I went to watch Ankahee with zero expectations. Vikram Bhatt is a director who hardly ever did a good film, and barring a few exceptions, most of his films are poor and unoriginal. But somehow I found Ankahee watchable despite the poor writing. The film deals with such issues as adultery and depression, and it might not be convincing, but somewhat enjoyable. Esha Deol stars as a beauty pageant who has an affair with a married man played by Aftab Shivdasani. First, with all due respect, Deol is far from having the looks of a beauty pageant. In fact, she is not half as beautiful as her mother Hema Malini. Having said that, she performed passionately throughout the film and her wide eyes conveyed the emptiness and the frustration of a woman suffering from manic depression. Aftab Shivdasani was decent as the confused man who lacks character. Amisha Patel was convincing and played the wronged but strong wife with sincerity and depth. This may be her most (or should I say only) solid performance since Gaddar. Technically, Ankahee is well-made. The story was quite good and the proceedings were dark and serious, albeit a bit confused and slow. The ending is strange and funny, but nevertheless, this is a decent fare which can be watched with family and friends.
