CAST: Sara Ali Khan, Chitrangada Singh, Vikrant Massey, Rahul Dev, Akshay Oberoi,
DIRECTOR: Pavan Kirpalani
Estranged from her father for many years, the reunion between the royal bloods is further delayed when Meesha (Khan) discovers he’s left to attend some unforeseeable business. Wary of her stepmother Rukmini (Chitrangada Singh) whom she resents for driving a wedge between the daddy and daughter, Meesha roams around the glum haveli in anticipation of ominous signs.
What could have happened in the movie now was the thriller variety but that never comes. As we wait for the movie to take off- it slithers its way in obscurity.
Something is fishy about her father’s no-show prompting Meesha to survey all the friends of the family — a creepy, pompous distant cousin Rana (Akshay Oberoi), a dynasty detesting senior cop Ashok (Rahul Dev) whilst making sly inquiries from Kapil, the estate manager (Vikrant Massey) her father took under his wing as a young boy.
Wishy-washy clues are dropped in visuals of an underwater figure, a birthday party of kids from long ago and Meesha’s curious tattoos and zero presence on social media as Gaslight gets busy capturing the bleak air enveloping a lifeless palace and pool in its washed-out frames.
A blind gypsy woman (Manjiri Pupala) comes to Meesha in a temple claiming to know of familiar spirits wanting to connect. And yet, everybody else stays unusually calm as if they already know something or who is behind it.
If the film meant to essay a socio-psychological angle, it fails and it unfairly relies on the skills of its likable cast to do the trick.
Chitrangada Singh’s seductive aura as Rukhmini fits well into the character. Sara Ali Khan, gets another dishy meaty role to show her skills off – yet somehow she falls short. If you have to write home about anyone in this movie, it will have to be Vikrant Massey, who is a pro at dubious characters but also beats the rest with his screen presence.
Akshay Oberoi is a pleasant surprise. Rahul Dev- what’s he even doing here?
Waste of a binge – Streaming on Hulu and Hotstar for those of you who have the extra time on hands.
