Gandhari: Overstuffed and Overcooked with Predictable Twists
Gandhari, as we know, was the mother of the Kauravas who chose to blindfold herself after marrying the blind king, Dhritarashtra. The makers likely chose this title because the story follows a mother who loses her sight after a blow to the head while trying to save her six-year-old daughter from kidnappers. Alternatively, writer-producer Kanika Dhillon might have meant to highlight how local police turn a blind eye to a longstanding child trafficking racket in Joypura. It is an apt title, but if Dhillon had poured the same thought into the script, we would not be left with a bloated, melodramatic whodunit weighed down by predictable twists.
The plot follows Bani (Taapsee Pannu) and Gokul (Ishwak Singh), whose young daughter is abducted at the Joypura railway station. Bani suffers a head injury while chasing the kidnapper, causing temporary blindness. Despite their desperate pleas, the local police offers little help, prompting Bani to take matters into her own hands. Aided by a local woman, Jhunu Amba (Mita Vashisht), Bani uncovers a broader child trafficking network that abducts young girls with local help. She is left with just six weeks to save her daughter before the gang smuggles her out of the country.
'Gandhari' had all the right ingredients: a solid premise, a talented cast, and director Devashish Makhija, who previously proved his mettle with Ajji (2017) and Bhonsle (2018). What it lacks is a tightly written script. The film moves quickly at first, launching into the kidnapping within five minutes. However, as Bani begins her search, the movie loses steam due to weak world-building. Though the setup paints the entire town as untrustworthy suspects, the narrative fails to build real tension.
Bani continuously risks her life, yet each dangerous expose fails give the thrill owing to bad scene integration. When she is trapped, she transforms into an action heroine, but it feels forced and unjustified. Meanwhile, her husband's character is drastically underutilised. Gokul discovers his own clues, but his anguish as a father is ignored until the third act, missing an opportunity to explore how the tragedy affects their marriage. A subplot concerning Inspector Kabir's (Jatin Sarna) probe into the trafficking ring doesn't add much to the story.
Performance-wise, capturing a mother's journey from grief to fierce determination is a heavy lift, and Taapsee Pannu struggles with the range. Her acting often feels overly theatrical and forced, particularly in the climax. Ishwak Singh delivers a fine, grounded performance, conveying the quiet desperation of a helpless father. Swastika Mukherjee is effective as an orphan NGO head who drives the story forward, while Chhaya Kadam and Mita Vashisht provide solid supporting work. The action sequences are average at best; seeing a visually impaired woman take on heavy-set men required far better choreography to look believable.
Ultimately, despite its strong setup and raw material, 'Gandhari' is a major disappointment that offers too little to keep viewers invested.
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Ishwak Singh, Mita Vashisht, Swastika Mukherjee
Writer: Kanika Dhillon
Director: Devashish Makhija
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