Gandhari Movie Review: Taapsee Pannu’s Film Is A Soulless Story On Motherhood!
Gandhari is currently streaming on Netflix. The film is directed by Devashish Makhija. Read here.
1.5 / 5
Kanika Dhillon and Taapsee Pannu have collaborated on several projects, and Gandhari is their sixth. The Netflix film is directed by Devashish Makhija, and it stars a range of talented actors like Chhaya Kadam, Ishwak Singh, Mita Vashisht, Swastika Mukherjee and Chandan Roy. The story revolves around a mother’s desperate search for her little daughter, and the several deceptions that come her way. Unfortunately, Gandhari fails to impress despite the brilliant cast! Read the review.
Plot
The film’s story primarily deals with the kidnapping of Bani (Taapsee Pannu) and Gokul’s (Ishwak Singh) daughter. In an attempt to save her daughter, Bani temporarily loses her eyesight. However, she doesn’t give up. The kidnapping of Bani’s daughter is linked to a child s*x-trafficking gang. Jatin Sarna plays the investigating officer in the trafficking case. Mita Vashisht is seen as Jhuna Amba, and her character has a backstory. Swastika Mukherji is the owner of a girls’ NGO.
Gandhari’s story is set in the fictional town of Joypurra in West Bengal. It’s a town of Behrupias or impersonators. They are popular street performers. How Bani uncovers the truth behind her daughter’s kidnapping and confronts the dark truths of her part are some central themes of the plot.
Weak Screenplay, Story
A tight and gripping story was what one expected from this film. Instead, it offers us something very basic, cliché, and predictable. The weakest aspect of this story was not only the screenplay but the characters as well. Gandhari has a promising start where the plot establishes the gravity of the situation and the helplessness of parents at the hands of ignorant policemen. But this seriousness is lost in no time when the story begins to introduce new characters, with absolutely no clue about what to do with them.
I wanted to feel invested in the storytelling, but the several loopholes keep distracting you from the plot. The addition of multiple twists and turns and revelations along the way does nothing to build the narrative into something engaging. I was left with many questions about the characters, and more so their contributions to the storytelling.
Gandhari also follows familiar cliches that we have seen in many films on child trafficking. However, here even the integration of these elements is very weak. Jatin Sarna’s cop hardly has anything to do in the plot; in fact, one even forgets that there is a cop here. The main villain in the story is also wasted. The three female characters played by Mita Vashist, Chhaya Kadam and Swastika Mukherjee have undercooked arcs that leave us disappointed.
Gandhari’s central character Bani is also a victim of weak writing. The idea behind the character is interesting, but the execution fails big time. The emotions don’t hit hard; just the action sequences do. Bani and Gokul’s dynamics may have looked good on paper, but in the film it looks confused and forced. Their story doesn’t seamlessly blend with the other things that are going on. In short, Gandhari attempts to deal with many elements and emotions, like a grieving but strong mother, deceptions in the city of Joypurra, Bani and Gokul’s relationship, while also addressing the issue of child trafficking, but it ends up becoming a chaotic mess.
The definition of motherhood is reduced to just action, as the feelings of pain or anger are felt nowhere in the storytelling.
Performances
We have seen better and more real performances by Taapsee Pannu. The actor shines in some well-choreographed action sequences. While the actor has delivered a sincere performance, the writing is to be blamed. Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukheri and Mita Vashisht are also decent in their performances, but their potential as actors is not utilised.
Also Read: Gandhari Trailer: Taapsee Pannu, Ishwak Singh’s Thriller Promises An Intriguing Story. We’re Seated!
Verdict
With a promising cast and some interesting elements, Gandhari could have been a good thriller, but sad to report, it’s a soulless film with the most bizarre storytelling (and not in a good way).
Also Read: Ikkis Movie Review: Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat Lift A Mediocre Anti-War Drama Ft Agastya Nanda!
First Published: September 03, 2026 2:45 PM
