There are some movies that really move you and then there are some that leave you speechless. Before I give you enough reasons to go buy that ticket, let me start with some advice. If you haven’t seen the trailer of this upcoming movie that’s fine, the cleaner slate you go with, the better I’d say, because you won’t know what to expect, much like every other second of the movie. This Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, and Radhika Apte starrer is nothing like you’ll ever have seen before. It gives you the rush and thrill of a roller coaster but also has you laughing.
Akash played by Ayushmann is a blind pianist looking for the inspiration to create the perfect musical masterpiece. There’s Pramod Sinha (played by Anil Dhawan) a yesteryear film star who is happily married to a much younger Simi (played by Tabu). There’s a little kid who tries to make money by hook or crook, a beefy police inspector who is cleaning up a mess that he created than doing his work most of the time, a lottery ticket seller and an auto driver who seems normal enough. But, nobody is as they seem except for Priya (played by Radhika) a girl running a diner in Pune who is there to add to the glamour quotient of the movie in a good way. Just like us, she is mesmerized by Akash, his talent and his way of life.
A murder takes place turning all these characters’ seemingly normal lives into a game of cat and mouse. What’s amazing is that unlike any other crime mystery/thriller Sriram Raghavan doesn’t hide the killer from us, he plainly shows us who it is and leaves the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time and the story pretty much writes itself.
Ayushmann is brilliant as the blind pianist and through the movie, you’re rooting for him. There’s not one moment that he lets his character slip. He is the perfect amount of brains, vulnerability, and looks that any protagonist needs and you can’t see anyone else playing the role as well as he did. Ayushmann has me wondering how he has such a knack of picking stories that are so starkly different and all just great movies too and Andhadhun is definitely another feather he can add to his cap. You all know what a powerhouse of talent Tabu is, but as Simi, she’s something else. You finally get to see her in a role that she’s never played before and she plays a vixen like a pro. You’ll hate Simi because she will drive you nuts but you’ll end up falling in love with Tabu for her sheer brilliance in portraying her. It’d be a crime to not mention Anil Dhawan who sorta plays himself (a yesteryear star) but with a different name and a different life, of course. It’s super funny to see him enjoy his own movies and songs from the 70s. It’d be a crime not to mention the police officer played by Manav Vij who has lesser lines and more facial expressions in the movie. Then there’s Radhika Apte who yet again proves that you don’t need a role that takes up the full two hours to shine. She’s super sexy but equally outspoken making her the perfect modern girl next door.
The credit of making this movie such a great ride goes to the captain of the ship Sriram Raghavan who not only directed the movie but also co-wrote the script with Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti, Yogesh Chandekar. There are some movies that you enjoy watching, then there are some that you wish you made, Andhadhun is the latter. Sriram Raghavan manages to make you laugh even when you’re at the edge of your seat. Much like what Dinesh Vijan did with his horror comedy Stree, Raghavan gives us dark humour with Andhadhun. You’re always wondering what’s going to happen next, and while keeping this tension taut, he manages to make us guffaw with the deadpan and real AF dialogues. He manages to find that sweet spot of humour where he transfers the responsibility to make it funny to the actor than writing jokes into the story.
Amit Trivedi yet again proves that he doesn’t make music for the hits that it’ll get on YouTube but for situations. Amit Trivedi is a master at this and whichever movies he’s done is proof of that. His songs are not injected into a movie just for fun, they’re seamlessly integrated and very much a part of the story. And it’s the kind of realistic music you’d imagine in
Andhadhun can be added to the list of those films that will win hearts and applause without any Khan or magnanimous production value.
Take a bow the actors, the director, the writers and everyone associated with the film, because this is hands down one of the best films of the year.
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Rating: 4/5