BADLAPUR

Director: Sriram Raghavan
Writers: Arijit Biswas, Sriram Raghavan
Stars: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Varun Dhawan, Yami Gautam
Strength: Story, Acting and Script
Weakness: Confusing conclusion
Runtime: 134 minutes
Rating: 4/5

Plot: After the murder of his wife and child, Raghu seeks out the killers for revenge. The lines get blurred in the pursuit of taking an eye for an eye. How far will Raghu go?
 

Review: Sriram Raghavan's finesse in handling noir drama is unmatchable in Bollywood. Be it Ek Hasina Thi or Johnny Gaddaar, Raghavan has always proved his mettle in this genre. His movies unfold with a stark alacrity which keeps the audience glued to the screen. Badlapur is a gritty, realistic and gripping drama. This thriller develops at a taut pace, starting as a light- hearted love story and later gradually growing in suspense with its shocking proceedings. The director knows his job well and lets the audience simmer in anticipation as he slowly cooks a meaty plot. Even five years ago, a film like this would be unimaginable from the Bollywood film industry, and even in 2015, this is a bit of a shocker. Badlapur has no clear heroes and villains, but every single character in the film feels real – too real for comfort. The story is not suitable for children, as most revenge dramas are not. Yet, Badlapur transcends the generic revenge story by putting Varun Dhawan in a career-lifting role of an anti-hero that you will not soon forget.  Nawazuddin give a performance to be cherished. Yami Gautam doesn't get enough scope to perform, and that's my only complaint with the film. With a unique story, great acting and screenplay that holds the movie together tightly, Sriram Raghavan delivers one of the best movies to come out of Bollywood in months.

Reviewed by Zakir Mushtaque