POPCORN ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 4/5

Andhadhun, helmed by Shriram Raghavan, is an engrossing whodunit thriller whose biggest strength lies in its element of surprise. Close to run time of 2 hours 30 minutes, the film skillfully maneuvers through the darkness prevalent in human psychology, a trademark stamp in directors earlier films – Ek Haseena thi, Badlapur, and weaves out a delicious deplorable tale of murder, lies and betrayal.

Without spilling out much of the beans, the film’s central protagonist is Akash (Ayushman Khurana) , a blind but gifted pianist who gets entangled into a complex web of multiple murders, triggering a series of incidents which changes his life. Also enmeshed in this chain of events is a seductive Simi ( Tabu), who is married to the ageing and forgotten superstar of yesteryears ( Anil Dhawan) , a cosy and petite Sophie ( Radhika Apte) who befriends Akash , and an assortment of characters who incredibly play significant part in elevating this twisted tale by leaps and bounds.

Andhadhun relies heavily on its element of surprise and makers adroitly exploit the terrific premise into an interesting screenplay. Each and every sequence is crafted with grotesque intentions, coupled with dark humor and an unpredictability which is to die for. In one of the best scenes of the film, two integral characters try to dispose of a corpse without uttering a single word, and purely through signaling instructions. This silent interplay is drowned by a deafening piano theme running constantly. In another of remarkable scenes, a blind Akash is confronted by Simi at his house, and the manner in which a known truth is revealed is stunning.  Sequences like these, which are several of them, delineates the craftsmanship and control derived by the makers over their story and characters.  The film does slacken a bit in the second half, with a scratchy subplot creeping in, but the director gets it back on track without much deviation, leading to a compelling and chilling climax .

Andhadhun equally procures and benefits hugely  from consistently inspired performances from its entire cast. Ayushman Khurana chews to the character of Akash, and makes a bone-crunching meal out of it.  He is absolutely spot on in this complex portrayal and conveys volumes through his eyes. This is easily one of this best performances till date. Radhika Apte is nicely demure and effortless as Sophie. Manav Vij plays his part as the desperate and sturdy cop with conviction and Ashwini Apte as his hysterical wife shines in her brief role.  But unsurprisingly, its Tabu who is fascinating as the lady with different shades. She gets the perfect platform in exploring the several entangled layers she gets to play and endowed with her steely eyes, she delivers a towering performance.

Ominous and menacing, Andhadhun revels in its unpredictability , and Shriram Raghavan packages this thriller proficiently . The result is a delectable tale, with twists and turns to the core.  One of the best thrillers to come off late, Andhadhun is a must watch !!