Aakrosh tackles caste-based honour killings and corruption head-on, sometimes with brutal honesty.
Under Priyadarshan’s direction, it’s less comic than his usual fare, more rooted in anger and injustice. Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna make a formidable pair: Devgn as the vengeance-driven, hot-blooded officer; Khanna as his more cautious, cerebral counterpart. Paresh Rawal shines in the role of the corrupt local SP, embodying a chilling mix of power, cruelty, and complacency.
The plot leads you through dark rural lanes, closed political systems, and frightened villagers – it’s suspenseful and disturbing. Cinematography by Tirru gives the locations texture; certain chase and action sequences are visceral.
Yet Aakrosh is not flawless: the first half is weighed down by patches of excess exposition, and the addition of romantic tracks and songs undermines some of its seriousness. And the resemblance to Mississippi Burning is hard to ignore – many sequences seem lifted or heavily inspired.
Still, despite its derivative parts, Aakrosh holds you. It does justice to its subject, evokes anger, offers powerful performances, and balances drama and action well. For a Bollywood film willing to get its hands dirty, it earns 8/10.
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