Anek’s trailer was too good and shockingly, the film is quite the opposite. Director Anubhav Sinha in his 2.0 avatar has delivered some memorable films like Mulk, Article 15 and Thappad. You may or may not like these films but you’ll agree that each one of them was simple and easy to understand. Anek, however, is too complicated. It takes a while to figure out what the makers are trying to convey and even then, it’s difficult to fully comprehend the goings-on. The story starts all of a sudden without the backstories of the characters and that further hampers the impact. A few developments are also convenient and to see cinematic liberties in such a setup is unconvincing. What works are a few scenes, the commentary on racism and the performances. Ayushmann Khurrana does a fine job. His looks are quite dashing. Andrea Kevichusa (Aido) is a great find and delivers a smashing performance. Manoj Pahwa and Kumud Mishra are dependable. Loitongbam Dorendra Singh (Tiger Sanga) is good but is let down by the script. His character is actually quite interesting. Same goes for J D Chekravarthy. Mipham Otsal (Wangnao), Jatin Goswami (Major Veer), Thejasevor Belho (Niko), Sheila Devi (Emma) and Lanuakum Ao (Horen) do well. All in all, Anek is an epic disappointment.
My rating – ** out of 5!