Aakhri Sawaal
Director: Abhijeet Mohan Warang
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Namashi Chakraborty, Sameera Reddy, Amit Sadh, Neetu Chandra
Rating: ★★
Aakhri Sawaal is a strange film. One wonders as they exit the theatre: what exactly was it aiming for, entertainment? Or infotainment? Or something in between? More importantly, I found myself asking whether the film truly justifies its own existence.
Aakhri Sawaal review
Directed by Abhijeet Mohan Warang, the story revolves around Vicky Hegde (Namashi Chakraborty), who finds himself at odds with his professor Nadkarni (Sanjay Dutt) after the latter rejects his PhD thesis. Nadkarni is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, while Vicky seeks to ‘expose’ the RSS through his research. As the conflict snowballs into a matter of national attention, Vicky challenges his professor to answer five questions about the RSS and its history, including one surrounding the Babri Masjid case. What follows forms the crux of the film.
Aakhri Sawaal review
Aakhri Sawaal begins on an intriguing note, with both Sanjay and Namashi convincingly establishing two men standing at ideological crossroads. But as the film progresses, you realise how fragile the foundation of its plot is. It attempts to shape itself into a courtroom-style drama, particularly in the second half, yet the arguments rarely carry the weight or nuance they demand. You keep waiting for a gripping moment to emerge, but instead the film leans heavily into an over-the-top treatment, with Sameera Reddy especially dialling the theatrics up to eleven as Professor Pallavi Menon.
Even the climactic twist, designed to leave viewers stunned, doesn’t deliver the intended impact. Monty Sharma’s music does little to help.
Performance-wise, Sanjay Dutt’s personality lends considerable weight to the character, but there’s only so much it can salvage. Namashi, meanwhile, puts in a sincere effort as the rebellious student.
Overall, Aakhri Sawaal feels less like a thought-provoking debate and more like a film caught between provocation and preachiness. Despite tackling a subject that could compel conversations, the execution remains too loud and surface-level to leave a lasting impact.
