'Badlapur' review: A gamble that has beautifully paid off for Varun Dhawan!

Film: Badlapur

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Huma Qureshi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Yami Gautam, Radhika Apte, Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta

Director: Sriram Raghavan 

Rating: ***1/2

What's it about: 

They say revenge is a dish best served cold. Not so in the case of Sriram Raghavan's blood laced piping hot drama that starts with an African proverb - 'The axe forgets, the tree remembers' setting the tone for what follows. The story is pretty much linear, it is a traditional revenge drama where you know the end before you reach the interval. What sets it apart from other films in the genre is the treatment, narration, fabric of characters, acting and an ensemble that delivers an exemplary performance. Badlapur's tagline 'Don't miss the beginning' is critical because the first few minutes of the film are terrific. Raghu (Varun) loses his wife Misha (Yami) and kid in a freak murder where two bank robbers Liak (Nawaz) and his partner in crime Harman (Vinay) end up killing them. Fast forward to 15 years and we see a different Raghu. The chirpy bubbly boy next door we met in the first half suddenly becomes a menacing blood thirsty man wanting to seek not just vengeance for the brutal murder of his loved ones, but also battles his inner demons at the same time. Huma Qureshi plays Jhimli a prostitute who sees the good in Nawaz and is his companion till the very end. Raghavan brings in an exciting mix of supporting characters in Divya Dutta, Radhika Apte and Vinay Pathak who add that touch of unpredictability to the story. The film is a maze of cat and mouse chase between Raghu and Liak to settle their age old score. What happens in the end is predictable yet the journey is remarkably thrilling. 

What's hot: 

Raghavan is a master story teller. He has this amazing knack of making you go through his characters' emotions. Right from the opening scene he draws you in the storyline, asking you to surrender to his technique. It's a gift that not many directors have. He's also a smart guy, so whether it was choosing the eerie yet mystical location of Igatpuri to shoot most of the film or getting  Varun to shed his Seenu and Rohan skin and become Raghu, Raghavan has a sense of consistency in ensuring there is a cohesive pattern to this tale. Kudos to Varun for signing Badlapur as his second film after Student Of The Year and believing in the script. Badlapur is a gamble that has beautifully paid off for this young actor. It isn't so much the overgrown beard with streaks of grey or the dark patches under his eyes, but the stare, the walk, the quiver in his voice when he sees his wife dying that makes Raghu endearing. Aware of his weaknesses and strengths he plays up on the latter giving us a performance that will shine brightly on his young resume. Nawaz plays to the gallery in every scene and goes for the kill. Be it this monologues, close ups, or confrontation scenes with Varun, this guy swings it home every time. Raghavan avoids the traps and cliches and avoids making him bear a cross of guilt and remorse, making his character stand out. Huma excels in her scenes and I wonder why aren't many filmmakers queuing up to sign her in such unconventional roles. Divya Dutta as the NGO head who empathises with Nawaz and Vinay who is his accomplice are perfectly cast. The Jee Karda and Judaai track give the plot some serious depth. Also props to the background score and cinematography for creating that atmosphere full of tension and intrigue. 

What's not: 

Badlapur is flawed and most of the bumps come early in the story. The first half is sluggish and once we see the murder, we want to sort of fast forward and take that time leap to set the ball rolling. The interjectory flashback scenes are somewhat jarring. So is Raghu's change of heart when it comes to delivering the final blow to Liak. A man who spent 15 years waiting to draw blood from his enemy reaches a point where he does a volte face and goes against the expectation. Without giving away any spoilers, I can say that the end is an anticlimax that seems to be chosen out of several different closings. Similarly Nawaz's track is sketchy. His scenes with Huma towards the end seem a bit out of place. Also logically if the pot has to be seem from a crime scene scenario then how does Raghu manage to evade that arrest, why does the police officer suddenly want to be bribed, and what is that strange warehouse where Raghu is working ?

What to do: 
 
Badlapur has some solid moments, terrific performances and a riveting storyline Watch it if violence and revenge turn you on!