Movie: Andhadhun
Cast: Ayushman Khurana, Tabu, Radhika Apte
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Rating: 3.00 / 5.00
Sriram Raghavan’s new release Andhadhun is a thriller full of surprises and dark comedy. There are several twists in the tale that keep the audience interested. The film revolves around blindness and turns the ‘idea of sight’ into a thriller. The movie boasts of great actors like Ayushmann Khurana, Radhika Apte, and Tabu.
Akash (Ayushmann Khurana) is a talented Pune-based pianist who plays in a club and is saving up for his trip to London. He meets the daughter of a popular club owner, Quikki Sophie (Radhika Apte), and then a former actor Pramod Sinha (Anil Sinha), who is married to a very young woman Sumi (Tabu). Akash’s talent and geniality make people like him instantly, but there is a flip side to it. Blindness is connected with secrecy. While the movie is progressing with Akash’s interactions with other characters, suddenly a murder takes place, and things change from there.
Raghavan is known for using old Hindi movie songs and converts them into conspiracy points. He has done it earlier in films like Johnny Gaddar, Badlapur, and Agent Vinod. We can see the same in this movie as well. In particular, when Akash gets kidnapped and prays to Lord Shiva. A famous Bollywood song on Lord Shiva plays on the backdrop.
Also, just like Badlapur, this film also starts with a scene that will be revisited later in the movie only to shock the audience. The movie is full of dark humour and twists. There is one scene in the film in which Tabu deliberately guides the police officer about the proper investigation. This is all happening in good faith, but the twist is that Tabu is also the main suspect in the case.
Zakir Hussain and Anil Dhawan are a beautiful addition to this thriller. However, Radhika Apte is less convincing in this movie. The second half disrupts the flow of the, and things become repetitive in the 139-minutes-long movie.
AndhaDhun is a slow burner, the more you invest in it, the more you enjoy it. Also, do not treat a piano as just another musical instrument. You never know, it can be a conspiracy against you.
Raghavan has done the right thing with the screenplay and with the looks of the characters, especially Akash. Close-up shots have the deeply saturated colour prop, and light shades have light yellow mood lighting. Pune’s beautiful green streets and a little cold atmosphere serve as a perfect location for a crime thriller. This film also debates over art and sacrifices. Everything progresses together, and you appreciate the Raghavan’s understanding of the grey area.