Annarth (2002) - Review in English

About the story: Sameer Deshmukh (Gautam Rode) returns after many years to his home village Sainagar where his childhood friend Jai, called Jimmy (Suniel Shetty), meanwhile has taken the course of a gangster career. Don Raghavbhai (Ashutosh Rana), Jimmy’s elder brother, works for the more mighty don Dayal Bhai (Tinnu Anand) who under no circumstances allows gang wars. Therefore Dayal Bhai dislikes hot-headed Jimmy who always goes looking for trouble with the henchmen of Raghavbhai’s rival Afzal Bhai – especially after his friend Bandhya (Vinod Kambli) is killed. Jimmy has no idea that Bandhya’s killer is his own brother Raghav who acted by order of Dayal Bhai. Neither does he know that Sameer whom he channelled into Raghav’s gang and who fell in love with Jimmy’s sister Preeti (Preeti Jhangiani), keeps a secret which might become dangerous for them all. Only one man seems to know about everything and everybody: former don and current bar owner Iqbal Danger (Sanjay Dutt)...


The film has its moments, no doubt about that. And I don’t even mean just the moments featuring Sanju but also especially those with Suniel Shetty who shapes a very compact and intense figure. Nevertheless, the film left me somehow cold. Ashutosh Rana appears as Raghavbhai not half as dangerous as he did as women’s killer in Dushman, the other dons are rather reserved, too, and Gautam Rode remains dismayingly colourless. Preeti Jhangiani does her best and adds a bit life and tension to the story, but unfortunately she has too little screentime to upgrade the plot noticeably. If Annarth inspite of all this is worth a watch then, as I said, due to Suniel’s forceful performance and of course due to Sanjay Dutt even though his role (though he as the senior actor is credited first) is not more than a better special appearance.

His Iqbal Danger is a rather shady character. As a don he once had shot his ladylove’s lover and then, after having served his term in prison, quit his job and opened the Bewafa Bar (deceiver bar) where he gives consolation and encouragement to people with bad luck in love and with broken hearts. But his eyes and ears are still open, he’s keeping himself informed about the events in the town as well as in the underworld, and within the whole gang war affair he plays his very own game. Figures like this are a piece of cake for Sanjay, and Iqbal Danger is no real challenge for him. But as unshaven deus ex machina this charismatic actor is a sight to see even in this small role. Quite apart from the fact that in Annarth he belies all those who claim that he cannot dance (any more).

Produced and directed by Ravi Dewan
146 Min.; DVD: GVI, English Subtitles (including songs), towards the end a bit delayed
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