Writer/Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Amrita Singh
‘A Magnificent Mystery’
Not many actors in Bollywood earned praise of Amitabh Bachchan. Following his rise to fame amid the 1970’s, Bachchan has transformed in a legendary Bollywood icon. Whether it’s inspiring teachers, frustrated fathers or patriotic leaders, Bachchan has played many strong characters. Arguably, Bachchan’s best strength as an actor has always been his strong commitment to his craft. He is one of those rare Indian actors that has always had strong presence which has elevated every movie he is in. Through his capabilities to create characters which audience can easily relate to, Bachchan has become a celebrated Bollywood icon that audiences value. Although he is best known for roles in Bollywood, Bachchan has proven he excels in every genre. Despite reaching an age of retirement, Bachchan has never lost long lasting passion for entertainment. Throughout his illustrious career, Bachchan has produced countless movies which are absolutely worth talking about without any doubt.
I’m a big fan of Bachchan and adore all the movies he has made in his career. However, “Badla” absolutely stands out as being his most thought-provoking movie. Released in 2019, Sujoy Ghosh’s movie offered a strong portrait of lawyers. Packed with engrossing visuals, engaging storytelling and powerful acting, it’s an exceptional Bollywood murder mystery. At the centre of it all is a fantastic performance from Amitabh Bachchan, who embodies a lawyer seeking to investigate a murder. Although “Badla” is a bold murder mystery, it isn’t a flawless film. It’s unevenly paced, building towards an ending without resolution. Nevertheless, it offers engaging entertainment which would satisfy fans of Amitabh Bachchan.
“Badla” tells the story of a lawyer seeking to inspect a murder which causes a dilemma. Amitabh Bachchan portrays Badal Gupta, a committed lawyer with strong dedication to conducting investigations. Badal has often excelled at investigating every case without any problems to face. However, Badal’s life drastically changes when he’s given chance to investigate a confounding murder. Naina Sethi (Taapsee Pannu) is a powerful woman accused of committing her lovers’ murder. Hired to investigate a strange case, Badal questions his devotions to a profession he used to embrace. As all the odds become stacked against his favour, Badal wonders whether it’s truly possible for him to become a successful lawyer.
Sujoy Ghosh is fascinated with the mystery genre. A brilliant Bollywood director, Ghosh has often made engaging Indian films about investigations of murder. His acclaimed film “Kahaani” provided a powerful portrait of a pregnant woman seeking to resolve lovers’ mystery. With “Badla”, however, the director made his first ever legal drama. It marked the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture the lives of lawyers seeking to solve a mystery, but he succeeded immensely. Using strong cinematography, Ghosh captures the life of a lawyer seeking to resolve a huge mystery. Evoking Sydney Pollack’s “The Firm”, Ghosh effectively uses montages to capture life of a lawyer seeking to investigate his firm. For instance, the montages elevate the murder investigation scene. During this memorable scene, Badal seeks to investigate a murder case with a woman that’s framed. Through stunning montages, Ghosh crafts a portrait of lawyers that’s compelling. Using stunning visuals, Ghosh captures hardships lawyers are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Badla” which merits appreciation is the production. From a technical perspective, it’s one of the best Bollywood mystery movies you will ever see. Evoking Nishikant Kamat’s “Drishyam”, the filmmaker effectively uses cross-cutting to create engrossing action sequences which capture hardships lawyers are facing. For instance, cross-cutting enhances the hotel room flashback scene. During this engaging scene, Naina recounts harrowing memories of her lovers’ murder which happened in a hotel. Using cross-cutting, Ghosh conveys hardships lawyers are facing. Furthermore, the musical score is magnificent. It gives the movie an engaging atmosphere capturing the burden doomed lawyers bear. Through captivating production, Ghosh captures an engaging murder investigation.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Badla” is a Bollywood mystery movie that’s engaging. The film is extremely well written, and effectively uses flashbacks to capture tensions lawyers investigating murders are facing. The movie deftly switches back and forth between two timelines: flashbacks of Naina’s encounter with murder and present-day scenes of her legal investigations. For instance, flashbacks enhance the murder interview scene. During this unforgettable scene, Naina has an intense interview with Badal recounting harrowing memories of her murder encounter. Through engaging flashbacks, Ghosh creates a portrait of a legal investigation audiences can relate to. Flashbacks are tricky techniques to use in Bollywood films. As Karan Johar’s “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” claimed, flashbacks enhance Bollywood movies about broken families. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through a brilliant screenplay, Ghosh captures lawyers that experience a price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Amitabh Bachchan delivers one of his best performances as Badal. Bachchan earned appreciation for playing action heroes in celebrated Bollywood movies. With “Badla”, however, the actor took on his most tricky role. It isn’t simple to portray a lawyer that seeks to investigate a murder mystery but he succeeds tremendously. This is the actor unlike you have ever seen him before: bold, emotional and vulnerable in his most serious role. With riveting expressions, he captures the angst, bravery and grief experienced by a lawyer seeking to conduct investigations. It’s a powerful performance from one of the finest actors which is working in Bollywood today.
Taapsee Pannu is phenomenal as a woman that seeks to resolve a perplexing mystery. While Bachchan gets a showier role, Pannu is also extraordinary as a woman whose life suddenly spirals out of control. Whether she is recalling harrowing memories of a murder or seeking assistance from a lawyer, Pannu uses her body language to capture tensions faced by a woman. Pannu has often thrived at playing strong women under stress, and “Badla” showcases her finest strengths as an actress. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the most beloved actresses in India today.
Despite its strong performances, however, “Badla” can’t quite capture hardships that lawyers experience in India. If there’s one minor shortcoming to the movie, it lacks an engaging pace. Ghosh’s choice to integrate subplots about assault into the film is bold but hinders the pacing. Due to this decision, scenes focusing on Naina’s memories of a rape aren’t as engaging as an investigation. As Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s “Pink” did demonstrate clearly, subplots about assault elevate Bollywood feminist films. Therefore, “Badla” is one of those Bollywood films that not everyone will adore.
Nevertheless, fans of Amitabh Bachchan will absolutely enjoy “Badla” and so will audiences seeking tense entertainment.
A captivating Bollywood murder mystery, it honours an actor with a lasting legacy.
Nearly 7 years following the release of an engaging Bollywood thriller about a strong lawyer seeking to investigate a perplexing murder, it’s a riveting reminder of a beloved Indian actor that has built a lasting legacy by his abilities to portray strong characters in memorable movies throughout his career audiences treasure.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 