Agra review: Kanu Behl’s film is an intense tale of sexual desires, cramped up spaces and patriarchy

Starring an ensemble cast, this is a story about an unconventional family through the lens of the city of Agra!

Agra review: From the very first scene itself, Kanu Behl’s Agra sets the tone straight for us which is the fact that this isn’t an easily digestible story. It is going to make you uncomfortable, it is going to make you angry and it is going to make you feel as suffocated as the characters do on-screen. The visuals are graphic and the message isn’t spoon-fed to you, it is up to you to understand and take it home. The story revolves around Guru (Mohit Agarwal) and it's set in Agra as the title suggests. For the world, Agra is synonymous with the Taj Mahal, a wonder of the world. But for many in India, Agra is actually synonymous with its pagal khaana. Kanu Behl’s story shows us the latter part of Agra. The one that is not often shown on-screen, the small spaces, the not so aesthetically pleasing areas and how the lower middle class live there.

Guru is a call center employee, but his life isn’t as black and white as that. He is as layered as one can get. He shares a room with his unhappy mother (Vibha Chibber), who cannot stop nagging him about things. His father (Rahul Roy), lives in the upper storey of the same house with his mistress (Sonal Jha). He comes from a rather dysfunctional family and the way he has seen his family fall apart has clearly had an impact on his mental health. He has an imaginary girlfriend at work who he wants to marry and every time someone questions her existence, he sees red. He is a volatile, sexually frustrated man who desperately wants to indulge in his desires which leads to him constantly sexting women through online sex chats. 

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The story tries to portray how living in cramped spaces with our families also plays a huge role in our sexual lives and how it affects one’s behaviour in the outside world. The story also largely surrounds the family’s dispute about building a new house for themselves with the space that they have. While Guru's mother has outdated ideas about how to go about with the renovations, he takes charge and shows them what really can be done with the house that they have. In the process of this, he also meets Priti(Priyanka Bose) with whom he gets to channel all his sexual energies and she finally gets to be with someone who will give her a space of her own. 

The women in this film felt rather conflicting to me as, on one hand, they are all strong headed voices, but on the other, they are complicit in brushing toxic masculinity and abusive behaviour under the carpet, and moving forward like it’s no big deal. But maybe, showing these flawed characters co-existing amongst each other, like most Indian families do, is the point of the film. There are arguments, there’s plotting against each other, the sex in the film feels like what men here think sex is supposed to be like because of how porn sells it to them - Agra is intense and does not let your mind relax for even a moment. 

Having said that, this film does have its weak moments as well. From heated arguments and violent sequences that don’t feel convincing enough to a climax that leaves you confused, there are parts in the film that make you lose interest. While a story like this is not everyone’s cup of tea, it has an audience of its own who might have their own interpretations of this story. 

Agra is currently playing at a theatre near you!

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