invites himself to Mandwa to confront Sanjay Dutt, gets slashed by a sword four times. He is bashed up for most of the last few reels as he is led to the village tree to be lynched like his father when, like a bolt from the blue, he rises again. He fells Sanjay Dutt with a couple of blows and then hangs him from the same tree as his father.
The close-up expressions of Sanjay Dutt while Hrithik prepares to hang him seem to suggest, “I could have got up 10 times in so much time and bashed you up so better finish fast whatever it is you have to do!”
Agneepath is a huge comedown on its original which itself was no great shakes; a vengeance story without a solid cause does not work, especially if the grudge is worth nursing for 15 years and translates to nearly three hours of screen time. The director seems to emulate many 80‘s directors of mass movies. His prime inspiration seems to be Mukul Anand, the director of the first Agneepath. Here, director Karan Malhotra also seems very fond of filling up the screen with crowds, may it be a fight scene or a song.
Songs are no help in the film and the choreography is bad; the much touted item number by Katrina Kaif, Chikni Chameli, falls flat. And there is no indication of the relevance of the Ganpati procession sequence and song to the story. The film lacks finesse with everything about it being drab. As for actors, Hrithik Roshan has been grossly misused. He has to look sullen all the time and talk less: the famous Rober Mitchum look which Sunny Deol did convincingly.
Sanjay Dutt only emerges as a caricature, carrying his one evil look throughout the movie. Rishi Kapoor is the only one who stands out despite the limitations of his role. Priyanka Chopra, Zarina Wahab, Om Puri and others are incidental to the happenings. A massive session of editing could have helped to some extent.
Agneepath the remake offers nothing worth liking it for and is grossly less watchable over its original.
Hindi
Edstead unveils ambitious H1 2026 content slate
New originals feature Adarsh Gourav in Northeast docu-series, Aditi Kotak in Next Class, and Adil Hussain in Stories of India.
MUMBAI: Edstead just dropped a content menu so rich it could make even the pickiest viewer say “encore” because when storytelling meets substance, the binge becomes inevitable. The fast-rising Mumbai-based studio, founded by Shekhar Bhattacharjee, today revealed its H1 2026 slate, a bold expansion of premium non-fiction that blends cultural depth, innovation, and legacy into cinematic factual narratives. The lineup cements Edstead’s niche at the crossroads of authenticity and global appeal, delivering research-driven stories that stay rooted in the Indian experience while aiming for wider resonance.
Headlining the fresh originals:
- An untitled docu-series starring Bollywood actor Adarsh Gourav, who journeys through Northeast India to spotlight living cultural traditions, indigenous voices, music, oral histories, and everyday resilience. Presented by Air India Express, with Dentsu Sports and Entertainment as integration partner.
- Next Class, an eight-episode impact series fronted by entrepreneur and former Miss India Aditi Kotak, decoding career pathways, emerging fields, and real-world outcomes through leading institutions and forward-thinking disciplines.
- Stories of India with Adil Hussain, India’s first weekly OTT series dedicated to social impact, profiling organisations driving meaningful change and connecting purpose with tangible results.
- Toast to Tomorrow, exploring how leading alcohol brands craft immersive, culture-led experiences that celebrate regional identities and redefine legacy.
- No Cap Abroad – UAE Edition, following Indian students through their first week at UAE colleges—navigating homesickness, culture shock, and independence in a heartfelt coming-of-age tale.
Edstead is also returning with expanded seasons of breakout hits, The Future School (progressive Indian education), Molecules of Hope (healthcare innovation), and Great Indian Residential Schools.
Edstead founder Shekhar Bhattacharjee said, “At Edstead, we are focused on building narratives that carry depth, context, and long-term relevance. Every project begins with research and a clear purpose… Our ambition is to create globally competitive factual content from India that remains culturally grounded while shaping conversations, inspiring trust, and contributing to the growing culture economy.”
From education and healthcare to enterprise and cultural revival, the slate reflects Edstead’s full-stack approach developing original IPs and guiding them through a robust distribution network spanning digital, OTT, and broadcast. In a content world chasing quick trends, Edstead is quietly betting on stories built to last, ones that don’t just entertain, but linger long after the credits roll.
