Anek, directed by Anubhav Sinha, is a multi-layered story about attempts to reach a peace treaty with a separatist organisation in the northeast, a procedure that has dragged on for decades. Aman (Ayushmann Khurrana), a clandestine operative who goes by the nickname Joshua, is charged with creating a circumstance that will bring Tiger Sangha (Loitongbam Dorendra), the region’s leading rebel leader, to the negotiating table. Along the process, Aman discovers that things aren’t as black and white as he had assumed, and he finds himself emotionally and professionally conflicted. Anek brings you face to face with the undertones of prejudice and isolation from’mainland’ India that exist in diverse regions of the northeast with conversational dialogues sprinkled throughout the narrative. At times, it’s uncomfortably so, but that’s the point of the story. Sinha avoids overt jingoism and heavy-duty, seetimaar lines. What works here is the sensitivity in the interactions and performances, as well as some sensitive writing that gets to the heart of the grey Sinha wanted to portray in the film.
With Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Andrea Kevichüsa, Manoj Pahwa, Loitongbam Dorendra, and JD Chakraverti giving tremendous performances, the film leaves the spectator with a lot of unpleasant concerns, like what makes you an Indian. The production design, visual tone, cinematography, and action sequences, as well as the use of pause, provincial dialect, folk melodies, and the background score, lend themselves effectively to the tale. Anubhav Sinha’s career as a conscience-keeper continues, with films like Mulk, Article 15, and Thappad forcing you to consider equality and justice in terms of religion, caste, gender, and now region.
Well it seems that the even though playing a cop for a first time, Ayushmann Khuranna has ruled the heart of the audience. Well it was never a question whether the film will work or not. Onviously we have Ayushmann in the lead. His movies are always perfect on point and every messages that comes out from his movies touches audience’s heart and captires there soul. Thats what happened this time too.