Review : Vadh : Outstanding thriller, without gimmicks!
In a #Hindilanguage, #’Katl’ and #’Vadh’ have a similar meaning, i.e. Killing but both the words are used in different contexts. Katl or Hatya is a murder but Vadh is killing a person of villainous nature or monster like person. Both are crimes in today’s society. In a recently released film Vadh the same aspect of ‘vice versus virtue’ is showcased with a lower middle class families’ traumas. Quite a few Indian children who have gone to foreign shores for better lives have forgotten duty towards their old parents. This aspect also plays an important narrative point in the film. It enhances and induces the circumstances around those two parents, played by #SanjayMishra and #NeenaGupta.
Shambhunath Mishra (Sanjay Mishra) is a lower middle class teacher living in a dilapidated house with his wife Manju (Neena Gupta). Their only son, for whom they have taken a private loan beyond their capacity thinking that when the son starts earining he’ll liquidate that, refuses to send them money. The old couple, grappling with hardships, is hounded by one local goon (Saurabh Sachafeva) and keeps humiliating them, constantly because they are unable to repay the loan. He visits their house with booze and a girl on side and uses their bedroom without feeling shame. The couple can not do anything except keeping mum. Once he orders Mishra ji to call one of his 12 years old minor students to satisfy his libido. Mishra ji gets irate and pierces his throat with a sharp digging bar and chops the body and burns it at a secluded place. Police (Maanav Vij) start investigating the disappearance of the goon and suspect Mr Mishraji. But after winning his wife’s confidence Mishra ji refuses to admit it. What transpires next is an exciting watch.
Early in the movie Mishraji is shown fiddling with a mouse trap. He wants the rodent to die but his wife is against killing, any killing, but he says that one must get ‘rid’ of them. Later this disparity in the character’s perspective is shown when a murder or a Vadh takes place. The story is narrated without any gimmicks and it’s a plus for the writer-director duo, Jaspal Singh Sandhu and Rajiv Barnwal. They have tried to instill some humour in an otherwise serious atmosphere. The pace of the film is slow but it is on purpose so as the viewers to soak in the pathos of the couple on screen. The film lets the viewers to witness conflicted emotions and contrasting thoughts. But one feels that the mid point and the end should have been on a ‘high point’. The background score compliments the situations.Vadh scores high on performances. Sanjay Mishra, known for his comedic roles, has given some outstanding emotional performances in Masaan, Aankhon Dekhi, Eekkees Tarikh etc, gives another outstanding performance. He is so convincing that one starts echoing his philosophy. Neena Gupta is outstanding too. She scores with emoting in ‘silence’. Manav Vij also deliveres a good performance. Sanjay Mishra’s dialogue ‘Humne Katl nahi kiya hai, humne Vadh kiya Hai’, keeps haunting while leaving the theatre.
****