NANA AND VERMA create amazing stuff. Review on Ab Tak Chappan

This is a movie from my dream team that of Nana Patekar and Ram Gopal Verma. I always used to think

that the kind of movies Ramu makes Satya, Shool, Company has roles which are fit for Nana Patekar but I was always surprised why the maverick filmmaker never casted the maverick actor. In Bhoot and Darna Mana Hai they worked together but Nana's role was not that of a leading man.So finally my prayers ahve worked and I watched the movie which was made by Ramu and had Nana

in the lead.

Of late there has been a flood of cop movies.Starting from the realistic Gangaajal(read my review) to the star studded Khakee we had seen some really good cop movies.Alongwiththem there was N.Chandra's ''Kagaar'' which was loosely based on the life of sub Inspector Daya Nayak who is a sharp shooter of the Mumbai Police force.The film went unnoticed but the topic got a bigger platform in the form of Ram Gopal Verma's Ab Tak Chappan.

The movies made by Verma factory are generally in extreme either they are very good like Shiva, Company and Rangeela or they are hopeless like Darna Mana Hai(read my review), Kaun and Jungle.Fortunately Ab Tak Chappan belongs to the first type although I must say that it is not in the same league as Company or Shiva.

The movie tells the story of Sadhu Agashe(Nana Patekar) who is the most enterprising officer of the encounter team of Bombay police.He is a favourite in the media and press.He has officers like Imtiyaz(Yashpal Sharma) who thinks that Agashe always plays politics against him.Imtiyaz is the second lead officer of the team and has killed around 40 people in encounter.

Agashe has his set of loyal followers in the team and the lates entry into the team is Jatin Shukla(Nakul Vaid) who looks on Sadhu as his idol.Sadhu is he blue eyed man of the commissioner of Police(Mohan Agashe).Except Imtiyaz everyone in the team accepts Sadhu as their leader.

Besides the force Sadhu is a happily married man.His wife(Revathi) is a normal house wife and he does not mind buying vegetables for her after killing some criminal.Sadhu also shares a relationship with underworld kingpin Zameer(Prasad Purandare) which is not like a normal cop-don relationship.They talk on the mobile very often where they discuss everything including their differences.Sadhu's life changes when the Commissioner retires and in his place Suchak(Jeeva) is appointed the new commissioner.

Right from his oath taking ceremony Suchak develops a hate for Sadhu.On the other hand Imtiyaz makes a close bond with Suchak.

Suchak tries to interfere in Sadhu's ways and Imtiyaz gets the favour.In an encounter Sadhu's wife is killed and he is a broken man.However after many turns and twists Sadhu manages to get his job done.

Ab Tak Chappan although officially directed by debutant Shimit Amin has a clear stamp of Ram Gopal Verma.

The realism is totally like Company still Amin manages to make Chappan a movie which is several notches above the normal cop saga.Amin who was in films in the states shot to fame for his crisp editing in Verma's chiller Bhoot.His direction is amazing.

Although there are some sequences where the movie becomes slow yet the overall pace is maintained and no unnecessary songs and dances are added to dilute the effect.The story is good and screenplay is adequate. However it is the dailogues by Sandeep Srivastava which steal the show.They are straight out of life and looks like written specially for Nana.There are no songs in the movie and one does not miss them.The cinematography by Vinay Sinha is superb.Editing is also good.

The movie has a host of newcomers.Nakul Vaid as the young inspector is excellent and so is Prasad Purandare.Jeeva as the commissioner is menacing.Revathy as Nana's wife works with Verma after the memorale Raat and horrible Darna Mana Hai.

Although she dies at the interval point yet she makes a mark.Mohan Agashe is adequate.Hrishita Bhatt is wasted.However it is Yashpal Sharma who gives a stellar performance.Sharma who shot to fame as Lakha in the classic Lagaan and got rave reviews for Gangaajal is in total form in the movie.He gives his carrier best performance and is amazing in the scenes with Nana.

However it is Nana Patekar in the lead role who make the movie a really good movie.His performance is probably his best performance since Khamoshi-1996.Ab Tak Chappan belongs to the great actor who proves his mettle yet again. His performance is very different from his earlier performances where he used to shout a lot and speak very fast at times.

In a role where he could have easily gone over the top Nana gives a very controlled performance and proves that when it comes to play roles like this no one can give him competition.He tried to underplay in Tarkeib and Vadh as well but the movies were bad. But in this movie his performance is bound to get him acclaim after a long time and since the film is promoted very well I hope it makes money for Ram Gopal Verma and name for Shimit Amin as well.

After Santoshi who really brought back Bachchan in a abig way in Khakee it is amazing to see Patekar making a comeback in Ab Tak 56.