Review: It’s an interesting time for women in cinema. Ladies are no longer looked upon as pretty props or damsels in distress. Stories are now being written about them. Stories that don’t just scratch the surface but go beyond. These are stories that matter. Director Behzad Khambata trusts Yami Gautam Dhar with an author-backed role, Yami’s first in her career. Her character expects her to be brutally cold and yet breathe fire through silence and ambiguity. When pushed in an uncharted territory, the actress struggles to stay subtle but amps up the required intensity eventually. Dimple Kapadia and Neha Dhupia also play significant characters here and the two render powerful performances. Atul Kulkarni’s talent needs no introduction. He is perfectly cast here as well.
Coming across as a spiritual sequel to Neeraj Pandey’s taut and terrific ‘A Wednesday’, Behzad Khambata’s suspenseful hostage drama has an interesting premise, too but a rather farfetched execution. It lacks the compelling nature of Neeraj Pandey’s storytelling but gets the underlying emotion right. Jarring background score and dated slowmo close-ups feel juvenile as the attempt to draw in the viewer feels too obvious. Conveying emotions shouldn’t be confused with spoon-feeding. While the plot raises intrigue, the film lacks technical detailing that could fulfil its ambition.
Despite a rather predictable backstory, A Thursday redeems itself with its powerful emotional arc and social commentary in the latter half. It touches upon a relevant issue that will resonate with women across the globe. This may not be an edge of the seat thriller that evokes paranoia or fear but it dares to make an important point and that alone is its victory. Khambata cleverly makes ample use of the social media within the film to take the story forward and it works. The film also makes an apt observation of clickbait journalism and the business of ‘breaking news’.
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