Badla
Year: 2019
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh

What’s the plot?

A young successful businesswoman (Taapsee Pannu) is charged with the murder of her boyfriend. She insists that someone else had committed that murder after knocking her unconscious. Her reputation, her marriage, her business, her future…everything looks doomed. Her only hope is a top defence lawyer (Amitabh Bachchan), who is a quirky old chap wanting to know the real story behind the scene. What is that story?

Verdict

Sujoy Ghosh, who had earlier given a masterly Kahaani and a passable Kahaani 2, has already shown his command on mystery thrillers. Here he adapts the 2016 Spanish thriller Contratiempo (Invisible guest) and does a very good job.

The tasty exchanges between the murder accused lady and her lawyer, the back-and-forth flashbacks and the constant twists and turns keep you intrigued throughout the film. The Scottish settings give a foreign look and feel to the film; and they, in a way, reveal its ‘adapted’ nature. I feel that if Ghosh had transplanted the story in Indian settings, it could have been more effective.

Amitabh and Taapsee have to carry the bulk of the film on their shoulders; and they both are excellent. Amrita Singh, too shines in her small but pivotal role.

Despite its slow pace and a less than satisfactory climax Badla still makes for a slick stylish mystery thriller.

Rating

3 stars