Andhadhun Story: Residing in Pune, Aakash a blind pianist (Aayushmann Khurrana) is privy to an aftermath of a murder. His conscience urges him to report the crime he has technically not ‘witnessed’, but is there more to him than meets the eye?
Andhadhun Review: Sriram Raghavan is known for his knack of dishing out twisty neo-noir, and he lives up to his reputation with AndhaDhun — a dangerously wicked thriller with dollops of dark comedy. Very few filmmakers manage to crack this genre and Sriram is adept at it. His film smartly questions your faith in ‘seeing is believing’.
Honestly, blind protagonists make for scrumptious thrillers and Raghavan ensures he doesn’t miss a beat either. Inspired by a French short film L'Accordeur or The Piano Tuner (2010) by Olivier Treiner, AndhaDhun is a nerve-racking tale of fear, deceit and crime, that keeps you on the edge of your seat as it teases your mind. A ‘Scream’ (Hollywood slasher) scene in particular, acts as a classic jump scare.
Boasting of a brilliant screenplay and masterfully crafted narrative by Raghavan, the story’s audacious characters and constant twists, keep you riveted. Atmospheric and moody, an underlying fear of what lies ahead grips your imagination.
While the first half is replete with a blend of palpitating tension, suspense and comedy in classic Raghavan style, the second half slumps a bit. The plot gets a tad chaotic and convoluted as opposed to its terrific build-up. The long-winded conversation between characters slackens the pace and eases out the tension a bit, which you don’t expect at that point. However, a spectacular climax makes up for it.
Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role is a revelation. While he lends that effortless ease to every role he portrays, AndaDhun is the most definitive role of his career so far, that proves his versatility. Tabu is outstanding as always in a conflicted role that expects her to be erratic, vulnerable and deceitful. Sairat (Marathi blockbuster) actress Chaya Kadam and Ashwini Kalsekar leave an impact. Yesteryear actor Anil Dhawan makes a memorable appearance and Amit Trivedi’s music gives an haunting edge to the film. The interesting background score adds as a perfect layer to the ongoing proceedings.