Angry Young Men Review: Plot - A three-episode documentary series, Angry Young Men captures the rise, fall, and life as it happened, as two young men shaped Indian cinema in a way that even they didn't realize. Probably an answer to Sandeep Reddy Vanga on what Javed Akhtar did in his career with Salim Khan, the docu-series is a testimony to how the heroes we witness now on the big screen are fragments of the imagination these two had, and there is no way you can omit them when discussing Indian cinema.

Angry Young Men Review: Analysis

It took a rebellion to put the writers on the posters, and it took even bigger courage to stand in front of a producer and ask for a lakh more than the superstar starring in the movie written by them. Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar walked and ran so that the writers today can fly. Two young boys from outside Bombay trying to figure out their lives in the maximum city while their personas seeped into characters that now have become iconic in more than one way. If it is a life gloriously lived, characters strongly etched in our memories, and personalities so vibrant, how does one capture these lives in a span of less than three hours? Well, Zoya Akhtar and Amazon Prime Video dared, and it has come out like a capsule that is for a quick run-through and nothing more. 

But what is fascinating is that even the capsule, which leaves you wanting more—not in an anticipated way but in an unsatisfied manner—still feels glorious, fascinating, and shiny. Because these are supremely charming subjects, both sitting in front of the camera recalling a life that is no less than that of dreams. So, for most of it, Angry Young Men is like watching a history lesson come alive. Two men, 24 movies, out of which 22 are blockbusters. This is never happening again, and someone would be a fool to even try. So when we first meet the charismatic duo on screen, they still command your attention, even when the subject now is their personal life.

Directed by Namrata Rao and, well, IMDb gives writing credits to Salim and Javed. Even if that is a glitch, it still makes the most sense; Angry Young Men is like one of the pocket-sized books you buy at the airport while your flight is delayed. Start buying them if you don't already; the gossip you are overhearing has no relevance. So back to the docuseries. Rao doesn't want you to have a slow conversation with her subjects; she wants to tell you about the brilliance they brought to the big screen and why they did what they did in broad strokes. We never go into the details of what life back home looked like or what fueled them to become what they eventually did. This was the most heartbreaking breakup of the decade and probably the second half of the last century, and what we get is just a line that they parted ways and were still cordial to each other.

In more ways than one, Angry Young Men teases things from the past of these iconic figures but never explores them beyond that. In a very moving interview, a subject says that perhaps the fact that these two men have been away from the motherly embrace for most of their lives makes the "Maa" element of their stories so special. Their need to feel that motherly warmth was satisfied with the men they wrote about, who hold "Maa" in the highest regard and would compare her to all the wealth in the world. This is such a beautiful cue to venture into the childhood of these two legendary men and explore what they went through or saw. But the docuseries never dares to go there. Salim Khan talks about being away from his mother as a child because she was battling a health condition. It would have been so insightful if we had gotten more about the childhood that shaped the adulthood of these men.

Angry Young Men for most of its part only tells you what you already know, and those portions feel like a revision. The biggest missed opportunity is never bringing the men together to talk about their lives, Angry Young Man, Sholay—there is so much. But they only reunite for a picture, and that is where the docuseries ends. I wish they had spoken to each other on camera, maybe dissected their journey, laughed about it, maybe even cried a little. That would have made this content for the stars, the most shining of them all.

The docuseries in the end tries to explore their personal lives and separations. Honey Irani, in one scene, says she hated the two when arrogance took over their minds. This is the moment I wish had come somewhere in the second episode to explore the flaws. Salim Khan saying, “Mere writing ki shuruat Indore mein ladko ke liye love letter likhne se hui,” is the content this docuseries should have focused more on.

Angry Young Men Review: Final Verdict

There is no way you will be bored because these are legends talking about creating the hero you have loved forever. But that doesn't change the fact that they deserve a celebration that is more immersive, vulnerable, and detailed.

Angry Young Men will stream on Amazon Prime Video from August 20, 2024. Stay tuned to Mobile Masala for more reviews like this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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