Andadhun (2018) [Movie Review]

Dir: Sriram Raghavan

Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte and Tabu

Dur: 2 hrs 18 mins

Genre: Black Comedy Crime Thriller
Rating: 3/10

I watched this film on good recommendations. It was hailed as one of the best films of 2018. The mystery surrounding the film went well with the mystery that was actually the film itself. I learnt a hard lesson after watching this film and that is not to go by what other’s say about a film. Given Bollywood’s film making standards, I should not have been surprised. Yet, I found myself pleasantly surprised at the end product.

Andadhun tells a complex tale of blindness in a world that is not blind even though it appears so. Confused? Well then, watching the film is not going to make it any better. This film is a classical example of postmodern film-making. It is replete with ample plot twists that don’t allow you to settle into its tricky narrative. Just when you think you have it all figured out, a new twist emerges and challenges your conceptions. From that point of view, the film is a testament to impressive film-making however, one that does not suit my taste. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what people liked in this film. Personally, there was not much to like. I like Tabu’s acting. She was simply brilliant. Ayushmann tried hard to make things work but I don’t think he managed to breathe much life into the dead horse. Radhika is seen in a bubbly, fresh character; a good break from her otherwise, emotionally stirring characters. A rabbit begins and ends the film. He is animated and quite beautifully at that. And perhaps stands out as one of the best characters in the film.

If your looking for entertainment, you’ll hardly find much here. There are a few bites of comedy but they are on the dark side so unless you have a light to shine on them, you’ll probably miss them. The plot is basically senseless. The only thing that seems to make sense is the steadiness of the characters. The film's poster is quite insightful. You see the protagonist taking a step beyond the red line; a perfect depiction of what the film is about: crossing the red line of simplicity and logic. Even though the film has the capacity to keep you gripped for its duration it is unlikely to stay in your mind for longer than that. The only reason I would watch something like this again is if I got it for free.

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iVYI99VGaw