Aah Sriram! Welcome back. With this you’ve finally made up for the catastrophic ‘Agent Vinod’ - a blinding misstep in an otherwise stellar career. Ek Haseena Thi, Johnny Gaddaar, Badlapur are top class films with great wit and scintillating thrills. And most importantly, we need you badly. Because you are one of the rare directors in Bollywood who can make a crazy thriller. And boy is Andhadhun crazy!
Now, a lot of the films drama comes from the insane plot. So guys, I will try not to spill things that you already don’t know from the trailer. It’s about this blind guy who becomes an unwitting witness to a murder. Is he even aware of the murder? Is he involved? Will he be the next target? For that you will have to watch the film. And watch you must.
What I can talk about is everything else, so let’s go. The hero of the film is the sinful writing and the artful execution. The plot, inspired from a short story, is in equal parts rib-tickling and nerve-wracking. The screenplay is tight and rarely wasteful. Everything adds up to the plot or gives it a delicious twist. The first half is an absolute hoot! Haven’t had as much fun in a first half of a film in a long long time – much like Anurag Kashyap’s Gulaal which had a spectacularly powerful first half, but unlike Gulaal Sriram doesn’t completely lose the plot in the second half. Yes, the second half does have some loose ends but you can forgive Sriram for it because you are still having fun. The dialogues are on point and the characters are flavourful. The comedy is in the delightful mix of what is happening, what is being said and who is saying it – it all adds up! The director is never trying too hard for thrills or laughs.
In terms of the performances, though Ayushmann plays blind, Tabu holds all the cards! She shows you why she is such a powerhouse performer with this wicked turn. And it’s not as if she is completely wicked. What makes it even more brilliant is that you believe that she actually wants to be good! Ayushmann is consistent and plays his part perfectly. It might not be a stellar performance, but he rarely puts a foot wrong. Radhika plays a small part but does it with her usual air of casualness. And then there is the coterie of delightful characters played by Anil Dhawan, Ashwini Kalsekar, Manav Vij and Zakir Hussain. They might not be the main ingredients, but they surely add the salt to this lip-smacking buffet.
What could Sriram have done better? Well, the second half is a little stretched and you start wondering where it is headed. It could have been tighter. And considering the main lead is a musician, the music could have been much better. I mean, it works for the film, but you won’t play the tracks separately and enjoy them.
So that’s it. Rarely do you get a chance to watch a rib-tickling Bollywood thriller at the cinema. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. Aankh band karke ticket lo and Andhadhun dekh lo.
Rating: 4/5 - Like if you agree.. Comment if you don't!
RSS Feed
