Sriram Raghavan’s latest offering is another thriller; but, this time with a lot of darkness in the story, as well as the characters. ‘Badlapur’ is the story of Raghav (Varun), who loses his wife and son in a freak accident after Laik(Nawaazuddin) and Harman(Vinay Pathak) hijack their car. How he exactly plots his revenge on the killers; is what we see in this film.
‘Badlapur’ is not just about the revenge but how the incident and subsequent issues intertwine the lives of those affected by it. Sriram has given a good narrative to the story. The tagline- ‘Don’t miss the beginning’, is completely justified. He keeps the audience hooked, from the first scene itself. The screenplay has also been written really well. The editing and cinematography is of the film is one notch higher than its revenge drama. There are no black and white scenarios in the movie, only grey areas of perspective; which is what makes this movie a great watch. Some confrontational and backdrop scenes have been really well shot, which keeps the audience engaged.
Varun has broken his chocolate boy mould and transitioned into a matured character, with shades of grey successfully. Varun has been given a misogynist side to his character, which some might find less appealing; but, it is requirement of the role. How he destroys the lives of the men who destroyed his life, is interesting to watch. Nawaazuddin effortlessly plays the role of Laik, the man who Varun feels, has killed his wife. He is a true delight to watch in such characters. The songs have been well positioned, especially ‘Jee Karda…’ which brings out the essence of the movie.
Yes, there are some negatives too. For one, Varun’s toying with the women in the movie, might send out a wrong vibe. Also, Sriram hasn’t been able to build up and sustain the suspense and excitement like his previous films ‘Johnny Gaddar’ and ‘Ek Hasina Thi’. So, in the end, you might not feel that great a ‘punch’, as the movie reaches its climax.
It’s a noir film. Good, a bit dark psycho thriller. If you like the genre, then don’t miss this one. Even if you don’t, the film is definitely worth a watch, compared to recent releases.
(Rating ***1/2)
By : Sahil Kamdar