Seven years after directing Shah Rukh Khan as a larger-than-life gangster in , Rahul Dholakia has found a new set of more down-to-earth heroes for Agni. Dholakia wants you to in a new light – and at least on this count, Agni is an unqualified success.

The Hindi film, which is out on Prime Video, valourises firefighters as the first responders we always need but nearly never appreciate. Through thickets of smoke and layers of dust, blackened faces and choked lungs, a clear picture emerges of the men and women who put their existence at risk so that others may live.

There are two smart uses of fire in the film. One is the safe kind – the matches struck at gas burners or religious altars. The other is dangerous – caused by ignorance, neglect or, worse, criminal intent.

The locus of action is Mumbai’s Parel fire station. Station chief Vitthal (Pratik Gandhi) leads staffers who brave ravenous flames and collapsing rubble.

The firefighters play as hard as they work. They lay bets on how high the temperatures will get – 500 degrees? 1,000 degrees? A fire tender that arrives late after being misdirected by Google Maps earns mock applause from those who got there first.

The rise in the number...