Director: Behzad Khambata
Cast: Yami Gautam, Atul Kulkarni, Neha Dhupia, Dimple Kapadia
Platform: Hotstar
Rating: 3.5 stars
It’s always difficult to make an invasion thriller, as there is very little that a director can do due to the limitations of playing around the location front. The Behzad Khambata directed A Thursday chronicles the story of Naina Jaiswal, a playschool teacher, who kidnaps 16 small students and puts forth a series of demands in front of the system. What are the demands? Why would a play teacher take law into her hands and risk the lives of so many innocents? You will get all the answers in A Thursday.
Director Behzad Khambata handles the subject with maturity and manages to keep us hooked on the screen for its 2-hour runtime. He creates an ambience of an adrenaline rush, with a touch of emotion towards the finale. It’s a difficult film to make, given that the focus is primarily on three to four principal characters. He also manages to hit the right note with a holistic touch on the emotions of everyone involved. There are moments when you cheer for the cops, feel for the pain of parents, and eventually understand the psyche of the protagonist. The social commentary too is blended organically in the narrative. While some may ask for logic with respect to the way things unfold towards the climax, one must realise that it’s a fictional vigilante story of triumph over evil. The emotions are strong enough to make one escape from reality.
The background is another hero of the film, as it creates tension at the right moments. The writing is crisp as the team doesn’t waste any moment to get to the point whereas the editing is sharp. There are a couple of sequences in the second half where the pace drops, but the fitting finale ensures a formidable impact. The cinematography is in sync with the world of this film and despite being a thriller, the team has kept a colourful tone in the visuals instead of going dark. The dialogues are fine, with a subtle and organic influx of humour in the ones for the cops.
Talking of performances, Yami Gautam delivers a fine performance. She is restrained in the initial portions but brings in the element of intensity as the story progresses. Her emotional outburst towards the finale is also hard-hitting. Atul Kulkarni is a total show-stealer as he gets some of the best dialogues in the film. He has a stellar screen presence, with a body language of a tough yet soft cop, fighting his way out to leave a mark. Neha Dhupia too is convincing as a female cop, and get’s her moment of glory in multiple instances. One can even sense her frustration about her ability being questioned due to her gender. Dimple Kapadia does well in her brief role as Indian Prime Minister.
Overall, A Thursday is a gripping saga with heart at its right place. It’s a well-made thriller, that would make your eyes moist towards the end and this is an aspect that very few succeed in. The second half could have been a little tighter, but well, no films are meant to be perfect either. This one is a sure-shot winner, and might have even had a chance of excelling in the theatrical medium.
