Akelli Movie Review: Nushrratt Bharuccha fails to save an unconvincing survival thriller

Akelli marks Nushrratt Bharuccha's third feature film release of the year. The survival thriller set in war-torn Iraq is also Pranay Meshram's directorial debut with his inexperience in storytelling making itself evident in multiple moments through the over two-hour-long runtime. That being said, Akelli is not all bad. However, it fails to hold interest for the most part. 

3 things you need to know

• Nushrratt Bahruccha's performance in Akelli is reminiscent of her role in the socially conscious horror film Chhorii (2021).
• Turning points in the survival thriller appear a little too convenient, given the high-tension context.
• The drawn out climax is heavily inspired by the Hollywood drama thriller Argo (2012).

Hot take

Akelli's plot has everything that could make for an effective one-time watch. A lone girl in a foreign land, an emotionally harrowing backstory, a capable lead and the war-stricken horrors that follow. These elements make up the film's backbone.

(Nushrratt Bharuccha as Jyoti Arora in a still from Akelli | Image: Zee Music Company/YouTube)

However, that is all there is to it. Meshram's directorial debut attempts to give a hard-hitting tale of an Indian woman's will to survive, but at best, emerges as a hollow and half-baked final product. 

Does Akelli live up to the hype?

The general expectations surrounding a film with a major political context and strong undertones of war, are high. Though Akelli did not go down the no-promotions route, the project required a significantly stronger push to make its presence felt. Regardless, Akelli is underwhelming on all counts, save for a moment or two.

Nushrratt Bharuccha's performance is genre adequate 

Nushrratt Bharuccha leads Akelli as Joyti Arora, an Indian expat pushed to take up a job in the politically volatile Mosul, Iraq. With almost 14 years in the film industry on her side, the actress is no doubt a sturdy pick for the role. Bharuccha's performance in Akelli however, is adequate at best. More so, Nushrratt's Jyoti is almost a dead ringer for her titular performance in the social-horror film, Chhorii (2021).

(Nushrratt Bharuccha and Nishant Dahiya as Jyoti Arora and Rafiq in a still from Akelli | Image: Zee Music Company/YouTube)

Despite the difference in genres, both Akelli and Chhorii play heavily on the theme of a lone girl making it out alive of a precarious situation. Sadly, the only differentiating factor between these two performances is the wildly different contexts, with Nushrratt adding no novelty from her end. She is better in moments that require her to be subtle but overdoes it when it comes to displaying genuine fear onscreen. 

Unconvincing storytelling

The biggest flaw with Akelli is the convenient storytelling which is what ends up making it unconvincing. Nushrratt as Jyoti may be going through hell but the plot has one-too-many conveniently placed breakthroughs which kills any tension built. Be it her accidentally killing the head honcho at a terrorist hideout as he attempts to rape her, or her managing to cuff the big boss who is set to make her his wife, later leveraging hilm to get to the Iraqi forces - there is a lot that is too sudden and too soon with Akelli. 

The climax should have been Akelli's core plot

Just as one is on the brink of losing complete interest in the film, Akelli saves itself with a surprisingly edge-of-the-seat climax. Much like the 2012 Academy Award-winning film Argo, the last forty minutes focus on Jyoti's exfiltration from ISIS-ruled Iraq. One almost wishes that the attention to detail given in making the drawn out climax seem plausible was something that the rest of the film could have been polished with.

(Nushrratt Bharuccha as Jyoti Arora in a still from Akelli | Image: Zee Music Company/YouTube)

Here too, there are drawbacks. Case in point - the very unrealistic flight ride Jyoti makes from Iraq to Baghdad cradled in the open underbelly of the plane, even as the Iraqi airport is teeming with ISIS workers looking for her. However, without these details, the story of her exfiltration in itself would have made for a much more impactful feature film.

Watch it or skip it

As a survival thriller, Akelli fails to deliver. Though you do root for the protagonist - all credit to Nushrratt there and none to the film - the overall takeaway from it is not enough to keep the audiences in their seats, let alone make the effort to go to the cinemas. Akelli is best skipped. 

Bottomline 

Akelli relies heavily on its war-stricken context forgetting to flesh out the film with a pulse. Nushrratt Bharuccha is adequate but lacks the screen presence to add weight to a poorly written story. Both the director and the lead's inexperience in the genre fail the film. 

(Rating: 1.5/5)