Directed by: Sriram Raghavan
IMDb link: Badlapur (2015)
Got to see Sriram Raghavan of ‘Ek Haseena Thi’ and ‘Johnny Gaddaar’!
Warning: Spoilers ahead…
A Different Kind of Revenge
Revenge themes have been very common in the films in early 2010s, like Gangs of Wasseypur, Agneepath, Ek Villain, and Haider. But Badlapur is very different from all of them. It has that special Sriram Raghavan flavor that I found missing in Agent Vinod.
Raghu (Varun Dhawan) loses his wife Misha (Yami Gautam) and his young son in a bank robbery. They are both shot dead by Liak (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and his partner Harman (Vinay Pathak). Liak is arrested, but he hides his partner’s name. Raghu wants revenge against Liak. He wants to find the other partner at any cost, even if he has to take a very dark and unusual path to do it.
Don’t Miss the Beginning
The tagline of the movie says ‘Don’t Miss the Beginning’. This serves its purpose perfectly. The movie starts with a very long, wide camera shot. It takes almost a minute for me to understand what is about to happen until Misha walks into the frame. Or, if you are watching very closely, you can see two guys on a bike enter and pull down the shutter of a bank.
If you are someone who prefers to see a full romantic story before the sad tragedy happens, Sriram will disappoint you. He does not believe in those old styles. The Raghu and Misha love story gets very little screen time. It is mostly shown in short two-minute flashbacks.
For example, consider the scene where Raghu is having coffee and thinking of an old memory. He suddenly comes back to reality, makes a phone call, and the song ‘Aaj Mera Jee Karda’ starts. It feels like Sriram keeps the romantic moments locked away and uses them very rarely. This is very similar to how Raghu keeps his happy memories locked in a room earlier in the movie.
A New Varun Dhawan
That helps because, I end up watching Varun Dhawan in a totally new role for almost 90% of the film. Most of it is in his bearded look. Before going to the movie, I wasn’t sure if he would fit this serious role. But I was so happy to be proven wrong!
There is a lot of dark comedy placed in very surprising situations. For example, Liak’s conversations with other people in jail or his funny attempts to run away. In one scene, Liak tells the guy who follows him everywhere that they should travel to Pune together to save money. Another surprising scene is when Harman’s wife is so willing to sleep with Raghu to save her husband that she simply tells him the bedroom is upstairs.
Great Side Stories
Another high point of the movie is the side stories. They all have their own meaning while the main fight between Raghu and Liak goes on.
The relationship between Liak and Jhimli (Huma Qureshi) is great. They share light moments, and after a 15-year gap, you see how they miss the old times. Liak’s relationship with his caring mother is also shown very well. In one scene, his mother constantly talks badly about his dead father. Liak asks her if she remembers anything good about him at all. The choice Liak makes after that conversation completely turns the film around.
There is also Shobha (Divya Dutta). She is willing to find Raghu to help Liak, who gets cancer. This feels like a punishment for Liak’s bad deeds even before Raghu takes his revenge. Then there is Inspector Govind Mishra (Kumud Mishra). He wants to retire by solving the robbery case, but he ends up trying to keep the stolen money for his retirement fund.
Brilliant Music and Editing
Sriram’s movies always nod to old Hindi movies, and he does it very stylishly. For example, Raghu tells a landlord he wants a house for 20 years, and the scene cuts to the famous Sholay dialogue on Liak. The background music used when Liak comes out of jail is also brilliant.
The editor, Pooja Ladha Surti, has done a great job. She cuts scenes before the action in them has even ended. This works because there is no need for me to see further, and it makes the movie move at a fast pace. I also love how she cuts the cafe scene.
The dialogues are good. The best one is when Liak comes looking for Jhimli after 15 years. He gets a funny reply from a new girl named Imli, who says, “This is not Maratha Mandir” (a famous cinema hall). It was so funny!
The background music is amazing. I especially loved the sound mixing. The sound of a passing train from Raghu’s home is used in different ways to build the mood, especially before the ‘Jeena’ song. The mix of heavy rain sounds and a religious song shows Raghu’s anger growing.
Every song by Sachin-Jigar is a gem. They are mostly used in short background pieces. ‘Jeena Jeena’, which was my least favorite song from the album, is used in a very emotional way. It is the only scene where Sriram lets Raghu go deep into his memories as he dances with an imaginary Misha. It almost brought tears to my eyes.
I was a bit sad about the song ‘Judaai’ and felt it should have been used more. ‘Badla’ is used perfectly, especially when we see the word ‘Revenge’ written on the screen. ‘Jee Karda’ starts with a sharp, ugly sound, but it is edited brilliantly without the actors singing it, which I hated in the promo video. However, the promo video is used in the end credits. This is a shame because it ruins the mood of a very powerful ending dialogue.
Good vs. Bad
There comes a point in the movie when Raghu does something very violent. It looks just as evil as what Liak did to his family (Remember Prisoners, something similar happens in it too). It is hard to choose whose side I want to be on in the end. Both Liak and Raghu are grey characters. They are both good and bad.
As the years pass by, Liak actually becomes a better person, while Raghu becomes heartless to the core. In a very well-edited date scene with Shobha, I felt scared for her. I thought she might die next. That shows how much Raghu’s character had changed by then.
Another great thing is how the movie uses violence. Two scenes really stand out. One is when Raghu meets Jhimli to find Liak’s partner. The other is a brutal hammer scene. It comes as such a big surprise that it makes you jump out of your seat, even if you knew about it from the trailer.
The Actors Shine
The casting director did a great job choosing these actors.
Varun Dhawan shines wonderfully in this new role. He steps away from his usual funny acting. His line delivery is a little weak in some places, but overall, he does a great job playing a mad, angry lover. His acting when he meets Liak after 15 years was too good. He is also amazing in the hospital scene and the crazy sequence at Harman’s house. The smile he gives after telling Liak that Harman won’t come is chilling.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the real star of the movie. His acting is completely perfect. He is great in his funny scenes, and his relationships with his mother and Jhimli are amazing. I loved his first jail escape scene and his funny dialogues.
Huma Qureshi is very good in her role. Her acting with Nawaz has always been great. Her final dialogue to Raghu at the end of the movie is very powerful.
Vinay Pathak is one of my favorite actors. It is good to see him back, and he does very well. I was just sad his role was so small. Watch his expressions when Raghu enters lift and Harman for a second thinks ‘I have seen this person but where.. Oh no, its him. Its that girl husband who died in robbery.. Does he know me, how can he know me. But if he does, then I am gone’, that was a super scene and very rightly done with Jee karda background music.
I do not remember seeing Radhika Apte in a movie before, but she is great here. She plays a loving wife ready to do anything to save her husband. Her best scene is when she tries to tell Harman that Raghu did not touch her, but Harman just cries. The sad part is that just moments before, she was begging Raghu to forgive her husband.
Kumud Mishra gives a great performance too. His scene where he begs Liak to say he did not do the murder is superb. Yami Gautam, Divya Dutta, Murli Sharma, Pratima Kazmi, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Zakir Hussain all do very well in their small roles.
Badlapur Movie Review: Final Thoughts
Badlapur is a brilliant dark thriller that’s unpredictable, brutal, and insane at times. It is not for people who just want a happy, simple movie. But for everyone else, it is a must-watch. It is definately among my favorite Sriram Raghavan films.
My Rating: 8.5/10
If you loved Badlapur like me, then check where did it come in my – The Best Hindi Films of The Decade (2010-2019)
