Debjani Mukherjee

Indian cinema is changing. The larger than life images generally portrayed on the Indian silver screen is gradually getting replaced with the reflections of the real lives. People are finding those stories and characters more attractive which enfolding the details of the real life unlike the typical Bollywood stories only painted in two shades black and white. Where a hero is absolutely free of any short comings and the villain is nothing but a hell riser. Two very recent films are the perfect examples of this change. Number one Stree and number two is the film Andhadhun starting Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu. Both the stories revolved around the neighbourhoods which are familiar to most of us. In Andhadhun it’s the city Pune. Watching a movie like this is like reading a book. The locations will instantly connect you to them. The roads the buildings the interiors of the houses all seems so known to you that you will start feeling being a part of it jumping and rendering interjections on the unexpected twists and turns of the movie coming one after another. The story starts focusing on the life of two protagonist Ayushmann and Tabu simultaneously. And after a while murders starts happening one by one. There remains no mystery about who is doing the murders but yet the tension of what will happen next will keep your eyes glued on the screen. The story is an extremely gripping dark comedy which takes you to such roller coaster rides that you will feel it like the knock out punches in your belly. Writer-director Sriram Raghavan has done a commendable job and his character portraying will really remain you stunned as they are all so very next door in impression yet so dark in there crux. It’s a thriller so I should not say much about the story but let me give you a little hint of it here. Ayushmann Khurrana who is named Akash in the movie is a pianist who is blind or should I say would be blind !Confused ? Just watch the movie to feel the sudden blows sitting on your sit and forgetting to munch your popcorn. Tabu who is named Simi in the movie is a house wife of an old film actor who is much more in age than her. And then starts the unfolding of her shades one by one with totally unexpected acts performed by the vicious character. The supporting character of the police inspector performed by the Manav vij is a character with shades of cruelty and cowardice at the same time. He portrays the polygamist husband who is ok otherwise ok having relations with another woman but becomes a loathsome weak creature in front of the rage of his wife and instantly puts all blame to the other woman telling all kinds of lie to come down her wife. Typical sketch of those men who are disgusting in their double standards. Another supporting character by played by Radhika Apte is a simple girl who becomes broken heart by misunderstanding the situations. The other supporting characters comes for a short span of time in the movie but they are no less in importance in the story. The songs are not appealing you will forget them as soon as they ends but the story is so power packed that you will come out of the hall thrilled from head to toe. A real clenching thriller or black comedy (what ever the category you would like to call it ) I saw in long time. These kind of experimenting cinemas are more needed on our silver screen nowadays. A must watch in my recommendation. I would love to give it four and a half stars out of five.