Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Bandar’ is the kind of film that refuses to make the audience comfortable. Inspired by real-life events, it begins as a #MeToo era drama before slowly transforming into a grim prison saga that questions power, privilege and the machinery of justice. The transition is bold, even if it doesn’t always feel seamless.
Bobby Deol plays a fading television star Samar Mehra, accused of rape by a former lover and swallowed by a merciless legal system. Deol strips away his usual star image and plays the character with vulnerability, arrogance and desperation, often all at once. The film never allows Samar to become either a complete victim or negative, and that moral ambiguity keeps the narrative engaging.
Anurag Kashyap returns to familiar territory with his raw, unpolished storytelling style. The prison sequences are particularly effective, capturing the suffocating brutality of life behind bars without glamourising the violence. The supporting cast, especially Indrajith Sukumaran and Sanya Malhotra, lend the film emotional weight.
Where ‘Bandar’ falters is in its writing. It raises difficult questions about gender politics, consent and institutional failure, but occasionally settles for easier emotional resolutions. The screenplay loses some of its sharpness in the second half, and a few narrative turns feel designed to generate sympathy rather than provoke debate.
Yet, even with its flaws, ‘Bandar’ deserves credit for attempting something far more challenging than a conventional courtroom or prison drama. It is disturbing, thought-provoking and anchored by a fearless Bobby Deol performance that lingers long after the credits roll.
‘Bandar’ may not be Anurag Kashyap’s most consistent film, but it is certainly among his most compelling in recent years. Imperfect but impactful, it is a film that demands conversation rather than easy applause.
Movie rating: ★★★½
