Shagird

Cast: Nana Patekar,Anurag Kashyap,Mohit Alawat, Rimi Sen, Zakir Hussain

Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia

There is something about a Nana Patekar cop drama that makes one look forward to it despite the time lag that may have set in. 'Shagird', despite it's near to nil publicity and zilch hype, is one such affair that one wants to watch. Thankfully, the wait is worth it as 'Shagird' turns out to be a gripping unpredictable entertainer that keeps you hooked to the proceedings for it's two hour duration.

As a Senior Officer in the Crime Branch, Nana Patekar is an epitome of a corrupt officer. He loots the rich and fills his coffers while also sharing the booty with his staff. Comfortable as being a part of the system, he is hand in glove with politicians (Zakir Hussain), goons (Anurag Kashyap) as well as officers higher up and also imparts the same training to his 'shagird', the new recruit (Mohit Ahlawat). A trigger happy cop who wants to finally leave this rut and move to New Zealand with his family forever, he devises a master plan. But then is he actually the one who is playing the game or he is the one who is being played?

This isn't the first movie about cop-politician-mafia nexus that has been made and would certainly not be the last. However while one did suspect if this would be turn out to be 'Ab Tak Chappan 2' or perhaps a rehash of any other Ram Gopal Varma gangster affair, 'Shagird' ends up surprising audience, courtesy Tigmanshu Dhulia who brings newness to the proceedings. A songless affair, 'Shagird' also works due to it's unpredictable twists and turns. Also, quite a few scenes stand out to leave a very good impression. The hotel scene where Nana and Mohit interact for the first time, a couple of encounters that they are a part of, Nana's meeting with Zakir at his bungalow in both halves of the film (though with different intent), Anurag's release from Jail and then especially the last 20-25 minutes where you just can't point on where the proceedings would eventually head towards 'Shagird' stays on to be a gripping affair.

Nana Patekar is terrific while an unpredictable conduct of Mohit brings spice in the proceedings. If Nana does what he has been doing quite well for decades now, Mohit too throws a pleasant surprises by playing a cop who can be a softie or a toughie on the demand of the situation. Zakir Hussain's characteristic mannerism is another strong reasons that keeps you glued to the screen. As for Anurag Kashyap, he is so loveable as a 'bhaiyya' goon that you want to see more of him. Rimi Sen is an integral part of the story, fits in well but doesn't get to play a regular heroine per se. Also, her feelings for Mohit aren't quite detailed well and seem a tad undercooked.

However the sole episode that stands out as a sore thumb is the one involving a kidnapping sequence and the scenes that subsequently revolve around it. They don't hold the kind of dramatic edge that the rest of the film boasts of. Moreover Nana's frequent references to old Hindi film songs not just become repetitive after a point in time but also irritating as it threatens to break the thrilling mood of the situation. Leaving aside these minor hiccups, 'Shagird' stays on to be a winner with dialogues turning out to be a major USP of the film. They alternate from being acidic to humorous, hence bringing in a variety to the proceedings.

Post the success of 'masala' films like 'Dabangg' and 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai', one is back to being interested in seeing cop dramas on screen. Moreover, Nana Patekar is synonymous with films like 'Ab Tak Chappan' and before that 'Yashwant'. No wonder, you expect 'Shagird' to be better as it is helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia (of 'Haasil' fame) who returns after a hiatus. Thankfully, the expectations are exceeded by this two hour affair that turns out to be a satiating affair.The '90s cinema actually witnessed a lot of high octane drama, heroism and jingoism. Among the many actors that actually became instant favourites of the masses was the unconventional star Nana Patekar who with his unflinching flair of calling spade a spade struck a chord with his audience and gave many hits.

In the recent times too he's had many great roles to his credit however; they've all been character roles. Now in the times when the choices of cinema goers have become very unpredictable comes Tigmanshu Dhulia's Shagird that rides high only on Nana Patekar. It only remains to see whether the audience accepts it or rejects. Shagird is about a corrupt crime branch officer Hanumant Singh (Nana Patekar) who has his ways of minting money both from the public as well as from Politicians. He works closely for Politician Rajmani Singh (Zakir Hussain). Mohit i.e Mohit Ahlawat joins the team as a sub-inspector under Hanumant Singh. How Mohit learns the tricks of trade being under Hanumant and becomes his true Shagird in the end is what the film is all about.

Shagird with all its jaded sensibilities appears to be a film of the yore which has lost its market in the present times. However, filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia still tries to pitch it as Yeshwant or Ab Tak Chhappan but fails miserably at it. The film lacks not just in narrative which is very haywire but also in screenplay, acting and direction. The story of the film proceeds in bits and chunks, each running in tangent from the other at times making you wonder how and why a certain scene popped up out of nowhere. For a one line plot as this, it has many unnecessary scenes which only test the patience of the viewer. For instance, the romantic angle between Mohit and his journalist friend played by Rimi Sen or the terrorist angle where three renowned reporters gullibly fall for a trick and get kidnapped.

Shagird only works for Nana's act of a cynical cop where you get a glimpse of his brilliance. However, even his character takes a serious beating due to the faulty script. Mohit Ahlawat in his part hardly offers anything to look out for. Zakir Hussain as a scheming Politician acts well and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap as an underworld gangster Bunty Bhaiya is brilliant in his part. Rimi Sen barely has anything to do in the film.There is this utterly delightful action sequence where Nana Patekar, playing a belligerent corrupt but effectual cop in a crime-infested small town of Uttar Pradesh run by the political mafia, barges on to a nefarious hideout.

He peeps into the room where the goons are watching a vintage black-and-white song on television. Then they switch to a channel airing a Himesh Reshammiya song. Patekar slams into the room and shoots them all down. "This is what happens when you listen to the wrong songs." The savage humour of this sequence stays with you in a film that could have made a much more forceful impact had "Shagird" come four years earlier. Given today's jaded political scenario with politicians of both genders perpetrating the most obnoxious deeds of corruption on the national exchequer, the Bunty bhaiyas and the Shakeel bhais of this film appear to be relatively harmless creatures of the underworld. Like the cops in the films of earlier millennium, this film arrives a little late after the action is over. The film exudes the scent of jadedness. That could also be because of the characters who are so steeped in corruption and debauchery they seem born for hell. However, the feeling of experiencing something decadent seeps deeper into the narrative.

Much of the goings-on fall into the realm of 'realistic' cinema located in the cow-belt that has been a staple of a certain breed of directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap and Tigmanshu Dhulia. The absence of an inspiring budget repeatedly takes its toll on the narrative's claim to credibility. There are innumerable sequences which jump out of nowhere, and not in a startling but annoying show of unpredictability. The kidnapping of the TV journalist Rimi Sen and her two colleagues by militants looks so staged you wonder how seasoned professionals could fall for it.

What works are some of the dialogues and Nana's wry cynical cop's part. He brings in that familiar yet engaging element of intrepid defiance into the theme of corruption and compromise. Here again, the role suffers from a sense of staleness. Nana and his shagird from the police department were far more warmly portrayed in Shimit Amin's "Ab Tak Chappan" by Nana and Nakul Vaid. "Shagird" is not devoid of merit. The Nana character's affinity to vintage film songs gives a centre to an otherwise-doddering tale of desperate corruption. They don't make songs like they used to. Neither do the contemporary cops thrillers like "Dum Maaro Dum" and "Shagird" match the brutal persuasive powers of past cops flicks like "Zanjeer" and "Ardh Satya".