Ankhon Dekhi

Esoteric, abstruse, obscure, arcane, recherché, rarefied, recondite, abstract, difficult, hard, puzzling, perplexing, inscrutable, cryptic, complex, complicated, over/above one's head, incomprehensible, opaque – just a few words that come to mind when you watch Ankhon Dekhi.  Sadly the average audience will agree because of their mental faculties not being upto to the levels Rajat Kapoor expects them to be.

That does not absolve Rajat Kapoor from using several convoluted stories within a larger story and a very simple message at the end of it – BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU EXPERIENCE AND NOT WHAT OTHERS TELL YOU.  In his enthusiasm, Kapoor does a Delhi 6 – a term that has become synonymous with great movies tells the audience that they are morons (not directly though).

I will not delve into the story much because it is indeed very difficult to explain.  But if you are patient with Kapoor’s narration, you will get the message.  It involves an average ordinary everyday family in Chandni Chowk (coincidentally Delhi 6).  It speaks about the gossip mongers who spare no effort in adding spice to everyone’s life.  Amongst this is one man who, one fine day, decides that he will believe only what he can see and hear.

In his attempt to prove a point Kapoor takes the script to the extreme as well.  For e.g. Bauji’s refuses a ticket booking because he has not seen Amsterdam. He therefore cannot guarantee if it will be snowing or raining or cold out there.  The frustration at his work place is brilliantly brought to life by the owner of the travel agency played by one of THE most talented actors in India – Saurabh Shukla.

A complicated script like this can be kept alive only if you get the casting bang on.  At this point, I would like to introduce names that need to be called out specifically for their brilliant support Alka Chawla, Manu Rishi Chadha, Mahesh Sharma, Anil Chaudhary, Shrikant Varma, Manish Karnatak, Dhruv Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Danish Hussain, Yogendra Tiku, Chaitanya Mahawar & Chetan Sharma.

But stealing the show would be Sanjay Mishra who has probably given a performance of his life time.  He is simply superb in bringing out the character of an eccentric Lower Income Group household head.  His performance is only overshadowed by Seema Pahwa as the frustrated wife who just does not know what to do with our hero’s behaviour.

If there was a misfit in the cast it would be Rajat Kapoor himself who seems way too polished to be part of the core family.  I would have picked Deepak Dobriyal who would have completed the ensemble cast to near perfection.  I loved Ankhon Dekhi and am giving it a 7.5 on 10.  But you should watch it to make up your own mind.  After all that’s the core message of the movie isn’t it?

Watch the trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3yKUHI2mE4