The year 2014 is a very important year for Bollywood since it is the year that India went to polls. It is one of the reasons that this year Bollywood has released a number of movies based on controversial political and social subjects.

It is prudent to mention here that the Indian film industry does not only focus entertainment of its audiences, but also has the credit of being an educational and sensitisation platform.

Released on May 09, 2014, the movie Koyelaanchal is also one of those awareness raising endeavours of this industry.

A scene from movie, "Koyelaanchal" - Courtesy Photo

The story is about a mafia that illegally controls the Indian coal belt. The main characters of the crime drama Koyelaanchal are Saryu Bhan Singh (Vinod Khanna), Nishit Kumar (Sunil Shetty), and Karua (Vipinno). Singh is like a Godfather. Everyone in Koyelaanchal calls him Maalik (meaning ‘lord’) and no one dares speak a word against him. Singh’s empire of power is governed by Karua who is a loyal servant and does not tolerate a thing against his lord.

To end the malevolence of the lord and his faithful servant, the government sends District Collector (DC) Nishit Kumar to the area. Upon arriving in Koyelaanchal, the DC starts taking matters into his own hands which does not please the lord and his hooligans much. Thus begins the war between good and bad.

A scene from movie, "Koyelaanchal" - Courtesy Photo

If we look at the story, Koyelaanchal is just another average Bollywood film. The only thing that helps the movie stand afar from other such movies about mafia and hooligans and a hero coming to save the day is its unpredictable ending. The film does not end in the traditional Bollywood fight scenes where the hero makes the bad men fly high with a punch here and sail away with a kick there.

In the first hour of its viewing, the movie does not leave the best of impressions. The storyline lacks order. The director Ashu Trikha does not seem to have been able to decide how the film should begin. In the second half, however, the director begins a good exhibition of his skills, controlling the characters in a much better way. However, even then, much could be done to improve the quality of the film.

Trikha has not succeeded in properly conveying to the audiences the central idea of the film. It is difficult to comprehend what he is trying to tell. Whether his motive is to show how every Hyde has a Jekyll and that all you need is love to breathe life into the good in a bad man. Or that he is more interested in unveiling the horn locking of the government and the coal mafia. If not that, perhaps he wants to ascertain that the bureaucracy is helpless against the gangsters and the mafia.

A scene from movie, "Koyelaanchal" - Courtesy Photo

Sadly, seasoned actors such as Khanna and Shetty could have been utilised in far richer filmmaking terms. For example, on one hand Shetty is shown to be a true man of discipline and law who is a very strict official, while on the other hand he vomits at the sight of blood.

Similarly, Khanna is mostly shown to be a cruel gangster, while in a scene or two he can be seen as a good man who does not want to hurt the DC’s son. Vipinno’s role is good, though, only because of the character’s consistency in the script and the storyline.

On many occasions, you will see different new characters entering and exiting the scenes in the film. They make you think: what is their need? Why are they even there, suddenly popping up for no reason? Not much effort has been put in the shooting of the action sequences. The sound effects could also have been far better.

A scene from movie, "Koyelaanchal" - Courtesy Photo

A few good scenes are when the DC’s son is kidnapped and he protests in front of the authorities, a human rights activist’s video in which he shows the problems of Koyelaanchal in a humorous fashion, and the scene where the DC’s son is playing with two other little girls. These are the only few scenes worth watching.

Another powerful set of images is the scene wherein a few children are shown playing soccer and suddenly Singh’s manager is murdered in their witness. Their soccer ball is dripping in blood. The children pick it up, wash it nicely and get back to their soccer. The scene reflects upon the ruthlessness of the people in such troubled areas.

A scene from movie, "Koyelaanchal" - Courtesy Photo

The sad part is that even though the subject of the film was unique, the director could not turn it into a good movie. There was a lot that the film could have delivered, but the subject was handled irresponsibly. The ending, too, seems to be a hasty piece of work, skipping the most important part, the climax.

In terms of the story, the direction, the editing and the cinematography, Koyelaanchal is a complete flop.

Good performances always need to be praised, hence Shetty and Vipinno deserve a good round of applause for their work.

Read this review in Urdu here.

Koyelaanchal was released on May 09, 2014. Its runtime is two hours and 22 minutes.

Directed by Ashu Trikha and Produced by Shashikant Sinha and Ashu Trikha .

Written by Vishal Vijay Kumar and Sanjay Masoom.

Translated by Aadarsh Ayaz Laghari