Aurangzeb (2013) User Reviews (42)

Aurangzeb: This Moghul is bloody engrossing!!

[Swapnilagarwal · 7/10 · 21 May 2013]

"Kingship knows no kinship"- This ideology of Mughal king Aurangzeb defines the theme of YRF's latest 'Aurangzeb' (AZ). A directorial debut from Atul Sabharwal (writer of films like 'Phir Milenge'), Aurangzeb is a typical Indian masala entertainer from Manmohan Desai school. It is sprinkled with all sorts of spices viz. action, crime, drama and beau-coup DE skin-show. Not delving much into details of storyline et al, here are the highlights of the movie:

• Performances: Stellar work from most of the veterans and new-age stars is the biggest hallmark of AZ. If you think this is an Arjun Kapoor movie, you are mistaken. Despite a double-role (as evident from trailers), it is actually Prithviraj Sukumaaran (Malayalam actor of Aiyya fame) and Rishi Kapoor who steal the show through their out-of-the-skin portrayals of characters. Prithviraj is so accurate in his accent and mannerisms, it's hard to digest that he's a Southern import. Rishi Kapoor is a chameleonic surprise with every scene! Arjun too is good in both the roles. His toothy smile, give-a-damn attitude and rugged look is a carry forward from Ishaqzaade. Debutante Sasha Agha (daughter of Pak singer-actress Salma Agha) is pure glam doll (acting comments – not applicable). Could not help to mention her striking resemblance to Amrita Puri. Amrita Singh is in her normal shrewd avatar while Jackie Shroff is endearing in the limited role assigned. Nice to see the couple reunited after the 90's hit Aaina! Tanvi Azmi does a Nirupa Roy while Deepti Naval and Anupam Kher play a cameo.

• Plot & execution: Set in the real-estate mafia gullies of Gur-gaon (city), the film takes you through the lives of a real-estate king, judwa brothers, good & bad police officers, lots of blood-shed and gives a glimpse of what cooks behind the shining express-ways in our country. The narrative is adept and implementation smart. While the first half sets the stage, the second half is about execution and pace. Dilemmas (choice between sapne and apne) of the main protagonist have been well captured while shrewd ambitions of the 'actual' Aurangzeb are awesomely enacted.

• Music: Even with less songs in the movie, Vipin Mishra and Amartya Rahut are ordinary. Barring the pacy Barbaadiyan, no other song leaves impact. However, background score is good.

• Flaws: Despite the high-voltage drama, AZ does have its share of flaws and bloopers. The movie could have been a little less complex and dialogs a little less-filmy.

In all, Aurangzeb is a crisp, pacy action drama Bollywood got to see after long time. Dunno why YRF did not promote the film much! To know 'Who is real Aurangzeb in the movie?', watch it, and watch it till the end! You won't be disappointed.

Aurangzeb a thriller without any cheap sh!t

[arnavgoswami · 7/10 · 31 May 2013]

watched AURANGZEB ...intelligent plot filled with good Thriller n Drama within digestible ratio of Action...this flick gives the feel that Bollywood is really growing up(after 100yrs!)...its cast embedded well with the script n with their up to the mark acting n fare share of screen time...story is close to the reality of today's police n corporate world with a little exaggeration(does't look fake)of the events you/we see in the TV news nowadays...I won't ruin the thrill(of it) by telling its plot...all you should know is its a complete sensible entertainment(how it should always be) & thus its a _MUST WATCH

Watch It For The Superb Performances!

[namashi_1 · 6/10 · 20 May 2013]

Atul Sabharwal Directed 'Aurangzeb' is a fairly interesting crime-thriller, that works primarily for the Superb Performances it offers by its attractive star-cast.

'Aurangzeb' Synopsis: A lookalike of a thug is sent into a gangster's family by the police, to gather information on the gangster's doings. This sets in place a chain reaction of complications and increasingly uncontrollable events.

'Aurangzeb' begins well, but loses pace mid-way. The narrative is riveting in the first-hour, but the second-hour lacks the power to keep hooked. Reason? The drama is stretched & the climax is ordinary. Atul Sabharwal's Screenplay has some fabulous moments, but could've been stronger nonetheless. His Direction, on the other-hand, is technically superior. Cinematography is top-class. Editing is crisp. Art Design is eye-filling. Music is average, while The Background Score is marvelous.

Performance-Wise: Arjun Kapoor impresses in both the parts. He plays the good-guy ably, but convinces immensely as the filthy-mouthed thug. Prithviraj Sukumaran is excellent, his performance stands out. Rishi Kapoor & Jackie Shroff, like always, are perfect. Debutant Sashaa Agha looks alluring, but needs proper grooming as far as acting is concerned. Tanvi Azmi is wonderfully restrained. Swara Bhaskar, Deepti Naval & Amrita Singh do their bits well. Sikandar is decent.

On the whole, 'Aurangzeb' is certainly a watchable film.

Aurangzeb : Kingship sees no Kinship

[ahwaan_padhee · 19 May 2013]

In one of the scenes in AURANGZEB, Rishi Kapoor explains Prithvi that , "Baadshahi Bhaichaara nahin dekhti " which essentially translates as "Kingship sees no Kinship" - the famous dictum of the ruthless Mughal emperor.There is a forced attempt in debutant director Atul Sabharwal's modern action-crime thriller to draw references to the Mughal traitor.Set in present-day concrete jungle of Gurgaon, it is about how an illegal business is run in the garb of a real estate consultancy.

Yashvardhan Singh(Jackie Shroff) plays the real-estate gangster businessman who runs his illegal empire through a shrewd lady,Nina(Amrita Singh)and Ajay(Arjun Kapoor) is his son. A police team led by DCP Ravikanth(Rishi Kapoor) and his nephew,Arya(Prithviraj) want to break their stranglehold and send Ajay's lookalike Vishal to infiltrate their gang and be their informer.Now there is a hitch! Vishal undergoes a change of heart and takes his father's side and this jeopardizes the efforts of the DCP who has surreptitiously hatched a sinister scheme.

What's interesting to note here is that none of the characters is innocent,each one has grey shades and is flawed and Atul pulls it off with impeccable dexterity. There is a deadly intertwine of drama and emotions in this convoluted plot and he unveils treacheries at each stage without rendering any predictability. The first half is racy and pulsating where each of the character's establishment adds to the intrigue quotient. However, the film suffers from the curse of the second half.The portions become over-stretched, slickness fades and there are a lot of loose threads which the director finds difficult to tie efficiently. Dialogues are razor-sharp and the editing is sharp. Cinematography judiciously depicts the rampant industrialization of the Delhi-NCR region. Music is mediocre , barring the club-song Barbadiyaan laced with techno-waves.

Aurangzeb boasts of an ensemble starcast and we get to see the veterans of Bollywood come under the same umbrella after a long time.Kudos to the director for performing such an arduous task in etching out all the characters with equal flourish.At the top of the pyramid is Rishi Kapoor playing the unflinching self-serving cop who enthralls the audience with a controlled act.The central character of the premise, Arjun Kapoor appears partly like the rebellious and wayward reckless brute Parma of Ishaqzaade and partly like the introvert Vishal and he does it efficiently. Prithviraj is intense and he superbly portrays the battle with his inner demons while the narrative progresses sluggishly. Deepti Naval , in a short role as DCP's wife makes a strong impact and her character is a sharp contrast to Tanvi Azmi's in depicting how humanity can be put to shame in the greedy pursuit of wealth and power.New comer Sashey Agha is bold and beautiful but her role is reduced to just being a mole in this male-dominated saga.While Jackie Shroff appears suave,his grey beard notwithstanding , Sikander Kher and Swara Bhaskar are under- utilized. Amrita Singh is first rate and she adds a mean edge to her character.

With an appealing premise reflecting the gritty reality of the land dealings and the nexus of the corrupt politicians , bureaucrats and dishonest cops, this commercial potboiler has indeed good prospects at the box office.i go with 3.5/5 for Aurangzeb.

Aurangzeb Resurrects The Long Lost 'Crime-Thriller' Genre In Bollywood... 67%

[nairtejas · 7/10 · 30 May 2013]

I am enthralled by Prithviraj's performance. Having watched almost all his Malayalam movies & the recent Aiyyaa, I can now say that his Bollywood future looks shimmering.

Aurangzeb succeeds in capturing viewer's interest in less than ten minutes and then the bandwagon of twists, turns, identity revelations is enterprisingly mind-numbing, provided you don't compare it with the Hollywood. +1 for the guts to introduce double-roll for Arjun Kapoor who acts fine. Supporting cast is great, indeed.

Music has been largely copied from Hollywood, with inputs from Hans Zimmer's Inception OST. Screenplay confuses a bit, but is good enough. Atul Sabharwal is very expert in handling the camera and executing a gripping thriller which has elements from corruption to relationships, betrayal to politics. Wonderful!

The goofs and plot holes are tiny and passable mostly because the 130 minutes of running time never bores you, except when the insipid romance & flesh is showcased.

BOTTOM LINE: A great thriller worth having a look; great comeback for Prithivraj. 6.7/10.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? 95% YES

Profanity: Mild | Sex: Strong | Nudity: Critical | Mouth-Kiss/Foreplay: Mediocre | Violence: Very Critical | Gore: Strong | Smoking: Mild | Alcohol: Strong | Drugs: Mild (No Visuals)

Aurangzeb is an amazing Drama!

[janianmol · 6/10 · 7 July 2013]

Real estate agent Yash (Jackie) is well known for his illegal activities in Gurgaon.

But the police department headed by Ravikant (Rishi), Arya and Dev are unable to put him behind bars.

That's because Yash's son Ajay (Arjun) leaves no evidence after every dubious job has been completed. The twist comes when Ravikant decides to kidnap Ajay and replace him with his lookalike Vishal. Vishal acts as an informer to Yash's sordid empire.

Meanwhile Ajay is tortured into revealing Yash's business secrets. But strangely enough, destiny has other secrets in store which are about to come to the fore in this suspense drama.

Director Atul Sabharwal delivers an interesting plot revolving around two lookalikes placed in different circumstances. But dealing with many subplots, Sabharwal becomes oblivious he is diluting the intensity of the screenplay making it less enthralling for audiences.

The suspenseful first half unwinds at a steady pace revealing the twin characters placed in different situations giving rise to some attention-grabbing scenes.

But the second half then goes haywire as the twists and turns become more predictable with an engaging but overstretched climax.

A taut script and crisper editing would have made the on-screen narration much more riveting.

The film's strong point is its power-packed performances from the lead stars. Jackie Shroff is a pleasure to watch as the conniving and influential estate agent. But Rishi Kapoor steals the thunder under everyone's noses giving an overwhelming performance as the stern police officer following the path of truth.

The young and dashing Arjun Kapoor is a real delight to watch in a double role.

Overall, Aurangzeb could have turned out to be a classic if sub-plots were present and the goings-on less complex.

Police and Gundas watchable for Prithviraj

[FeelNharD · 6/10 · 26 August 2014]

Aurangzeb is primarily about inheritance of character from parent to child. And the opening underlines this theme with a quote from Roman poet Horace, 'Deep in the cavern of the infant's breast; the father's nature lurks, and lives anew.'

What lends its sentimentality a crooked twist is how its premise is relentlessly influenced by the cutthroat philosophy of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Director Atul Sabharwal tackles the conflicting interests of conscience and conditioning with his robustly executed first film for Yash Raj.

Against the relevant backdrop of land- grabbing in Gurgaon and its deep- rooted network within corporate sectors, political parties and corrupt law and order, Sabharwal weaves an old- fashioned yarn about family -- both close-knit and estranged.

On one hand there's a family of cops -- Ravikant (Rishi Kapoor), his nephew Arya (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and son Dev (Sikander Kher). The stern, resentful Arya models himself along the lines of the supremely assertive Ravikant as opposed to his long disgraced, defeated father (Anupam Kher).

Meanwhile, Yashwardhan (Jackie Shroff) is a successful tycoon running illegal industries, masked under the impression of his authorised businesses, assisted by the sharp Neena (Amrita Singh). He has given up on making sense of his brash son, Ajay (Arjun Kapoor), the proverbial cad whiling away his time partying with/beating up his annoyingly compliant girlfriend, Ritu (Sasheh Agha).

Light-eyed Agha, no matter how much (and frequently) she exposes, cannot distract the viewer from her serious lack of talent and feeble screen presence. Her so-called intense scenes with Kapoor are plain comical and completely dampen the screenplay. She fares better in the recording studio though with her spunky rendition of Barbaadiyan.

But this is only maybe five minutes of Aurangzeb, which starts off a tad synthetic with dialogues sounding like quotation books instead of conversation.

The real discord begins after Arya discovers Ajay's lookalike, Vishal (Kapoor) and plants him in Ajay's place to collect evidence against Yashwardhan in the backdrop of Gurgaon's glossy landscapes (with surreal shots of its bokeh-lit traffic by N Karthik Ganesh).

There's a dramatic twist here ( which I am obviously not going to reveal) that ensures Aurangzeb doesn't draw too many comparisons from the likes of The Departed, The Devil's Double or even Don. (Though there is moment that squeals Skyfall whereas the background score is reminiscent of The Dark Knight Rises.)

Deeply derivative of the traditional Hindi film narrative where blood-ties gain precedence over individual turbulence, Aurangzeb works even in its inept form. Because, one, Sabharwal constructs a compelling, intricate conspiracy of deceit and motive around predominantly grey characters, where chances are anyone can turn a volte face, for better or worse.

And because Aurangzeb's momentum is steady and swift, the loopholes are skilfully minimised even if only temporarily. So, sure, you do wonder about the loosely established relationships, convenient set-ups and undisclosed footage of significant reactions, but much later.

Interestingly, Aurangzeb doesn't demonstrate any depth to examine the impact of role-playing, and change in circumstances on Arjun Kapoor's psyche but both -- Prithviraj (by way of voice-over that offers a constant peek into his thoughts) and Rishi Kapoor (his candid conversation with Deepti Naval showing his innermost anxieties to his frighteningly supportive partner) -- emerge as the more fleshed-out characters of this stylish drama.

This brings us to the second and most stealing aspect of Aurangzeb -- its casting (Shanoo Sharma). Prithviraj Sukumaran's clean-cut persona stands out in a role that demands subtle cynicism, restrained force, suppressed emotionality and dry humour.

Rishi Kapoor is at the top of his game and inspires awe through the stunning curve he draws within the story. To rave any more could lead to revelations that are best enjoyed on one's own.

The other Kapoor, Arjun shows remarkable poise and volume in his second film and first double role in the company of stalwarts. Though it could have been a far better written part, especially Ajay, he consciously maintains a distinction between the twain.

It's also great to see Jackie Shroff render the proceedings his characteristic charisma, warmth and grit in a somewhat neglected role.

None of the senior girls -- Amrita Singh, Deepti Naval and Tanvi Azmi -- are moulded in pure convention and make a statement with their fiercely kohl-ed eyes and sturdy point of views. Sadly, in the case of their junior colleagues, Agha doesn't have the potential while Swara Bhaskar isn't given enough scope to bite. Arjun Kapoor performance is very poor, he's best in yrf ways only.

Whether all kids inherit their parents' moral temperament I do not know but where Bollywood is concerned, its conditioning on filmmakers is undeniable. And going by what the inspired but engaging Aurangzeb has to offer, it's not such a bad thing.its watchable for Prithviraj

Pita Par Poot, Jaat Par Ghoda . . .

[jmathur_swayamprabha · 6/10 · 14 September 2014]

There is a very old Hindi saying - Pita Par Poot, Jaat Par Ghoda; Bahut Nahin Par Thoda Thoda (the son gets traits of his father and the horse gets the traits of its race, at least to some extent if not completely). The theme of the Hindi movie Aurangzeb (2013) contains the spirit of this saying.

The title has been kept after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb because he had ascended to the throne after killing his brothers and imprisoning his father. And from that, the writer-director Atul Sabharwaal has picked up a statement - 'Kingship knows no kinship'. However this principle of life is grasped in its true spirit by only one character of the movie - Ravikaant, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Gurgaon (Haryana) who uses his kinsmen as well as others as mere pawns on the chessboard of his sky-high ambitions but the person he brainwashes to play Aurangzeb to suit his plan, does not do so despite agreeing initially for that.

The story starts with aged Vijay (Anupam Kher), ex-cop who had lost his job because of a so-called encounter in which the wife and little son of a gangster Yashwardhan (Jackie Shroff) are said to have lost their lives. Vijay is an isolated person in his household because his own son Aarya (Prithviraaj Sukumaaran) does not look upon his honest father as his role model. In this family of cops with all the males including the son-in-law of the house being police officers, Aarya who himself is the Assistant Commissioner of Police, considers his corrupt uncle Ravikaant (Rishi Kapoor) as his role model. Coincidentally, the son-in-law of the family is an honest person but for all others including Ravikaant's son Dev (Sikandar Kher), their police service is nothing but the business of collection, i.e., bribes from the outlaws.

Suddenly Aarya comes to know from his father in his ending days that the wife and little son of Yashwardhan had not died in that so-called encounter. They are alive and considering his moral responsibility towards them, Vijay has been taking care of them. An emotional relationship had developed between Vijay and Yashwardhan's wife Veera (Tanvi Aazmi) who had become police informer against her outlaw husband and after losing his job, Vijay has taken care of Veera just like a husband and her son Vishaal (Arjun Kapoor) just like a father. Vishal knows Vijay only as his father and does not know his biological relationship with Yashwardhan. Before his death, Vijay reveals this secret to Aarya and urges him to take care of Veera and Vishaal. After Vijay's demise, starts the main track of this movie.

Aarya breaks the news of Vijay's demise to Veera and Vishaal. However finding that Vishaal is the look-alike of his twin brother, i.e., Yashwardhan's son who is the only son of himself in the knowledge of the world, he devises a plan with his uncle Ravikaant to get better of Yashwardhan and bring him to book. He feels that thus he will also be able to wash the stain of killing two innocents from the name of his late father. Under this plan, Vishaal's twin brother Ajay (Arjun Kapoor's second role) is kidnapped and he's replaced by Vishaal in the life of Yashwardhan. Vishaal is entrusted with the responsibility of passing of significant information about the unlawful activities of Yashwardhan to Aarya and Ravikaant.

Vishaal, impersonating Ajay, enters the life and empire of Yashwardhan who is in real estate business but carries out shady deals too. Gradually Vishaal is able to understand his biological father better who no longer appears that bad to him. On the other hand, the real mission of Ravikaant dawns upon Aarya alongwith this truth that to fulfill his ambitions, Ravikaant does not care for the lives of even his nearest and dearest ones and thus he also comes to empathize with his deceased father Vijay who had always cared for the people more than his own vested interests. What happens then is a forgone conclusion.

This story is a cobweb of greed for money and power, intricate conspiracies, betrayals and of course, principles of leading a life which are bound to be different for different people. Atul Sabharwaal has penned the script on a large canvas and executed its first part, i.e., the pre-interval session very well. The trouble lies in the second half, i.e., the post-interval session in which the movie loses its naturalness and thereby its grip on the audience. The story is taken to its conclusion in a completely Bollywoodish manner which might have suited a movie made in the seventies but definitely not a modern movie.

Performances are all good. The best performer is undoubtedly veteran Rishi Kapoor followed by Prithviraaj Sukumaaran. A highly talented actress like Deepti Naval has been wasted which is definitely incorrect on the part of the filmmaker. The only mentionable scene she gets in the movie underscores the significance of power handled by top cops in India and highlights the mindset of the Indian wives regarding that power and the corrupt activities of their men associated therewith.

Before signing off, I come back to the original statement which says that a son is bound to get some traits of his father. The opening scene of the movie itself presents the quote of Horace - 'Deep in the cavern of the infant's breast; the father's nature lurks, and lives anew.' Finally, not only the biological son but also the foster son of Vijay (Anupam Kher) are able to manifest the real nature of their father in their activities which propounds it loud and clear - 'Apno Ki Keemat Sapno Se Zyaada Hoti Hai' (your near and dear ones are worthier than your dreams or ambitions). Mughal emperor Aurangzeb did not believe in it but I do. And, in my opinion, this only is the real conclusion of the movie.

Spectacular Thriller!!

[mayurkaria19961 · 10/10 · 4 September 2013]

After quite some time there came a double role movie and my first thought about this movie was that it was going to be average. It started off a bit too slow talking about the background of the families but after about 30 minutes it was a Spectacular Thriller! Aurangzeb is evolving around two families. One is about a corrupt police family and the other is a gangster family in the real estate business. The plot has really good suspense with twists and turns. Performance wise Arjun Kapoor is brilliant in his double role.(Even better than in Ishaqzaade) While I was expecting nothing from Prithviraj Sukumaran,(after watching Aiyya)he was totally outstanding and was a perfect fit for the role. Rishi Kapoor was the head of the movie and played a very important role. Sasha Agha had a minor role but was good in her moments. Sikandher Kher was good. Jackie Shroff was decent in his role but was given less screen time than i expected as the story was evolving around him. Anupam Kher was kind of a waste but still someone needed to take that role. Overall Aurangzeb was a very powerful and a strong Thriller. it is really worth the watch and look out for Arjun Kapoor, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Rishi Kapoor because they are hilarious.

Street reality on screen.

[pavankreddy · 7/10 · 9 October 2019]

As power can mould you into formidable one but it can also make you fear for your loved ones. Street fights are compelling to watch and that to with talented cast, its a satisfying dessert. Frankly, I had heard about this one but never even tried to watch but this a gem which is good.

A modern age action Thriller with a big Heart ..

[pradiptadas1982 · 5/10 · 19 May 2013]

When I entered the hall I think that the cinema should be a re re re modification of some old Classic film(Read-Don/Trishul) and after seeing the 1st 20mins, my idea got established in my mind and it continues still the 2nd half started. But I have no regret to say that I was wrong at that point of time. After 1st half when the plot thickens, Love Emotions n Heavy Betrayals play their own own roles the movie tightens me with sit progressively very deep. The delicious twists makes the film more appealing to me n that continues with a fine dramatic, emotionally touched, big hearted end of the movie. After this I surely agree of my fault to watch a movie like this with pre-occupied mind.

I don't go for the story line. In a single sentence the movie is all about a Gang-war in "Modern Shining" Gurgaon. It is not a Pop-corn movie, rather it is a very Complex, realistic, upfront stylish n emotionally rich action thriller for which Bollywood n we can proud.

Regarding Performances all actors in one word are "top-notch". Everyone deserves Respect n salute for their wonderful work but I specially mentioned some actors.Arjun Kapur have a great performance in his dual role but sometimes he have monotonous in his expressions. Rishi Kapur was superb in his character which had lots n lots of shades. But the one who make me flat with his suppressed acting, expressions, attitude n dialogue throwing is Prithviraj Sukumaran.Just stunning man! Also its very good to see beauty like Amrita Singh after many years with a great performance. But I don't understand why director Atul Sabharwal selected Actor like Anupam Kher for such a small role!

On a whole if you are a serious movie goer and likes top notch intelligent action thriller, surely watch it for once!

Take Home Message (always remember it) - "AAPNE BARE HOTE HAIN.SAAPNE NAHI !"

Finally Someone stood up for the Indian films

[sachinchauhan22 · 8/10 · 31 May 2013]

This review is not for the fan of Dabang, Bodyguard, Jab tak hai jaan and many more stupid movies comes around in past 2-3 years Honestly ask yourself how many times you went for a movie and it gives you a 2-3 hrs pain with it terrible story ding dong songs and a dumbass direction , for example almost every movie of Salman khan , Akshay kumar , Shahrukh khan and many more

This movie is nothing like those , and Because of it I don't think it gonna get a big box office success.The story of this movie is so much strong that it will hold you all the time

Acting , Honestly speaking I was never a fan of Rishi kapoor in early years But Now I am since his Epic Rouf lala act in Agnipath and Here he did it again Superb acting ,Prathiraj was good too , Arjun I think did good in Evil brother role , the good one was just OK ,

overall A good movie after a long time , Give it a go :)

Though the title does not feel apt, the movie is a good one to watch for all the underworld movies fans

[vamsynkrishna · 7/10 · 7 November 2016]

I said so, because, you can find out that the story of the movie does not depend at all upon the story of the Aurangazeb, nor his quote from the history which is referred by Rishi Kapoor in the movie.

But, the movie offers you a decent watch, and further more if you are a hardcore fan of the movies based on underworld crimes like DON. All the main storytellers in the film have given their peak performances in delivering excellence.

The particular performance that I caught astounding is of Arjun Kapoor's. He did perfectly fine in his role, besides Jackie Shroff and Rishi Kapoor.

WASTED MONEY

[shreya-41631 · 1/10 · 17 September 2020]

Horrible film, bad acting and story. Could only stand the film because of IRFAN KHAN & RISHI KAPOOR. I wish they would have given some other main actor. As usual difficult to sit through Arjun Kapoor's acting. He tried very hard but failed miserably.

The power of choice

[cinematic_aficionado · 22 May 2013]

Choice and consequence, love and abandonment, wealth and greed. It is amongst those themes, this story of lost and found is narrated.

A son carries some bitterness upon finding out on his father's death that he has a step-brother whom he has to use to infiltrate a wealthy criminal. The later is only of use as he is the identical twin of the criminal's own son. The criminal and his son are unaware of the twin's existence thought to be long dead as is his mother.

In this complex but utterly intriguing story, everyone enters for a reason but comes out with a different perspective. Knowing who to trust or depend upon is blurry; preconceived notions carry a lot of gravity and stand in the way of seeing the truth about others.

There is a web that binds all the characters in this story and untangling it is set to be messy where all involved must face up to the fact that there is a clear choice to be made.

Beautifully narrated, there is a mastery involved in making in this film by keeping the audience in the loop throughout and despite the intricacy of the story as well as the miscellany of characters it never becomes too difficult to follow.

On top of that, add a well chosen cast in great form - especially the lead - and we are in for a top notch Hindi film experience.

Good movie

[jmadukayil · 6/10 · 7 July 2013]

My second good Hindi movie in a week. Prithviraj has done a good job in this movie. Not having had a great success in Malayalam because of the presence of several superstars there, I think Prithviraj may do well in Bollywood because of his personality and proper Hindi accent and much better acting skills than most superstars in Hindi. The storyline is definitely gripping and shows the quirky world of corruption that we live in that has no panacea. Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, although have minor roles have contributed their bit. Arjun Kapoor has got ways to go, especially with his acting skills but seems mature and capable of doing so.

Exciting script but poor editing

[viral-kamdar · 6/10 · 21 May 2013]

This could be an excellent award winning movie had it been edited well. Several scenes in the movie are not required and hamper the pace of the movie. The movie is exciting every 5 minutes and boring every other 5 minutes. Yashwardhan (played by Rishi Kapoor), the most important character of the movie is not given appropriate attention. Yashwardhan's son's (played by Sikandar Kher) character is not required in the movie at all. The love scenes between the lead actor and actress makes the movie extremely slow and could be removed. I felt it's a medley of movies like "The Departed", "Don", "Godfather" and "Trishul". Arjun Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran impresses by his acting. Most others have very small role to play. Amrita Singh's role was interesting but movie did not much justice to her role. Overall, it's a good one time watch but not a very entertaining movie. Some weaknesses of the movie (spoilers below): 1) It is not necessary to show a lady in her bikini to express a bad guy's behavior towards her 2) Who in the world will threaten his armed enemy by saying that he would complain about him? 3) A man wants to kill a gangster just because the man's father wants to take over the gangster's empire. The man gets multiple gunshots on his body. Why the hell would that man still want to get up after a few minutes to kill the gangster? He could ask others to do so 4) A team of people fires blindly from across the door. There are two people in the room standing next to each other. Only one of them gets shot multiple time while the other remains unhurt.

Exceptional story with feelings and emotions with equal action

[asad-abbasi1 · 8/10 · 19 May 2013]

A gangster had two twin sons, one (Vishal) was taken in the childhood by a cop along with his mother and then sent back to that gangster when he is grown up as a replacement for the other son when the other son (Ajay) is been hold hostage by the cops to destroy the empire of Jackie Sheroff (Yahswerdhan).

The story revolves around Vishal played by arjun kapoor and the cop family as how to destroy the empire but meanwhile he grows emotions for his father.

This movie is not only about action but it contains pure emotions the are among a family as well as pure cruelty that can destroy a family too. Characters in this movie have done an exceptional job specially rishi kapoor.

Over all the action is good, the acting is pretty awesome as well but few things do go a little out of the context as well as out of sense but overall it is a good flick and must watch too.

full of mood swings

[smith1987 · 4/10 · 9 June 2013]

So I watched this movie it was good Indian flick gangster movie .Arjun Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor acting were superb but the script lacked as it was full of mood swings and I am telling you this as its not suspense movie but full of mood swings in characters which makes sometime during the movie frustrated. As its clear from the poster it has double role in the movie and both the characters were pulled of by Arjun Kapoor i.e on is rich brat who wants to take his fathers Jackie Shroff empire and other the family type guy who loves his family

Plot of the movie revolves around the city Gurgoan which now has been the biggest money maker for real states corporates and Jackie Shroff is top player in this world and the mafia world .Rishi Kapoor wants to end his empire and wants to make money from this . As he has plotted many things against Jackie Shroff

Fresh, Out-of-the-Box Entertainer!!

[pcsarkar · 8/10 · 25 May 2013]

Just came back after seeing the film. For those of us, who prefer the Khans' stereo-typed mannerisms, or the wackiness of Ranbir, or the antics of has-beens like the Deols, this film may be boring. But I was looking for something new, something novel, something out-of-the box and something with fresh faces. Aurangzeb qualifies on all counts. The action is non-stop, the dialogs are crisp, there are no annoying song-dance sequences and no romantic or comic interludes. Of course Rishi excels, but he is a veteran. The credit goes to new comer Arjun Kapoor in a double role. He is the son of Boney Kapoor from his first marriage to Mona Kapoor, and an admirably good actor, in contrast to many star sons. Arjun, together with Prithviraj Sukumaran, from Kerala, carry the entire film on their shoulders. This film has many shades of gray. The baddies have good qualities and the do-gooders have their criminal intentions. The twists and turns keep one engrossed in the movie. Full marks to the Writer and Director, Atul Sabharwal!! Go for it, folks!!

Enjoyable.

[gbdtab-4 · 8/10 · 17 May 2013]

There are many gangster movies lately. This new addition is more engaging than some others I have seen. The lead characters are well written and the story has a decent plot with not many loopholes. The movie starts slow but picks up pace very quickly. However, in this movie, like many others, the good guys do not die even when the entire gang is shooting at them. This Bollywood touch gets unintentionally comical. But overall, the movie was enjoyable.

The backdrop of Gurgaon real estate is new. I have wondered when will someone come up with a story around the real estate boom that Gurgaon has seen.

Arjun Kapoor acted well in both his roles. Prithviraj was intense. Rishi Kapoor had the Haryanvi touch in his dialogs in the first half, in the second half it was lost (weird). Jackie Shroff was mellow and didn't look like the emperor that he was supposed to portray. He looked like a sad old man.. May be this was the intent. Sasha Aagha had nothing much to do in the film. Why was she there again? Wish there was more of Deepti Naval, her role seems to have been chopped.

nice watch

[rahuljonathan-nair · 9/10 · 2 August 2013]

What lends its sentimentality a crooked twist is how its premise is relentlessly influenced by the cutthroat philosophy of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Director Atul Sabharwal tackles the conflicting interests of conscience and conditioning with his robustly executed first film for Yash Raj. Deeply derivative of the traditional Hindi film narrative where blood-ties gain precedence over individual turbulence, Aurangzeb works even in its inept form. Because, one, Sabharwal constructs a compelling, intricate conspiracy of deceit and motive around predominantly grey characters, where chances are anyone can turn a volte face, for better or worse.And because Aurangzeb's momentum is steady and swift, the loopholes are skilfully minimised even if only temporarily

A Real Fun Time but Lacks The Punch!

[andre_rox99 · 17 May 2013]

AURANGZEB is a action/thriller film directed by Atul Sabharwal, starring Arjun Kapoor (in a double role), Sasha Aagha, Jackie Shroff, Rishi Kapoor & Prithviraj.

The film revolves around two families; a family of policemen and one of policemen. Yashwardan (Jacki Shroff) is the king of real estate empire and holds illegal rackets along with his son, Ajay (Arjun Kapoor). The police are trying to arrest them, however, whenever they do something illegal, they leave no evidence. Soon, they find out that Ajay has a twin brother, Vishal (Arjun Kapoor) and Inspector Ravikant (Rishi Kapoor) and ACP Arya Phogat (Prithviraj) decide to take out Ajay and replace him with Vishal, so that Yashwardan doesn't suspect anything. Meanwhile, they torture Ajay into telling them all the secret's of his father's empire.

By the time the trailer of Aurangzeb came out, it was all Bollywood was talking about. Everyone expected a lot from it, including me. The star cast was real grand with class actors, including Arjun Kapoor who had proved to us that he had what it takes to be one of the big stars. I advance booked my tickets for Aurangzeb and went inside the cinema with great expectations. Little did I know that I was entering a movie full of twists and turns. The movie started off real well explaining everything in detail. It took about 3 scenes to get onto the real plot. It just showed the background of the characters which I feel is a real good introduction to the public. As the movie progressed, the plot and everything was all good, but the film was lacking that certain 'something' that a crime/thriller film needed. It had me engrossed but I kept feeling that something was missing. The intermission left me with something to think which is what every Hindi movie does.

The second half started and I'm going to be extremely honest with you, but it was just really really confusing. It comes to a point where you don't know what's going on. It's like you are just watching the movie trying to understand what's happening; which you eventually will if you are paying good attention. The climax was quite good and the way the film signed off was good as well.

One more point about Aurangzeb is that its not all action and thrills. Normally films like that would be real dark, but the director manages to add some comedy at places here and there through Arjun Kapoor's characters.

Honestly, I felt Atul Sabharwal did quite a good job directing the film but his script wasn't quite perfect. There was no need for so many twists that the audience can't even make count of. And it felt as if he was trying to fit in so many things into just one movie.

The acting in this film is finesse with great actors in this one. Prithviraj acted extremely well as a police officer, compared to his role in AIYYAA. Rishi Kapoor had a different role which was good to see after his role as the menacing Rauf Lala in AGNEEPATH. Jackie Shroff's acting was also real great as a negative character. Sasha Aagha was extremely unneeded, and you can even tell when an actress is added just for the looks and really can't act.

And now after talking about ALL that, I'm going to jump onto talking about the next best thing about this film and that is ARJUN KAPOOR. Yes. This actor is the next big thing, and from his debut in ISHAQZAADE, I'm sure everyone knew that he would emerge as Bollywood's biggest and he has proved that again in Aurangzeb. His role was similar to that in Ishaqzaade, however I feel he can only do roles similar to that. But if he just works a little bit more I'm sure he will be able to do any role. His second role as Vishal didn't quite suit him, but I'm sure that if he works a bit more on it, he will be able to convince all of us that he can do another honest role like Vishal. His acting was just fantastic and according to me, even though there were so many other great stars in the film, he just outshone them all with his double role.

Apart from that this film does have a bit of flaws. It doesn't have as much action as expected and only focuses on the drama part of it. And lastly, it is lacking that punch which we expected. It has all the elements of an action/thriller film, expect for that certain thing that just prevented me from enjoying it completely. And because of that, Aurangzeb is quite forgettable, after say, 1 day. Arjun Kapoor's acting does stay with you, but the trailer is more memorable than the movie.

Overall, I would rate Aurangzeb a 6.5/10, because of the plot and the acting that played a great impact on the film. It was a fun time, but it lacked the punch and didn't live up to the hype it created.

Good Movie with gripping story

[siddharthnobell · 10/10 · 18 August 2013]

Average rating of 6.6 does not justify how well the movie is...

Movie is well made with very gripping story don't thing there are any misses though heavy critique will always have things up on there sleeves .I would find the direction absolutely perfect, background score really compliments every scene and the songs though less yet are yet pin point to situation.

This certainly deserves a high 7 or probably low 8. It would be really great if this improves over time.

With Indian cinema growing in quality content I am really happy that movies like Aurangzeb are more to come - it might be slow yet the changes is certain and it is for good... :)

Amar, Akhbar, ...............Ajay/Vishal

[gorgonite · 8/10 · 16 September 2013]

Aurangzeb is a 21st Century remix of Amar, Akhbar Anthony. Instead of 3 separated kids that are raised under 3 different religions, we have 2 twins and a stepbrother raised within Police, Gangster and adopted families.

Rishi Kapoor is here, but we don't have the hard man equivalent of Vinod Khanna or the charisma of Amitabh Bachan. Jackie Shroff makes a good Kishanlal, and Tanvi Azmi makes a good Bharati. Swara Bhaskar is good in a limited role as one of the wives. However Sasha Aagha has obviously been misused to sell the movie to 10 year old boys.

The movie is certainly fresh. Instead of the straight good guys, bad guys and the religious message we get from the 70s, we now have the blurry good and bad mixed with hedonism, power and greed.

Pros - Fresh and funky thriller

Cons - The odd Exploitation scene

Overall - Who's Bad (Jamon)