The Rapist

Aparna Sen's latest is an overburdened social drama. Despite touching hardly explored territories in Indian films concerning the sexual offense, the film lacks teeth. It doesn't hit hard as it intends to.

The film's first half stinks of immature filmmaking, with distracting jump cuts that fail to establish the characters as a whole. It becomes extremely predictable as it progresses, the second half improves the narrative highlighting the characters who gets some insight which engages us for a while. The film also turns out to be quite interesting for a small amount of time in the second half but outstays its welcome. It drags, overdramatizes, and nags like a sore thumb.

Konkona gives a superlative performance accompanied by Arjun Rampal and Tanmay Dhanmania and desperately tries to anchor the film, they succeed also to a certain extent.

Aparna Sen's political commentary is extremely half-baked in the film which is surprising because in real life she is very outspoken about her political views.

It's strictly average owing to earlier films of Aparna Sen but better than her last two directorials.