Agnyaathavaasi
Agnyaathavaasi is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by Trivikram Srinivas and starring Pawan Kalyan, with Keerthy Suresh, Anu Emmanuel, Aadhi Pinisetty, Khushbu Sundar, and Boman Irani in supporting roles. The film began principal photography on 3 April 2017. Aadhi Pinisetty played the main antagonist and Bollywood actor Parag Tyagi debuted as a villain. Work on the film commenced under the working title PSPK25, with the final release name revealed on 27 November 2017.
The film was released on 10 January 2018, during the Sankranthi festival weekend and received negative reviews from critics. This was Pawan Kalyan's final film before venturing into politics.
Plot
Govinda "Vindha" Bhargav, a powerful business magnate receives the news of his son Mohan Bhargav's death in a car accident while he is in Italy. Later, armed gunmen enter his hotel room, one of whom holds up a phone, and on the other end are Vindha's friends Sharma and Varma, who tell him this was their plan all along, and now with his son dead as well, his "empire" has no heir. Vindha secretly records this conversation before being gunned to death by the gunmen.The news of Vindha's death, along with his belongings, reaches his wife Indrani Bhargav who hears the audio file of Vindha's alleged killers. She calls her brother Appaji to call for an unknown person. Appaji informs the unknown person, who is none other than Abhishikth Bhargav, Vindha's "secret" son. After performing his father's last rites in Varanasi, Abhi makes his way to Hyderabad, where his father's possible killers live. He scores a job in his office under the pseudonym Balasubramanyam, and makes friendships with Sukumari, Varma's daughter; and Suryakantham, Sharma's secretary who has a daughterly bond with Sharma. However, Abhi comes to know that the phone conversation must have been a fake one, since none of them have international calls registered on their phones, and now some unknown people are trying to kill him. Later that night, armed men break into his house and are killed by Abhi one after the other. The last one alive is killed in front of Indrani, only after revealing to them the true killer, Seetharam, Deenabandhu's son.
The police investigation behind Vindha's death led by ACP Sampath comes to conclusion when he contemplates about Vindha's past. Govindha Bharav, a middle-class man, had set up a successful pharmaceutical company who wished to set up a factory in a remote village. However, that plan failed as Vindha refuses to bribe a local politician, who responds by provoking the villagers to attack Vindha's factory with the help of Vindha's friend Aditya Bandaru. While escaping in a charter plane with his friends except Aditya, they discover that the briefcase containing the vile for the medicine has been shot, destroying it. However, Vindha hides a second one in a secret compartment in the same briefcase. After viewing their celebrations, he begins doubting them as well. When he goes to Bali on a holiday with his pregnant wife, there is an attempt on her life. She is presumed dead, although she is alive. Vindha senses danger to her life, thus sending her away to her brother Appaji's house. She dies shortly after giving birth to Abhi, who is raised as a person agnostic to the concept of wealth acquisition, which Vindha deems as the primary quality for someone to lead his empire after him. With Abhi's consent, he marries Indrani, who is now a mother to Mohan Bhargav.
Abhi takes over the company, proclaiming he is Vindha's son. He tortures Sharma, Varma, and Koteswara Rao, who had a habit of harassing women in the workplace. When this news reaches Seetharam, he comes back to India and asks for evidence to prove that Abhi is Vindha's son. Abhi goes to Bulgaria with Sukumari and Suryakantham to recover Vindha's will, which stated that his wealth must go to Abhi. However, that will is stolen by Seetharam with Appaji's help, and by threatening Sukumari and Suryakantham that he would kill Varma and Sharma. Seetharam destroys the will by burning, thus eradicating the evidence that Abhi is Vindha's son. However, when electing the future CEO for the company, Abhi fights Seetharam's goons on the roof of the building, after revealing that the will given to Seetharam was a fake one and that Appaji was part of Abhi's plan. After killing most of Seetharam's goons, one of the board members of the company reveals to Abhi that he is Aditya's brother, and that he was part of Vindha's murder since he wanted to avenge his brother's death. After confronting Abhi, the board member is attacked by Seetharam's henchman Parag, and they both slip off the rooftop. While Parag falls, Aditya's brother hangs by the logo of the company. After fighting Seetharam and telling him why he does not deserve the position of CEO, Abhi tells Aditya's brother that this company was a tribute to his friend, and the name of the company "AB group" was not named after him, but after Aditya Bandaru. After that, the board member falls to his death. Abhi goes back into the company, takes the position of CEO, and promises Indrani that he will fulfill his father's duties. At last after he takes his duty as a CEO, he speaks with Seetharam and tells that he has to stay in an isolated island where there is no accessibility and hence, the film ends in a happy note
Cast
Filming
Principal photography began on 3 April 2017 with a small coffee shop scene, shot at Ciclo Cafe, then moved to a special set erected in Ramoji Film City for an action sequence. Some parts of the film were shot in Annapurna Studios and a major sequence and a song were shot in Bangkok. The unit moved to Bulgaria on 26 October 2017 for 15 days to shoot two songs. After the foreign schedule, shooting continued in Hyderabad and was completed by the end of November 2017, including a brief period of shooting at Varanasi.In January 2018, after watching the film, French director Jérôme Salle accused the makers of plagiarising his 2008 film Largo Winch and threatened to take legal action.
Music
The soundtrack was composed by Anirudh Ravichander, making his Tollywood debut. The first song "Baitikochi Chusthe" was unveiled on 6 November 2017, the birthday of director Trivikram Srinivas.Release
The film was released on 10 January 2018.Reception
Critical reception
gave the film 2.5/5 stars, noting, "Despite all the pomp and show,... 'Agnyaathavaasi' has been an amazing ride had it either been taken seriously or been made with the same old Trivikram-Pawan Kalyan touch. However, the film lacks soul... Pawan Kalyan aces through his role as usual, even if his body language and expressions ooze disinterest.The Indian Express rated the film 2/5 and stated "Agnyaathavaasi is not the film we expected to see this holiday. It is strictly for fans of Power Star as Trivikram has spent the entire runtime gushing over Pawan Kalyan."
The Hindu said "The film is beautifully shot and Anirudh Ravichander comes up with refreshing music that gives a classy sheen to this urban masala film. But these aren’t enough to salvage the film."