Kuttey (2023) User Reviews

A van full of money and desperados trying toreach it

[madanmarwah · 6/10 · 30 March 2023]

By definition "noir" genre in cinema refers to a movie with action at night mainly in dimly lit areas, plotting in shady night clubs with desperate and grey characters dealing with a corrupt system Most such movies have an intricate plot with more focus on cinematography, editing, sound and less focus on the narrative. Such movies have loud background music and pulsating/ rock music. The characters generally have a fatal fascination for daring action and eliminating adversies in a cruel manner. Keeping all this in mind this movie qualifies as noir cinema but not without its aberrations and shortcomings.

There is an ensemble of desperados, rather three groups consisting of both cops and criminals ( guys and dolls) who are after a van full of money unmindful of each other's mission. At one stage they face each other with cocked guns ready to fire on each other. The narrative is jerky and inconsistent but the pace is fast. Its all about greed for money, betrayal, back stabbing , blood, bullets, shady hotels and shadier deals.( As per the title the characters behave like dogs but surprisingly dogs are loyal and faithful which these characters are definitely not.) The plot line is divided into chapters like sab ka malik ek, Aati kya Canada ?, moong ki dal etc which does make things interesting. There is a" frog and scorpion" story told by one character indicating that a scorpion will bite whatever the circumstances because of its slimy character. An oblique reference to the desperate characters of the movie.

Director Aasmaan Bharadwaj in his debut assignment has done what his dad does best and maybe outdone him in parts . The signature tune of " Kaminey" keeps repeating throughout. There is some excellent cinematography and music to match the mood of the movie. An ensemble of top actors have pitched in to give fine performances. Finally the movie is too dark for average audiences and may prove off putting. Noir cinema is not for everyone.

Missed the target

[sameerlodaya · 4/10 · 18 January 2023]

Sameer lodaya

The movie has missed the target of what the bhardwajs always intend to

When it comes to bhardwajs we expect a lot as always they have been delivering out class movies..here they are lacking the darkness,the story line ,the unique characters, the songs ,the high pitched drama and performances

The movie is only worth watching for TABU as a cop she gave a stunning and strong performance rest others were ordinary..very few scenes were hilarious and were not that dark..the movie was sailing between thrill ,humour ,without any strong storyline..sometimes you fell the movie is gripping but suddenly it loses the interest

This was a pure OTT watch.

Neither great nor terrible; a competent enough work from a debutant director

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 6/10 · 17 March 2023]

I can clearly distinguish the usual imprints of a Bhardwaj production; be it the dark & brooding visuals or its electrifying, riveting background music (the composer here is Vishal Bhardwaj himself),

Still, I have to state this with a heavy heart that Aasman's anticipated debut did not quite go as planned as his vision, his ideas on paper failed to leave a lasting impression and there are not one but numerous reasons that contributed to his failings.

First & foremost, there is no structural cohesion; the plot moves in a pretty chaotic, disorganised manner that could have ultimately led to an interesting viewing session had it been guided by a more experienced individual behind the camera.

Second; unlike his father, who is a master at extracting incredible performances from his actors, Aasman was unable to do the same despite having a star-studded cast filled with the likes of Tabu, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona, Kumud Mishra, and others.

Last but not least, the script is riddled with flaws and devoid of meaning; if that was rectified, the scenario would have been much different in my opinion.

Nonetheless, for a debutant filmmaker, this is a competent enough work, but he has a lot to learn, which I'm confident he will with time!

Stellar cast wasted by a first time director

[nitin-blue · 18 January 2023]

Trailer is more entertaining than the film. The excellent - Phir Dhan Te Nan - song is only in the background. Aasmaan was provided with an amazing cast and crew - thanks to Daddy. He tried to do a Tarantino with it and failed. I guess, he did not learn from his father. Arjun as usual disappoints. All the veterans try their best - but are given paper thin characters and absurd dialogues. If Kaminey was a Picasso, Kuttey is a crayon drawing by a 3 year old.

One single sequence - Moong Ki Daal - in the 109 minutes long movie is amusing. If given another chance, my advice to Aasman would be to watch his dad's movies again before saying - Action.

Bhardwaj Jr needs more work

[suprabhattacharya · 7/10 · 14 January 2023]

When Konkona narrates the story of a dog,lamb and a tiger in the beginning of the film,I hoped the story would adhere to it for making the naming of the film as "Kuttey" justified and the epilogue significant. But the narrative doesn't even add up with that story,which is why I was wondering the importance of that fable told by Konkona throughout the runtime and at the end was disappointed with whimsical climax. The film is filled with cluster of events one after another which keeps you engaged but it feels like over-saturation after first half. The film follows a rashomon structure,and a labyrinth of perspectives and coincidences galore as it progresses. The screenplay lacks depth and fails to make the characters dark as the premise of the film demands. The visuals,score demands more grittier approach than the narrative follows,none of the characters were intimidating enough despite such a great ensemble. If you take out individual performances,none of them disappointed and again Tabu is a winner,what a brilliant performer. Kumud Mishra's character was given a gentle backstory which works well and the only character you could have a little bit sympathy for.

The visuals,the background score are terrific,also being a film school pass-out Aasman Bhardwaj intelligently crafts the action sequences and beautifully utilizes his knowledge of blocking in those. The one take action sequence during the heist evokes brilliance in terms of execution,and easily the best part of the film. Aasman's film is clearly highly influenced by the style of Tarantino,Guy ritchie and his own father's films. What I didn't get from this film is originality,which I was anxiously looking for. Aasman need to grow over his father's shadow and establish himself as an individual filmmaker. I assume he will grow as a filmmaker,because the sheer technical prowess he has regarding films ,what he needs is more polish in his narrative.

And last of all,Arjun Kapoor doesn't look like a sore thumb in the middle of a brilliant casting,he was not brilliant but certainly not someone who spoils the party,Aasman worked hard to bring out a credible performance from him.

Expecting more from Aasman Bhardwaz in future.

Inconsistent script, actors wasted, no character graph

[devdenim · 1/10 · 17 January 2023]

Inconsistent script - a song and entire chase sequence of 15 mins is wasted on finding a driver who was irrelevant to the story (out of 110 mins length of movie) Movie is full of such irrelevant scenes. And these stupid creators were trying to make a nail biting thriller. Do they even know basics of film making.

Actors wasted: Konkana in 2 scenes, Nasser in 2 scenes, Anurag kashyap dont even get a dialogue, Tabu wasted. Again director thought he will get all great actors and automatically movie will become masterpiece. Failed.

No character graph- all characters are kutte in 1st scene. They remain kutte till last scene. Where is the surprising element in the movie.

Movie is full of cuss words and nudity. Again these are not a must ingredients to make an adult thriller. A good adult thrille can be made through plot twists and gore bloody actions with emotion running behind them.

And you thought you will declare our beloved personality a bicchu and all the corrupts as bechaare frogs, and public will allow you to get away with it? Tight slap has been exteded.

PS - Arjun : dude loose some weight, its been 8-9 years you are overweight. See yourself in 2 states and Gunde. Take a break and join some acting classes instead of doing movie after movie. Kangana did the same even after winning her first national award.

Good but certainly not a 10

[ronitsriv · 7/10 · 7 April 2023]

I was very excited to watch this movie. I watched it on laptop since wasn't available in theatres around me. The basic premise is that normal people are being overpowered by people in above positions. We are kind of dogs or 'kuttey'.

Few of these people try to rob a van. All with different reasons. The story and the moral behind it is appreciable.

For some reason I didn't quite enjoy the whole thing. I did get hype on places in between but seeing 10 rating by many people I thought this would be something awesome.

This was more realistic than a movie thrill. A good narration is drawn through the stories mentioned in between.

Overall a good movie which will never get you bored.

Nepotism is real. Aasmaan Bharadwaj didn't inherit any talent

[nidsri123 · 1/10 · 14 January 2023]

Dogs are filing pawtitions and pawsuits everywhere to misuse their name in their sh-ittier than rot-ten shi-t movie. Aasmaan Bharadwaj had everything - papa's money, decent budget, awesomest starcast, decent music, but what he did? He marinated them with rot-ten non-existent plot, directionless direction and decades old same old non-creative story. Clearly he didn't inherit any talent from his extremely talented parents just like Arjun Kapoor. And why on the earth he had to take Arjun Kapoor as a lead? Arjun Kapoor can turn any gold to rat-shi-t. 2 hours of my time that I am never getting back. Wish I was allowed to throw rotten tomatoes and stones on the screen! Seriously, what did I just watch????

Excellent movie

[kalyansetta · 10/10 · 21 January 2023]

The film's use of different types of political corruption, such as embezzlement and bribery, adds depth and complexity to the story. The film's use of different types of border crime, such as smuggling and human trafficking, adds depth and complexity to the story. The film's use of different types of police procedural is an amazing concept. I strongly recommend this movie. The film's use of different types of criminal justice reform, such as rehabilitation and restorative justice, adds depth and complexity to the story. The film's use of different types of criminal masterminds, such as white-collar criminals and masterminds behind the scenes, adds depth and complexity to the story.

Decent attempt by Vishal Bhardwaj!! Tabu, Arjun & Kumud Mishra are awesome!! and

[sanjubhat · 7/10 · 24 March 2023]

Film review: Kuttey streaming on Netflix #sanjuzzreviews #kutteyReview #Kuttey #netflixindia #netflix A bunch of unscrupulous cops, drug dealers, naxals are unwittingly pitted against each other on a rainy night in order to loot a van carrying loads of cash meant to refill ATMS across the city. Murder mayhem and chaos reign supreme as the groups battle it out for the ultimate prize " Paisa" !!

The name Kuttey is fully justified as the story fulfils the premise of a dog eat dog world with its unpredictable characters and their equally quirky backstories where it is each person for himself.

Among the cast it is Tabu as the ruthless bad ass lady cop whose role stands out, the best of the lot. Arjun Kapoor & Kumud Mishra too have given decent performances and have meaty roles. Radhika madan has a good role as the Don Naseeruddin Shah's daughter. However Naseeruddin Shah & Konkana Sen Sharma have pitifully less to do and could have had a bit more screen time.

Overall a decently well made film by Vishal Bhardwaj. Watch it if you are a fan of Quentin Tarantino movies & the Pulp fiction genre. Everyone might not enjoy these kind of films , but mujhe acchi lagi .. zara hatke thi !!

Going with 3/5 for this one .. Adios 🙂

I am a kutta to watch that movie

[amitkray · 1/10 · 14 January 2023]

Such a baseless and illogical film I have hardly seen in last 10 years. Arjun Kapoor should leave acting field and start some gym work. This film is far far from reality and thats why people wont accept this kind of film. Direction wise this film is good but thats not the only thing that makes a film hit. Story or content is what people want today. People understood that Bollywood is trying to push its anti India agenda in every way possible. That is why I say Bollywood will soon dig its own grave. Naseeruddin shah, Konkona sen, Tabu acted well but Arjun Kapoor same old style. Henceforth this is my last film of Arjun Kapoor.

Good

[vijaykewalramani · 10/10 · 16 January 2023]

"Kuttey is a well-crafted crime thriller with great performances and a compelling storyline. It's a must-watch for fans of the genre. The cinematography in Kuttey is top-notch and really adds to the tension and excitement of the film. I was thoroughly impressed with the pacing of Kuttey. The film keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat from start to finish."

"Kuttey is a well-written and well-acted film that explores the criminal underworld of Mumbai in a unique and thrilling way. The action sequences in Kuttey are expertly choreographed and executed, adding to the overall intensity of the film. Kuttey is a non-stop ride of action, comedy, crime and thrill. It's a must-watch for fans of the genre."

"The performances in Kuttey are outstanding and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. Kuttey is a thrilling and action-packed film that will keep you guessing until the very end. A must-watch for fans of crime thrillers. "The film Kuttey is a perfect blend of action, comedy and crime that is sure to entertain and engage the audience"

"Kuttey is a fast-paced, well-written and well-acted film that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The film Kuttey is a well-crafted crime thriller that explores the criminal underworld of Mumbai in a unique and thrilling way. "Kuttey is a film that will keep you guessing till the end, with a great blend of action, comedy, crime and thriller"

"The film Kuttey is a thrilling and action-packed film that is sure to entertain and engage the audience. "Kuttey is a well-crafted crime thriller that is sure to keep you guessing till the end. The film Kuttey is a great combination of action, comedy and crime that is sure to entertain the audience"

"Kuttey is a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat with its fast-paced plot, great performances and action-packed scenes. "The film Kuttey is a well-written and well-acted crime thriller that explores the criminal underworld of Mumbai in a unique and thrilling way. Kuttey is a film that combines action, comedy and crime in a perfect blend that is sure to entertain and engage the audience"

"The film Kuttey is a perfect blend of action, comedy and crime that is sure to entertain and engage the audience. Kuttey is a film that will keep you guessing till the end, with a great blend of action, comedy, crime and thriller. The film Kuttey is a well-crafted crime thriller that is sure to keep you guessing till the end"

"Kuttey is a thought-provoking and powerful film that delves into important societal issues. Highly recommend watching it. The acting in Kuttey is superb, and the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. A must-watch film. Kuttey is a beautifully crafted film that tells a poignant and emotional story. Highly recommend. The cinematography in Kuttey is stunning and really added to the overall impact of the film. A must-watch."

"I was thoroughly impressed with Kuttey. The film is well-written, well-acted, and tells an important and meaningful story. Kuttey is a powerful film that explores the complexities of human emotions and relationships in a unique way. "The performances in Kuttey are outstanding, and the story is engaging and thought-provoking. A must-watch for fans of independent cinema."

"Kuttey is a beautifully shot and directed film that explores themes of family, sacrifice, and identity in a poignant way. The film Kuttey is a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. The performances are all excellent, and the pacing is perfect. Kuttey is a powerful and emotionally charged film that left me thinking long after it was over. Highly recommend."

Good but lacking something

[Ansango · 6/10 · 16 January 2023]

KUTTEY is a darkly comic noir tinged caper that has sparse greatness amidst a lot of below average moments. The first half is completely wasted in introduction and pointlessly long scenes but the second half switches the gear and is much better than its lethargic preceding part. The interval block is nicely executed and the action set-piece is a technically well crafted sequence that lacks the visceral intensity required but it's crackling editing and brilliant camerawork makes it work. The police massacre scene in its prologue, that's presented as silhouettes against a stark red background, is a technical and visual marvel.

The cast is great and everyone delivers fine performances. Obviously some are better than other but no one is bad. The writing is good and had it not indulged too much into metaphorical iconism of relating every example with an animal, it might have been great. Some scenes run too long than they need to be and due to that the moments of THEHRAW generated during those scenes stick like a sore thumb. The dialogues are also hit and miss.

Kuttey is a good film which excels in technical departments but falters in writing. All in all, it's a great enough start to 2023 for Bollywood. Hope that Bollywood makes similar films which try to break the mould of usualness prevalent in the industry nowadays rather than doing routine affairs. All in all, it could have been better but is quite an enjoyable ride. When it hits, it hits hard but when it slumps, it slumps pretty hard too.

Curse words and expressionless acting in the name of story

[vue123 · 1/10 · 22 January 2023]

These days, directors think that if they can have their actors say curse words, they feel like they are making "The Departed" or something similar and feel cool about it. The only thing good about Kuttey is it's length, thank God director decided not to bore us beyond 01:49 as I was waiting for it to end so desperately. Other thing is, do yourself a favor and don't take your children with you as not only they will get bored but also they would pick up curse words as it has around 200 gaalis (yes I counted).

Expressionless acting by the lead actor (whatever his name is) and pretty average work by the remaining crew. Not worth your 250 rupees I would say so spend carefully. Let my sacrifice save something for you and watch for it on OTT which will be fairly soon I think.

A movie ahead of its time

[liamshirazi · 7/10 · 20 March 2023]

Kuttey is a clash- witty movie with strong Graphic violence and exaggerated profanity making it a Must Watch. The movie gives out a Realistic approach to situations. Highly adovactes on Styled Violence and strong character discription with a unnoticeable surreal plot that drives the story forward. Tabu and Arjun Kapoor portray their characters in a troublesome corruptible way. While critisism arrives mainly on the extended dialogues that don't tell much about the characters or their past and it's excessive profanity that almost dulls the movie, it still stands out. Kuttey is probably ahead of its time, cause now the focus is on story and character and not on Romanticization. Due to which people and critics may not appreciate the movie.

Kuttey UNFILTERED Review

[0FilterT · 3/10 · 17 January 2023]

Ever watch long drawn slow motion footage and wish it would go a bit faster and get to the meaningful bit but it never does? Kuttey. Aasmaan Bhardwaj, in his debut, takes the baton from his father and tries to make a film in that Guy Ritchie and Tarantino space with intermingling heist attempts and long drawn conversations. The choice of style of direction is the "keep the camera in front of the actors and let them have a go at it" approach which works wonders if the writing is taut, dialogue is engaging, and the edit is tight. Kuttey fails on all three counts, causing a cascading effect that makes the actors look bad. Stalwarts working so hard on their performances and being let down by the writing and direction is difficult to watch. A lot of the acting looks like it was meant for stage. Editing style and the way events unfold is very similar to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels but you see it all coming from a mile away. The only positive to come out of this film is the title track wonderfully composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, sung by Rekha Bhardwaj and based on the Faiz Ahmad Faiz's Kutte. The rest of the music is good as well. Except the reused Dhan Te Nan track. The pneumonic plays throughout the film and was a bit disappointing because you don't expect recycling from "art" filmmakers. It's one thing to use the track for promotions and to evoke nostalgia but then to play it repeatedly in the film was a bit excessive. Overall a very disappointing film given the long list of exceptional actors, producers, musicians and technicians attached to the project.

Very nice movie

[mk-00891 · 7/10 · 21 January 2023]

Kuttey is an action crime movie written and directed by Aasmaan Bhardwaj. The movie stars Arjun Kapoor, Tabu, and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles, along with Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Madan, and many others in the supporting roles. Vishal Bhardwaj penned the dialogue and the additional screenplay in this movie.

Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi handled the cinematography, and the film editing was done by A. Sreekar Prasad. Vishal Bhardwaj composed the film's music and background score. Luv Ranjan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Ankur Garg, and Rekha Bhardwaj produced the movie "Kuttey" under the banners of A Luv Films and Vishal Bhardwaj Films Production.

No entertainment...

[singhr-01958 · 2/10 · 14 January 2023]

Everyone in the movie is portrayed to be oversmart. Dialogues are bad. Its almost like 10 year old dialogues in a new wrapper. Mumbai police has been portrayed as corrupt from the inside out. I think Mumbai Police should object this utter nonsense portrayal. There is no entertainment whatsoever. The peon in my office looks smarter than Shardul Bhardwaj. What an absolutely waste actor. He is good for a spot boy. Maybe bhardwaj surname got him this role. Arjun kapoor n tabu's acting is horrible. Its a complete waste of money. Radhika, naseer, kumud are okay. Otherwise, its a really boring movie. Feels like the movie is 3 hours when its just one hour 45 mins.

Amazing

[quinnturner-75781 · 10/10 · 16 January 2023]

"Kuttey's high-stakes heist and betrayal will keep you guessing until the end. "The three separate groups in Kuttey adds a unique and exciting twist to the movie. "Kuttey is a thrilling and intense crime movie that will leave you wanting more. The bullets, blood and betrayal in Kuttey add to the movie's high-stakes and intense atmosphere.""Kuttey's setting in the Mumbai suburbs adds a realistic touch to the high-stakes heist plot. Every man for himself in Kuttey's heist adds to the movie's intense and dangerous atmosphere. "Kuttey is a gritty and intense crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat." The plot of Kuttey is full of surprises and the acting is superb. The soggy night setting in the Mumbai suburbs adds to the movie's intense and dangerous atmosphere."

This is a excellent and amazing movie

[asmichopra · 7/10 · 21 January 2023]

The most underrated crime thriller of 2000s. Every element of good movie can be found in this like grt storyline along with great storytelling from her characters specially shahid hitting it out of the park with his double role, kudos to priyanka to priyanka for doing something diff which would have been difficult for her to do in 2009 being one of the top actresses of that era. And finally credits to vishal for directing a banger thriller like this, giving the audience each and every pinch of this particular genre in just 120 minutes. Must watch if you have interest in mafia like joners Although it's been more than 10 years since this movie came out. I think this was Bollywood's way of progressing back in the day. It is a fantastic movie with fantastic actors, fantastic screenplay, fantastic dialogues, cinematography, music, story and so on... The only reason I gave it four stars is because the ending was a mish mash. After such fantastic building up of story, I was expecting an epic battle to ensue at the end. Unfortunately, I see the ending as a mediocre attempt and the writer(s) took too much of liberty with the characters fate at the end of the movie. For instance, I as an audience wanted to know how did Charlie survive the gun wound. Who lived. Who died. Well that's left to the better part of our imagination. Except for that, this movie gets. Although it's been more than 10 years since this movie came out. I think this was Bollywood's way of progressing back in the day. It is a fantastic movie with fantastic actors, fantastic screenplay, fantastic dialogues, cinematography, music, story and so on... The only reason I gave it four stars is because the ending was a mish mash. After such fantastic building up of story, I was expecting an epic battle to ensue at the end. Unfortunately, I see the ending as a mediocre attempt and the writer(s) took too much of liberty with the characters fate at the end of the movie. For instance, I as an audience wanted to know how did Charlie survive the gun wound. Who lived. Who died. Well that's left to the better part of our imagination. Except for that, this movie gets so many things right. It's a shame that Bollywood has lost its luster in the past decade with shabby scripts. All that is left now of Bollywood is such movies which are like ghost lights (stars) shining in the night sky which brings smile to my face.

Wannabe film Makers

[dharmeshkjhaveri · 2/10 · 18 March 2023]

Whomsoever is associated with this movie are the biggest dumbf$&@, then don't know anything about naxal movement, underworld, Mumbai Police or the process by which ATM cash is transported in the city.

This is movie is made by wannabe dark film makers who watches hollywood movies and have zero connect with the Indian reality, they have no idea how a movie should be made. Feel pity for those producers or those talented actors like Naseer Sir, Tabu, Konkana, Kumud who invest their time n resources on such ideas. Such filmmakers can only copy others work or play as they have done in past by adopting Shakespeare's play.

It was a satisfying and surprising ending.

[Suhabsir35 · 10/10 · 18 January 2023]

The comedy-crime movie offered a novel perspective on the genre. The film's deft use of sarcasm and satire impressed me. The comedy and action of the film worked very well together. This comedy/crime film is definitely worth seeing; it was fantastic. This crime and action movie gets a fresh and intriguing twist from the van transporting millions of dollars. The film's overall impact is enhanced by the gritty and tense mood that is created by the setting in the Mumbai suburbs on a wet night. The encounter of the three opposing gangs results in nonstop action, treachery, and bloodshed. An absolute must-see for fans of crime and action films.

The movie is excellent

[anjaliarora-74131 · 7/10 · 21 January 2023]

The movie is excellent. It's going to have to sink in for a while. I think it's great that an up-and-coming director took a chance on developing such a clever film. To end your search, look no further than this excellent movie. They avoided recycling an outdated storyline without sacrificing any quality. Anyone in charge of anything performed an outstanding job. This is a very enjoyable flick. There's nothing else like it in terms of storyline. All of the characters did a great job with the tasks they were given. One time watch if you really have nothing else to do. Inconsistent script, actors wasted, no character graph.

BS everywhere all the time

[rehmankhilji · 2/10 · 18 March 2023]

The above could have been a better movie title for the movie, as the moment it starts, it is made so dull, no un-directed that you will be trying to figure out what you have played, or is the really started from the start or you have joined some where in between.

Let's go with the cast

Arjun Kapoor, i like this guy, he is talented he is a good actor but i dont know what happens when he signs a movie, it seems some cruse is with him, that each and every movie he appears is major super duper of all times, flop!

Tabu, some roles are not for everyone, Tabu cursing, it was surely not coming to her naturally and hence the bad come image in this one was not 100%.

Kumud Mishra, the only one with some proper acting.

Konkona Sen Sharma and the ever great Naseeruddin Shah have been merely as guest experience, a complete waste of their roles.

All in all, the movie starts badly, in the middle when it picks up, you may develop some interest but the way it ends, the way it has been directed in the end, the fight choreography & all, it is just too bad. Director, the son of another director. It is not in the blood kid, you have to learn this art.

Aasman on his way to become an Auteur

[sarthakbharad2926 · 7/10 · 22 March 2023]

I am really really confused on how to approach this review. On one hand, I am just mesmerized by this film's visuals and it's unique approach to the cinematography and it's non-linear storytelling (both of which are heavy influenced from Tarantino Cinema) with the last shot in particular taken straight from Scorsese's The Departed and the music being one of the best aspects of it but, on the other hand, I am also quite divided on the overall simple story this film follows and some hit and miss humour which it offers.

First off, the acting. It's ranges from really really good to just fine. We have seasoned veterans like Tabu (whom I absolutely adore in this film as she gives off vibes similar to those in Andhadhun but amped up to 11), Kumud Mishra, Naseeruddin Shah and Konkana Sen Sharma whereas we also have relative newcomers like Arjun Kapoor, Radhika Madan and Shardul Bhardwaj. The seasoned veterans are just off the charts in their performances here. There is not a single loose thread in here with Tabu being the show stealer. I don't know why but hearing Tabu just abusing the hell out of everyone around her gives me tingles. Kumud Mishra has never disappointed me in his roles and he does a perfectly good job here too. Naseeruddin and Konkana although having brief appearances don't fail to make an impact which was nice. Arjun Kapoor though. He was fine. I have only admired two of his performances (2 States and Sandeep aur Pinky Faraar) and while this character doesn't really reach those heights, he wasn't bad that ruined the experience for me. Radhika Madan and Shardul Bhardwaj are also just fine in their roles. None of the actors are doing a bad job because even a single weak link could've been fatal for the film.

The story is something I've seen before but not in a Bollywood film. The hindi film industry in particular has been afraid to take on non-linear storytelling because of the plot inconsistencies that come with it but, I think they really did something great here, even if it is fairly simple. You can pretty much predict where the story will go when you see those dutch angles (really sharp use of dutch angles btw) but what really intrigues you is, how the hell did those characters get here and where will they go next? This is exactly the type of thing tarantino uses to generate tension among the audience and keep them on the edge of their seats but I get that he's an auteur and has perfected his use of this whereas the director of this film Aasmaan Bhardwaj is still learning the ropes. Although, I would like to say this is a daring attempt for a directorial debut. Props to Aasmaan for trying this genre because I can really see him rising to be the new director of bollywood who creates a niche cult following for his films. Count me in.

The music and background score is absolutely bonkers. Reminded me of subtle use of music in films like Gangs of Wasseypur. I mean, what can you even expect when it is Vishal Bhardwaj, the man himself helming the score. He is one of the best composer-directors we have in bollywood and he is once again great at what he does best. Although, I don't quite like the remix of Dhan Te Nan created for the film, I do admire it's use as a cue for several situations.

This might also be the one film I've seen in bollywood after decades which actually manages to incorporate noir themes pretty well in the film. I mean, the character motivations, the use of dutch angles, the dark cinematography, and a really great opening sequence dipped in red silhouette is what gives me hope for noir in bollywood cinema. The director Aasman sure has talent just like his father and I'm excited to see what he does next.

I have to say one last thing though. This film is not for everyone. It is quite polarizing. Either you like it that you will want to watch this once every few years or you will hate it and will probably never watch it again. Even if this isn't a perfect film by any means, it is surely catering to the indian fans of auteurs like tarantino and scorsese and who want the quality of those films in some way be replicated here.

I liked it. I will perhaps like it even more on second watch but I can definitely say one thing that, this might just garner a cult following in the future.