Movie: NH10
Direction: Navdeep Singh
Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumaar
Music Director: Darshan Rathod, Sanjeev Rathod, Bann Chakraborty, Ayush Shrestha, Savera Mehta, Samira Koppikar
Cinematography: Arvind Kannabiran
Editor: Jabeen Merchant
Genre: Thriller, Social
Rating: ∗∗∗
What it’s about: A very urban happy couple (played by Anushka Sharma and Neil Bhoopalam) go on a road trip that goes horribly wrong. They happen to witness a bone-chilling honour killing in a remote village in Haryana and when Arjun (played by Neil) stands up to the wrong-doers the situation escalates. Anushka and Neil end up killing a couple of the men who were involved in the honour killing while defending themselves with a gun that Anushka’s character had purchased in Delhi for her own protection. The villains, lead by Darshan Kumaar are hell bent on making that night their last and it is then up to Anushka’s female protagonist character to take the lead in saving both herself and her husband’s life.
What to watch out for: This is Anushka’s film through and through, and not just because she has a producer’s credit attached to the flick. She has done an stellar job in the female protagonist’s role and the director (Navdeep) and his crew must be commended for not taking commercial liberties with the film. Deepti Naval’s cameo appearance is significantly striking – she appears in a scene where Deepti’s character hits her daughter-in-law while her grandson laughs at that sight gleefully. While it is disheartening to know that the family members in certain parts of the country set a wrong example to the boys at home, it must be noted that these emotions and practices have been captured really well in the movie. Last, but not the least, special mentions must be made to the fast-paced editing, the captivating background score and comprehensive writing of the script and screenplay.
The verdict: A brilliant and well-executed script; although one could have done away with the excess gore and bloodshed portrayed in the movie.
