"Power is the worst kind of addiction, because those with power fail to foresee their downfall"
Quite the line to say to your enemy and they don't even know that you are the enemy, pretty appropriate right? Well this was the case in the Hindi detective drama, Badla. The director, Sujoy Ghosh was called into action for this exciting remake of Spanish film, The Invisible Guest or Contratiempo. It is important to note that Ghosh is well known for making thriller films in Bollywood cinema.
I am going to be very honest, I am not the biggest fan of whodunnit type of movies or stories, simply because of how much it has been recycled in film and you often find the outcome of these films to be rather predictable (If I wanted predictability I'd watch Big Brother). Badla (English: Revenge) is a breath of fresh air, in the sense that it is not your typical detective film- there is not an over excited detective who plans on being the hero (like 'get outta my way, this is my case' kind of detective). However, you also don't have the detective who is usually very cold and doesn't care for literally (literally!) anyone but himself and the case that he's trying to solve.
Without further ado, allow me to tell you about this film a little bit. So, here we have a successful businesswoman, Naina Sethi, who has a got a perfect family with the perfect job. Everything is going as well as it could be right? Sure thing. That all changes though, as she's facing a murder charge, for killing her secret lover, Arjun. "Woah man, that just escalated really quickly, you just going to dive in like that?" Yes. Yes, I am. Our good friend, Ghosh used a killer punch from the get-go. Let's go a little further, shall we? We find Naina and her lover, Arjun waiting in a hotel room for a random blackmailer, with £100,000 in cash sitting in a bag.
Then bam. Naina finds herself knocked unconscious; across the room the lover is dead the cash is lying there. She wakes up and she sees Arjun dead on the floor, looking for answers. Does it stop there, you ask? No, it doesn’t. The police charge in and see Naina standing with the dead body. At that point it's you and the body love there is no winning. Fast forward to present day, the successful businesswoman finds her life in tatters, as she needs to find answers and fast or she finds herself going to prison. Naina has the help of the reputable, prestigious lawyer Badal Gupta to help her get the clues she is looking for.
Ah. You thought I was going to give it all away? No, my friend, that defeats the purpose of a whodunit film. Of course, this brings about many questions ranging from who killed Arjun? What was the £100,000 for? Why were they being blackmailed? You'll find out on the next episode of Dragon Ball Z. Gave me a good chuckle there.
I will say this, for a detective film, director Ghosh and his team really hit the ball out of the park here. From the scripting to the slow burning storyline to the fast-paced editing to some incredible cinematography. This film would not be the success it is without the actors. Taapsee Pannu, who played Naina, did the role great justice and a great portrayal of the character. She was joined by Bollywood royalty Amitabh Bachchan and Amrita Singh, who equally in their own unique style brought life into the film.
This is a film that is full of suspense and there are moments when you watch that time does indeed stand still. You are all in and the surprise at the end? I'm not sure that you are ready. Not at all.
Give it a watch and perhaps, leave a comment down below let me know what you think of the film.
Loved this! will check it out :)
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