Agnivarsha: The Fire and the Rain

In these days of paper-thin plots and the MTV-inspired pastiche that passes of as 'style' you seriously wonder if you'd ever again get to see a reasonably thoughtful, cultured film; and then a film like 'Agni Varsha' drops into view. I must say I was expecting to be very disappointed, that it'd be a half-baked venture with a few sops. But man, was I wrong. The film isn't flawless and some of the bad patches are serious, but it has a genuine thought process and its heart is in the right place

Raveena Tandon immerses herself into the sensuous Vishaka and, given her past body of work, comes across as stunning, yes, positively stunning. Director Sajnani comes across splendidly in most part, with a feel for the genuinely dramatic element and a fearless use of erudite symbolism. The film harks back in spirit to Benegal's "Bharat -Ek Khoj" serial where multiple techniques were used, blending cinematic and theatrical elements into a meaningful whole. A few failings, mainly in the spirit of enhancing the film's commercial value, but still what vision!