Agni Varsha

About the film

Agni Varsha is a 2002 Indian period drama film produced by Kashish Bhatnagar under the iDream Production banner and directed by Arjun Sajnani. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Nagarjuna, Raveena Tandon, Milind Soman, and Prabhu Deva, with music composed by Sandesh Shandilya and Taufiq Qureshi. The film is a silver screen adaptation of Girish Karnad's Mahabharat play The Fire and The Rain. The film's art direction was handled by Shashidhar Adapa and Choreography was handled by Prabhu Deva.

Plot

In a kingdom stricken with drought for many years, Aravasu, a young Brahmin, falls in love with Nittilai, a tribal girl, who seeks approval from her father and the village's elders before marrying him. Aravasu's brother, Paravasu, has been conducting a major fire sacrifice, the "yajna" ceremony, for seven years to appease the god of rain, Devraj Indra. Aravasu and Paravasu's father, Raibhya, dislike both his sons and suspect Vishaka, who is Paravasu's wife, of having an affair with Yavakri. Raibhya bases this on the fact that Yavakri and Vishaka loved each other before Yavakri left the village for 10 years to worship Devraj Indra in the jungle so that he could attain Brahma Jnana (supreme divine powers). After his return, Yavakri again tries pursuing Vishakha regularly on her way to and from the water well. She, at first, refuses him as she is married, but ultimately gives in, and they start having forbidden sex in the caves and the woods. One day, Nittilai and Aravasu see a full-water vessel, which Aravasu recognizes as being Vishaka's. Nittilai then sees both Vishaka and Yavakri making love in a cave. Nittilai first tries to run and take Aravasu with her, but she then frankly mentions it to Aravasu when he sees the naked Vishaka. This frankness is detested and angers Yavakri, who in turn angrily tells Nittilai that she is cursed and will die within a month. This scares Nittil…

Upon reaching home, on being accused of adultery by Raibhya, Vishakha enraged tells him that she was with Yavakri. An enraged Raibhya summons a dark force, Brahma Rakshas to kill Yavakri.

He also declares that Yavakri can save himself if he enters the ashram of his father, this shall declare him as a coward. Yavakri, wanting to prove his strength waits for the demon to arrive. Vishakha warns him and tells him to flee to his father's ashram, which would allow both him and Raibhya to live; otherwise, if Yavakri defeats the Brahma Rakshas, Raibhya would have to immolate himself. But Yavakri refuses to be defensive, and a dispute of distrust erupts between Yavakri and Vishakha, leading to an act of defiance by Vishakha. The demon slays Yavakri as he now runs to seek refuge in his father's ashram. Vishakha pleads Aravasu to cremate him; this delays his appointment with Nittilai's father and her village elders, and, as a result, she is forced to marry a fellow tribesman.

Soundtrack

The music is composed by Sandesh Shandilya. The lyrics are written by Javed Akhtar. The music is released on Universal Music India.

Key details