Gumraah

Plot:

A murder is committed on a rainy night and the next morning, police arrives at the crime scene. On investigating the police finds a photo of the suspect. The police hunt him down the next day only to find that he has a lookalike. This makes the equation trickier for the police as there are two suspects for one murder. The story that follows, takes viewers through events before the night of the murder and after the night of the murder, as the investigation is carried out to find out the real murderer.

 

What Works:

Gumraah is racy and paced well. It is very engaging from start to finish, especially for those who haven't watched the Tamil original. It is a true-blue masala-entertainer for Bollywood movie-buffs, with the only thing lacking i.e., a chartbuster song.

The action scenes are fun to watch, and the comic portions are sure to make you chuckle, especially the conversations between the constables at regular intervals are hilarious. The romantic angle is fresh and breezy, and only enhances the feel of the film.

The final unveil is impactful and again, well executed. It doesn't get diluted through the course of the film. Suspense is one of the strongest elements of the film. The film always stays a step ahead of its viewers.

 

What Doesn't:

The back-and-forth screenplay does get a little choppy at times. A couple of flashback episodes don't add much to the subject matter and could have been edited.

There are liberties taken with respect to the story and there are a few elements that involve a leap of faith. However, they don't bog down the film much and it very much remains an enjoyable watch.

 

Performances:

Aditya Roy Kapur is in terrific form. He aces both his roles and creates a clear distinction between both his characters, Sooraj (Ronnie) and Arjun. He carries the film on his able shoulders and is hands down the best thing about this well written film.

Mrunal Thakur gives a restrained performance and looks very sharp in her role of inspector Shivani Mathur. Her character doesn't allow her to experiment much, but she does well anyway.

Ronit Roy proves why he's the best in the business. His character ACP Dhiren Yadav is an interesting one, involving grey shades too and oh boy, he nails it.

Vedika Pinto as Aditya Roy Kapur's love interest is lovely. She lends good support. The romantic scenes, as mentioned above, look very fresh and are very breezy. The supporting cast, consisting of Deepak Kalra as Sooraj's quick friend 'Chaddi' and the other police constables, only make the film more enjoyable.

 

Verdict:

Gumraah is a very enjoyable film with elements of a commercial thriller. It is a film made for those who have grown up watching Bollywood films. It warrants a theatrical watch.