Grey alley of revenge

Nonika Singh

As the name suggests it’s a revenge saga for sure. Only, Badlapur isn’t your regular main tera khoon pee jaaunga variant that Bollywood has served us ad nauseam. Rather this badle ki gaatha comes with a twist, a refreshing one at that, which is at once engaging and dare we say enlightening. 

A far cry from the predictable plotting of a man seeking retribution by killing all and sundry, this tale of vengeance spawns 15 long years. During this period while the hero suffers in self-imposed isolation, the villain behind bars bides his time to claim his stolen booty. However, this twist alone isn’t the only USP of the film whose treatment is realistic and storytelling fraught with suitable tension and thrilling unpredictable elements. Almost on the lines of Hollywood films, where black and white shades mix, it gives you grey. A colour you can relate to and comprehend, even empathise with, if not one that you shed bucket loads of tears for.

Certainly to begin with, you feel strongly for the protagonist Raghu (Varun Dhawn) whose wife (Yami Gautam) and son become collateral damage in a robbery. But, soon enough, you are equally taken in by the antagonist Liak (Nawazudin Siddiqui) and his scheming ways, his dirty romancing with his love interest, his failed jailbreak attempts and above all, his cocksure cheekiness. Cleary how and when Raghu will get Liak and his partner in crime (Vinay Pathak) is the crux. The matrix that  director Raghavan builds involves many more characters, including a whole lot of heroines.

The female actors, though central to the plot, don’t get very much to do. Still among the bevy of actresses Huma Quershi as the woman who makes a living through the oldest profession known to mankind leaves an impact. Radhika Apte as a wife willing to go to any length to save her marriage and her spouse (Pathak) is more than apt. As for Divya Dutta’s much publicised image makeover (she gets to smooch Varun), well, clearly her sexy avatar isn’t the highpoint of the film. For that honour belongs to Nawazuddin whose brilliance shines from the moment he appears on the screen as the bad man.  His devilish smile, the glint in his eye, pitch-perfect body language, all add to make his persona real. Despicable, yes, but equally delectable as you nearly stop yourself from applauding at his dare and tongue-in-cheek one-liners which he delivers with a flourish. Varun as the man seething with frustration and revenge is understated. Compared to Nawaz he pales and does not always do justice to the challenge he has taken by moving into a different terrain. But he holds the fort nevertheless. Along with Nawazuddin he carries you through even when the film turns patchy. Yes, despite a well-paced first half the narrative does get sloppy. In between it sags considerably to finally climax on a high note. Though the film’s tagline goes—don’t miss the beginning—actually the film packs its real punch in the finale.  The climax makes you forgive and forget its flaws. As it raises some unsettling questions—where can revenge take a man, who knows the line between bad and good and almost fuses the one between just and evil—it proves that Bollywood is fast learning to tell different stories in a different manner. Yes, without the song and dance grind too. Sure the film’s haunting song jeena jeena is used effectively.

 On the final countdown it may not be an outstanding film but is a fine example of how colours of Indian cinema are changing to incorporate varying hues. Watch it for performances, some crisp dialogues and a deft directorial touch, which may not always be consistent, but does set the film apart from regular rut and transforms usual into unusual and tells a story remarkably well.