The film ‘Agni’ received a certificate from the censor board for theatrical release on 25 June, but it has now been released on OTT in December. Stories of firefighters are seen very few in Indian cinema. Apart from the Malayalam film ‘Fireman’, the number of films on this subject is very less. If we talk about films made in Hindi with firefighters at the center, then Ravi Chopra’s ‘The Burning Train’ definitely comes to mind, but its story does not show the struggle and pain of firefighters in the true sense.
The film ‘Agni’ begins with a poem – “Jwala mein jo jite hain, wo amar ho jaate hain.” This film tries to show the life of firefighters and their struggles. It also makes one think why the stories of this important section of society were not shown on the big screen. The opportunity to honor firefighters comes only once a year, on 26 January, during the President’s Medal. The film also shows that in society, even in the police department, these personnel do not get the respect they deserve.
Rahul Dholakia made the film ‘Raees’ starring Shahrukh Khan seven years ago. That too was made under the banner of Excel Entertainment. However, the production company probably did not find it appropriate to spend the amount needed to release ‘Agni’ in theaters. Therefore, the film was released directly on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video.
The film stars actors like Pratik Gandhi, Jitendra Joshi and Saiyami Kher in lead roles. All of them are playing the role of fire brigade personnel, who are struggling for respect in society. Pratik Gandhi’s character Vitthal is an officer of a fire station. Saiyami Kher has taken inspiration from India’s first female fire officer Harshini Kanhekar for her character Avni. Jitendra Joshi’s character Mahadev is upset because his father and brother’s sacrifices are not being recognized.
The love story between Avni and Joseph is also shown in the film, but this love story does not leave much impact amid the heavy subject of the story. In one scene, an attempt has been made to dance to the song of an old film of Excel Entertainment, but it does not add much to the story.
Talking about acting, all the actors have played their roles brilliantly. An attempt has been made to effectively show the struggle and emotions of the firefighters in the film. ‘Agni’ has been released on Amazon Prime Video on 6 December. If you want to know the unheard struggle of firefighters closely, then definitely watch this film.
