Blackmail

SPOILER: Saw this in a theatre. Was highly anticipating it because i loved the director's earlier effort Delhi Belly which was outrageously funny. Of course the other reason is Irrfan Khan. The film follows the life of Dev (Irrfan) and his sometimes odd, sexual preferences. The missing photographs scenes were hilarious. The face cover scenes were hilarious too. Dev who is most attracted to his wife when she's sleeping, has a habit of peeping through a hole into his own bedroom. One night Dev comes early as advised by his colleague, finds his wife sleeping with another man. Surprisingly, given this dark subject matter, hilarity does in fact ensues. The film is filled with wacky complications, it takes a turn into darker territory with blackmailing, murder, conspiracy n accidents. One of the best part is that ther r no bloody songs except for one item song which was necessary for the colleague getting drunk n opening his mouth. There is some cleverly intelligent comedy here, but thats what I come to expect from Irrfan n Abhinay Deo. This film is really Irrfan's. He imbues his character with a sweetness that makes him more human and we as audiences wants him to win in his Pac-man game as well as in his revenge.

Its a must watch experience. I dont understand why few people gave negetive reviews. Its a good film owing to its uncommon storyline

Mahn! This was something. Honestly speaking, I wasn't expecting it to be such a fun-filled experience. I mean your expectations will always be high from an Irrfaan starter, but this truly was epic.

Every cast member was so much involved in their character that you would actually feel at a point that you are witnessing a live show of interlinked blackmails.

Brilliant film making!

This was unexpected. I went in the hall with low expectations, having literally no idea of what the film was going to be about. I had no idea of what I was in for. Boy, did I enjoy every bit of the roller-coaster ride! On the surface, it looks to be simple - a man finds his wife is cheating on him, he plans to blackmail on his wife's boyfriend to pay off his bills. That's where it gets complicated. What follows is an impressive accounts lesson, money changing hands as frequently as nymphomaniacs changing clothes, and shades of grey revealed in every character. Friendship, love, jobs, loyalty - everything bows their head to the almighty rupee (or dollar, depending on where you are from). The music is impressive. The soundtrack is among Amit Trivedi's top five, easily. The acting is, for lack of a better word, amazing. Irrfan Khan steals the show. Smaller actors could have easily collapsed under the weight that the film demanded from the lead role, but boy, he does not disappoint. Other actors (Arunoday Singh, Kirti Kulhari, Divya Dutta, Omi Vaidya, et al.) also make handle their roles with grace, but your eyes will never stray from Irrfan. One word of caution, though - this is full of dark humor, not dark comedy - don't go into the film expecting laughs and giggles.

Director Abhinay Deo can safely call himself the king of black comedies as Blackmail by all means surpasses his previous best, Delhi Belly (2011). Irrfan, the king of the neighbouring kingdom - subtle acting - plays Dev, a cuckold to his wife (Kirti Kulhari) and leads the show. How an ordinary office-going man with shades of grey turns into a hostile creature with inflated vile human characteristics is what is the basic setting, and why Blackmail works compared to its past contemporaries is because Dev is not the only monster here. Every single character in the film is a vile creature with sinister intentions. From Dev's wife to his colleagues to the adulterer (Arunoday Singh) - everyone is a culprit in this drama that is written with full conviction and imagination. Writer Parveez Sheikh, known for Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and Queen (2013), weaves a story that is so well-connected and polished, it is both delightful and funny to see the events unfold. Irrfan is at his usual best who acts like he his living the character; Singh, Divya Dutta, and Omi Vaidya are other members of the cast who support Deo in creating a near modern masterpiece in storytelling. With narrative frequently taking potshots at the human nature and also sampling current affairs and trends, there is never a dull moment that will bore a discerning viewer. There is enough going on in this drama that you will want to pay close attention as there is brilliance even in the niceties. Supported by a hard-pumping soundtrack, an unnecessary Urmila Matondkar cameo, and one of the best screenplays I have seen for a Bollywood film in 2018 so far, Blackmail is like that student who gets 80+ on all the subjects. How a noxious affair leads to another nasty thought to several more beastly events is what Blackmail situates itself in, and at the end reveals the hard truth about life that it is not people who actually do the crime that always suffer for it. It's a sincere and quirky take on life and gets full points for the efforts. The ambiguous climax makes it much more of a new wave, unmissable film. Go watch it! TN.