Gandhari Movie Review: Taapsee Pannu Saves a Below-Average Revenge Drama

GANDHARI is a revenge drama directed by Devashish Makhija, starring Taapsee Pannu, Ishwak Singh, and Mita Vashisht.

The story follows Bani (Taapsee Pannu), married to Gokul (Ishwak Singh), with whom she has a daughter named Mishty (Myrah Shivan). During a holiday passing through Joypurra, Mishty is kidnapped at a railway station. Bani chases the kidnapper, gets injured, and loses her eyesight. When local police fail to take the case seriously, AHTU officer Kabir (Jatin Sarna) is brought in to investigate rising kidnappings in the area. Meanwhile, Bani connects with Jhunu Amba (Mita Vashisht), who encourages her to take on the gang responsible for her daughter's abduction.

Kanika Dhillon wrote the story and screenplay, with dialogue that heightens the drama. Devashish Makhija directs the film, keeping the runtime under two hours and focusing on the mother seeking revenge. However, the film faces criticism for excessive cinematic liberties, a confusing kidnapping angle, abrupt character introductions, and weak writing in the climax.

Taapsee Pannu delivers a strong performance in both action and emotional scenes. Ishwak Singh puts in a sincere effort, Jatin Sarna leaves a strong mark, and Mita Vashisht plays a badass role. Other cast members include Chhaya Kadam, Chandan Roy, Myrah Shivan, Prashant Narayanan, Swastika Mukherjee, Priti Shroff, and Vishwanath Chatterjee.

The music and background score are handled by Shor Police. Amit Roy provides the cinematography, while action sequences are choreographed by Brahim Achhabake, Riyaz Shaikh, Habib Sayed, and Anis Shaikh. Production design is by Nikhil Kovale and Apurva Bhagat, costumes by Prashant Sawant, and editing by Naman Arora.

Overall, GANDHARI is considered a below-average revenge drama that is partially salvaged by Taapsee Pannu's powerful performance and engaging moments, though its impact is diluted by weak writing and cinematic liberties.