AndhaDhun movie review: Tabu steals the show in Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte’s predictable thriller
AndhaDhun movie review: The films stars Ayushmann Kurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Zakir Hussain, Ashwini Kalsekar and Anil Dhawan. It has been directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures.
I had not seen the trailer of Sriram Raghavan’s AndhaDhun before watching the movie. So, for once, I was in for a surprise and by God, it was a good one. For the first 20 minutes of the movie, it seemed like a romantic comedy centered around Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte. It was cute, cheeky and had an old-world charm. For once, Radhika Apte didn’t seem as annoying as she usually does.
But then Ayushmann meets Tabu and everything goes to s**t! The best aspect of a thriller is when it can actually give you the goosebumps. There is a scene in the film, in which Ayushmann is playing the piano at Tabu and Anil Dhawan’s residence. What happens next will make your jaw drop! That is, inarguably, the best scene in the film. It was crisp, sudden, and I definitely did not see it coming.
There on, the movie takes many twists and turns, some genuinely thrilling while others rather predictable. The performances, however, were mostly on point. Ayushmann is exceptional in some scenes while in his Vicky Donor mode in the others. Radhika started off well, but turned her unconvinced self, like in Lust Stories. But Tabu steals the show in every frame she is in. Her experience and excellence is evident in every scene, because whenever she is on screen, she takes the limelight away from the other actors, including Ayushmann and Radhika.
Sriram Raghavan directed a mind-blowing first half, which entails a murky world that is unforgiving at every step of the way, with characters so compelling that they’ll knock your socks off and his ambiguous homages to subversive cinema keeps you hooked at all times. The second half, however, is a little underwhelming. The characters are still as compelling, including new ones, a morally flexible doctor played by Zakir Hussain and the conniving lottery ticket seller played by Chhaya Kadam. She is particularly compelling, at times matches Tabu with her acting chops.
But the best aspect of the movie is the sound design and the background score. A thriller falls flat if the score doesn’t match up to its potential. But in AndhaDhun, the score exceeds the potential of the movie. Every beat will keep your heart racing in anticipation of what’s coming next. The music in the film, too, is heartwarming and blends modern-day songs with unforgettable yesteryear tunes.
However, no film is perfect and AndhaDhun is no exception either. The second half, in particular, has many twists and turns that you can see coming from a mile away. The big reveal at the end of the movie, too, is predictable and rather underwhelming. Though Raghavan really tried for a dazzling end, it still falls short. But that didn’t take me away too much from the overall experience of the film.
Overall Experience
AndhaDhun is the perfect movie to watch in a theatre. It is thrilling, full of compelling performances and exceptional sound design that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana and a number of supporting characters in Sriram Raghavan’s direction make it a great movie-going experience.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by: Shibaji Roychoudhury