What should be in a great suspense-thriller film? A strong protagonist, the depth of a mother-daughter relationship or a mountain of grief falling on a happy family? Director Devashish Makhija’s new film ‘Gandhari’, released on Netflix, tries to incorporate all these aspects. This Taapsee Pannu starrer action-thriller starts off strong, but soon loses its way in the rush to create thrills.
What is the story of the film?
The story of the film revolves around Bani (Taapsee Pannu), whose innocent daughter Mishti falls prey to a dangerous human trafficking gang during a train journey. When Bani and her husband Gokul (Ishwak Singh) realize that the local police in Joypura are not helping them, Bani sets out to find her daughter herself.
The major turning point in the story comes when Bani gradually loses her eyesight due to an accident. Despite being blind, he did not give up and while rescuing his daughter, he exposed a huge human trafficking racket in the city.
Gandhari: Lack of story
Begins with ‘Gandhari’. Also, you are impressed with the star cast and the story. But after the first 20 minutes the film suddenly starts to weaken. We don’t know if this is a story problem or not, but we do know that not being able to connect the parts of the story properly was a major flaw.
For example, when Taapsee decides to find her daughter herself instead of trusting the local police, she finds that she has a month and a half to find her daughter. The scene then moves to an event a month later. By then, Taapsee, who is blind, befriends most of the townspeople. She also teaches in an NGO.
While it is not entirely impossible for this to happen, the way in which Taapsee has reached this point seems too hasty. The audience doesn’t get much time to feel the grieving mother. And this is just one example. The use of ‘polymorphs’ is an important element in creating an atmosphere of mystery in the film. However, instead of adding something special to the story, they serve as a few moments of horror.
It is generally accepted that thriller films should be fast paced. But the pace of ‘Gandhari’ is a bit faster. You can clearly see that the film has been made in haste. The filmmaker and editor are all focused on the action. They don’t give the audience enough time to ‘feel’ the story, especially one with so many emotional aspects.
Take Meeta Vashishta’s character for example. She comes and Bani suddenly starts trusting her. Then she starts learning how to fight and defend herself. You feel that you may have missed some important moments in the blink of an eye. But soon you will realize where the real problem lies.
Gandhari: Acting
‘Gandhari’ has amazing actors. However, almost every character is not fully utilized. Taapsee Pannu has played the role of Bani. Due to her films, she is known as a versatile artist. In ‘Gandhari’, Taapsee has tried to adapt the character in her style. However the weak script weakens the story. Some parts are incomprehensible, while others seem overwhelming.
There is also a moment like ‘Andhadhun’, which we will not mention here. But we have seen Taapsee do better than that. Still, he has to be praised for the emotional moments. She manages to make you feel her pain as she cries and pleads with her husband to bring back her lost child.
Action scenes are also done well. Taapsee is one reason why you should give ‘Gandhari’ a chance.
Ishwak Singh Gokul – Impressive as Taapsee’s husband and the father of her lost child. That’s one of the few good things about the movie. But there are moments when his character doesn’t get a full chance to shine. Still, Ishwak has tried his best to make the most of what he has been given.
Meeta Vashishta, Swastika Mukherjee, Jatin Sarna, Prashant Narayanan and Chandan Roy are very popular names. In fact, the amazing star cast is one of the reasons why many of you will consider watching ‘Gandhari’.
However, almost every character in the story has flaws and is not fully utilized. When Chaya Kadam’s character comes on screen, you have a little hope that maybe it will provide some relief. But it is hard to believe that this is the same actress who made the country famous with films like ‘All We Imagine as Light’ and ‘Lapata Ladies’.
And especially Prashant Narayanan. This actor scared us in the role of Dheeraj Pandey in ‘Murder 2’. He is the main villain in ‘Gandhari’, but you hardly feel it. They come on screen for a very short time. The outcome of his character, or the way it happens, is also tragic. Prashant has a lot of talent as an actor. However, ‘Gandhari’ doesn’t do her as much justice as it should.
Gandhari: Directed and Written
Kanika Dhillon is the writer and producer of this film. Devashish Makhija is its director. And this is where ‘Gandhari’ becomes most vulnerable. Here can be a very interesting story. Human Trafficking missing girls A mother who is desperately searching for her child. A woman struggles with her physical limitations while confronting a vast criminal network. On paper, it has the makings of a solid thriller. But writing doesn’t give these things a chance to emerge properly.
The screenplay moves quickly from one event to another without establishing proper context. Characters come, disappear and return for no apparent reason. Emotional moments come, but they rarely have time to leave an impact.
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Devashish Makhija tries to create a dark and serious atmosphere. His intentions are clear. Action scenes are also shown quickly and hastily. But the direction doesn’t address the screenplay’s biggest problem – the film is always in a rush to get to the next plot point.
The result is a thriller that tells you what’s going on, but doesn’t always make you feel it.
Gandhari: What is good
The greatest quality of ‘Gandhari’ is its base. The story of a mother searching for her kidnapped daughter is emotional in itself. It has the human trafficking racket and the gradual loss of eyesight of the main character, then has full scope to make a powerful thriller.
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The cast is also a big plus. Taapsee Pannu and Ishwak Singh have done a good job. The supporting cast also has many talented actors.
Action scenes look good at some places. The film also manages to create a dark and creepy atmosphere, especially in the beginning.
And despite the flaws, Taapsee’s emotional scenes are impressive. Her frustration as a mother is perhaps the most powerful part of the film.
Gandhari: What is not good
The biggest problem is the writing. The film moves very quickly. So quickly the important twists in the story seem to have no solid foundation. The characters don’t get time to develop properly. Emotional moments are over before they can leave an impact.
The human trafficking angle would have made a great social thriller. Instead, it often seems like a plot device to move the story along.
The supporting characters are also underutilized. With such a strong cast, you expect memorable characters. Instead, you get a lot of actors who feel like they’ve been given ill-written roles.
The biggest disappointment is that ‘Gandhari’ has all the makings of a good thriller. It has good actors. The premise of the story is also good. It has a dark atmosphere. It also has some really emotional moments. But all these things never connect properly.
Gandhari: Final decision
‘Gandhari’ starts with a good idea, but soon loses its grip. The film wants to be a passionate mother-daughter story and a powerful thriller at the same time. Sadly, it doesn’t do any of these things very well.
Taapsee Pannu has given everything. Ishwak Singh has acted honestly. The supporting cast is also talented. But none of this can fully save the screenplay, which feels hastily written and unfinished.
The biggest irony is that ‘Gandhari’ is a thriller that doesn’t give enough time to its story to generate excitement.
There are moments when you want to support ‘Bani’. There are moments when the film almost reaches that point. But when you get engrossed in the story, it moves quickly without taking you along.
2/5 stars for ‘Gandhari’