ALAG – SOMETHING DIFFERENT, YES, BUT IT’S APPEAL IS LIMITED

Rating:- * 1/2

The film which is, undoubtedly, alag (what’s called hatke in Mumbai’s lingo) begins with the death of Rastogi [Yateen Karyekar], who has had a cardiac arrest on a rainy night. When the police begin their investigations and take over Rastogi's mansion, they find the entire setting eerie. The mystery deepens when neighbors claim that there was someone else also living with Rastogi.

On further investigations, the police find out that Rastogi's son Tejas [Akshay Kapoor] has been hidden in the basement of the mansion. The boy has never stepped out of the house since childhood and has lived in darkness all his life. Nobody can fathom why he was confined to the underground room. Nobody knows why Rastogi hid his own son from the world.

The police decide to place Tejas in Purva's [Dia Mirza] care. Along with her father [Jayant Kripalani], Purva runs an institute for orphans who had stepped into a life of crime, but desire to change in life. Purva voluntarily agrees to help Tejas start his new life. But one look at him and she knows that she has not seen anyone like him before.

Meanwhile, Tejas is exploring the various facets of his newfound world…

To give the credit where it's due, the plot of ALAG sounds plausible, although it’s not original.

However, while doing all that competently, ALAG consistently avoids taking chances. The protagonist always does the right thing. No matter how unjustly he's treated, he never lashes out. It's only towards the end that he uses his superpowers, while fighting the deceitful scientist [Tom Alter]. With a little more of emotions thrown in, it would have made the climax more more compelling.

Director Ashu Trikha laces the film with several noteworthy moments. The sequence in the dining hall [the lead man's first interaction with the bully and his cronies] is one such high point. His reaction to the shooting of a pigeon is another. Even the climax comes across as a novel experience. More than anything else, Ashu shows the courage to swim against the tide. But if he had the guts to opt for an offbeat theme, add unwanted songs and an unwanted romantic track out of the blue? Why bow down to formulae suddenly?

Aadesh Shrivastava's music is a mixed bag. 'Saanjh Ki Pighalti', the romantic track between Akshay and Dia, is soothing, while 'Sabse Alag' [filmed on a host of topnotch actors during the end credits], is another striking composition. Cinematography [Fuwad Khan] is up to the mark. The visual effects are first-rate.

Akshay Kapoor handles the complex role with confidence. Dia Mirza is highly effective.

On the whole, ALAG is indeed an alag experience, but it has limited appeal too.