'Gandhari' review: Taapsee Pannu's thriller is bland and predictable
What's the story
Netflix India's new action thriller Gandhari marks actor Taapsee Pannu's sixth collaboration with writer-producer Kanika Dhillon. Starring an exciting ensemble comprising Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, and Mita Vashisht, the film has been directed by Devashish Makhija. Despite its gritty subject and action-heavy narrative, Gandhari is a massive misfire due to its convoluted plot and surface-level, bland storytelling.
Plot
A mother on mission to rescue her daughter
Gandhari follows Bani (Pannu), who is on a mission to find her daughter, Mishti, who has been kidnapped from the railway station.
The search takes a dark turn when she becomes temporarily blind due to an accident.
However, this doesn't stop her from uncovering disturbing clues and exposing a dangerous child-trafficking racket.
Singh plays her husband, Gokul.
#1
Suffers from forgettable, uninteresting characters
It's surprising that Makhija, who has previously mastered restrained storytelling in Joram and Ajji, delivers such a helter-skelter, stilted film.
There are numerous capable, experienced actors here, and yet nobody, not even the lead character, is well-fleshed out.
People are haphazardly introduced and then tossed out of the screen, and the film remains obsessed with Bani and her (unexciting) investigation.
#2
More on the above aspect
It's a sign of a scattershot screenplay if you can't remember any characters once the final credits begin to roll.
Panchayat actor Chandan Roy sinks his teeth into an evil role, but his arc is limited to a few dialogues.
Kadam is impactful as Bani-Gokul's loving neighbor, but her character is also marred by illogical, confusing writing.
The project lets down all its actors.
#3
Bogged down by its endless twists
Gandhari is defined by the same kind of unhinged chaos that dominated Do Patti and Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (both written by Dhillon).
There is twist after twist; nothing lands, and the storytelling is ludicrous.
Just when the film inches closer to the climax, it is bulldozed by one last surprise, which makes everything a bit more unbearable.
Gandhari survives on shock value alone.
#4
The stakes never feel too high
Gandhari keeps hobbling on with no sense of urgency.
Despite the grim subject, we neither care about Bani nor Mishti.
The antagonist's treatment is straight out of a 2000s Bollywood thriller, and the plot is terribly unsure about Jatin Sarna and Singh's characters.
With its undercooked writing and instantly forgettable storyline, Gandhari fails as both a suspense thriller and an emotional drama.
Verdict
'Gandhari' gives you nothing to hold on to; 1.5/5 stars
Gandhari seems to exist in the shadow of movies like Maa and Mardaani, and struggles to carve an identity of its own.
Even though the runtime is under two hours, it feels much longer because of its repetitive action scenes and monotonous narrative.
A punishing film that puts you through the wringer, Gandhari is a long, arduous journey to nowhere.
1.5/5 stars.