MY NAME IS ANTHONY GONSALVES

Movie My Name is Anthony Gonsalves Director E Niwas Producer Red Chillies Entertainment Music Himesh Reshammiya Cast Nikhil Dwivedi, Amrita Rao, Lilette Dubey, Pawan Malhotra

Sonia Chopra

There are some films you like for the cheer they bring and the way they entertain you while keeping your mind and emotions engaged. My Name is Anthony Gonsalves is one such… at least in parts. Enter Anthony Gonsalves (Nikhil Dwivedi), your Bandra nukkad goofy lad who dreams of making it as a hero, and has it in him to keep a captive audience. An orphan, Anthony was picked up by kind-hearted gangster Sikander (Pawan Malhotra), who, instead of admitting him into the world of crime, preferred to put him in the hands of an avuncular priest (Mithun Chakraborty) instead. As Anthony grows into a young boy, working as a waiter at a pub, his respect and admiration for Sikander bhai remains undiminished. But when Anthony mistakenly stumbles upon a dirty cover-up job of Sikander and his men, every one has a tough decision to take. The dilemma of the characters is often shown to have a parallel with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, with Sikander as Caesar, his two cronies as Brutus and Cassius, and, of course, Anthony as Anthony. An interesting take, but half fulfilled. MNIAG belongs to the genre of last year’s Manorama Six Feet Under and Johnny Gaddar. Slick in its format and an absorbing story, the film is an edge-of-seat thriller and an emotional drama all at once. Problem is, it can’t sustain itself. Throughout the film unnecessary interruptions (Hrishita Bhatt’s item number, a comedy track with Saurabh Shukla) hamper the film’s pace. The last half-hour is the most disappointing with the serene priest turning into a karate champ and a fight sequence straight out of a Bollywood potboiler. Still, the film has it moments. Debutant Nikhil Dwivedi’s performance is honest and absorbing; his confidence in his very first film is impressive. His character reminds one of Shah Rukh Khan’s lovable Sunil in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na. Amrita Rao does well as the assistant director of a film who later falls for Anthony. Pawan Malhotra is excellent as the gangster who loves Anthony like his little brother. Anupam Kher as Murtaza the gang lord is good—an unconventional casting choice. In fact, the entire cast: Javed Sheikh as inspector Khan, Mukesh Tiwari as gang member Maqsood, Daya Shankar Pandey as gang member Riyaaz and D Santosh as the always-drunk Michael are superlative and jointly carry the film. The music by Pritam is just about average. Editing is effective, though lax at times. The cinematography (Prakash Kutty), which required the camera to be as mobile as the actors, is fantastic and a treat to watch. Director E Niwas (Shool, Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega) makes a good comeback after four years, and perhaps at the right time, as the audience is receptive to such films that tell stories out of the ordinary.