Childhood trauma results in a drastic change in the personality of individuals affecting their present and the Hindi film industry has beautifully captured that in a number of films and web series. However, the vigilante thriller casting Yami Gautam comes with a strong social message. The world of breaking news often talks about rape, its victims and survivors engaging in various baseless debates at times, however, a considerable number of culprits walk away free and no one ever talks about the deep psychological impacts the survivor lives with.
Yami Gautam’s character is an eye-opener that holds a mirror to our society which is corrupt at all levels. In the first few minutes, anyone would hardly guess that the movie could turn in such a different direction. Yami is a playschool teacher who is engaged to a high-profile criminal lawyer. She takes the children hostage, demands money to talk to the Prime Minister engaging in a negotiation with the cops Neha Dhupia and Atul Kulkarni. The negotiations and police setup give the audience a vibe of the famous Spanish web series ‘Money Heist’. Neha aka Catherine is pregnant while on duty and feels somewhat similar to Alicia Cierra of ‘Money Heist’ (2017).
This Behzad Khambata directorial co-written by Ashley Lobo is unique in many ways even when there are recent movies involving the same theme. The tense atmosphere and shades of Yami add to the plot development. The mystery was encompassed in Yami’s eyes. She delivered an extraordinarily amazing performance. The way she was staring and wearing the camera depicted her clinical depression and mood. At instances, it was hard to believe that she is the same woman who is so compassionate towards the children and also held them hostage.
The cinematography is mind-blowing with its fast zoom-ins and wide angles. Siddharth Vasani and Anuja Rakesh Dhawan’s camera exactly depicts what the character stands for. The background score by Roshan Dalal and Kaizad Gherda increases heartbeats. The blue-grey colour palette of the movie depicts the blues of the character.
Atul Kulkarni looks very different as a tough cop who is emotional too. Neha Dhupia pulls up extremely well and does complete justice to her character. Dimple Kapadia who plays the Prime Minister is too naive and too good to be true. The light in which Indian Media is shown is overdramatic. The TRP-hungry, morally corrupt journalists could question the Prime Minister. Also, they were busy in polls but couldn’t do a quick background check of Naina in today’s era of social media.
Towards the end of the movie, it feels like a sequel to Neeraj Pandey’s ‘A Wednesday’ (2008), only in this case the anti-hero comes out openly in front of the public and authorities.
Overall, the movie is a good one-time watch but is full of loopholes. However, everything is overshadowed by Yami Gautam’s extraordinary performance and Karanvir Sharma’s convincingly shocking reactions that well balanced Yami.
The movie links trauma and violence in a way that one won’t understand if it’s glorified or there is a genuine concern for the grave issue. The real horrors of society are portrayed and in all ways, it was good to watch mainstream cinema that raises a serious concern. The movie is surprising that comes with a feminist approach yet doesn’t overdo it with melodrama. It is a thriller in every sense with an amazing cast and crisp script.
‘A Thursday’ is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Rating: 3.5/5
