Toaster Review: Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra Film Is A Patchy Dark Comedy With Occasional Gags!
Toaster is directed by Vivek Daschaudhary and is soon going to release on Netflix. Read our review here.
2.5 / 5
I am all here for mindless comedies cum thriller. It’s a good mix of genres, but only if done well! Recently, I watched the Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra starrer Toaster. Directed by Vivek Das Chaudhary and produced by Patralekhaa and Rajkummar Rao’s production house Kampa Films, the film explores the above-mentioned themes. It also features Archana Puran Singh and Abhishek Banerjee in pivotal roles. The movie was funny until the plot changed directions and turned into something very unfamiliar, but not in a good way. Here’s a quick spoiler-free review if you plan on watching it!
Plot
Rajkummar Rao plays a miser, middle-class man, Ramakant, who owns a perfume shop. Sanya Malhotra plays his on-screen wife, and her character is obsessed with crime-drama shows. Seema Pahwa plays Ramakant’s landlady, Abhishek Banerjee plays her son, and Archana Puran Singh is one of the neighbours.
Ramakant is shown as a man who cannot let go of even 6 Rs, and somehow finds his way through to get it from the telecom company. Well, how could he let go of a toaster that he bought for 5000 Rs? The plot begins to go chaotic after Ramakant and his wife gift a toaster at a wedding. Once he realises that the marriage broke off, he is determined to get his expensive toaster back. However, it only brings more troubles, confusion, and risky plot twists in his life. On this journey, Ramakant also discovers some real sides of people whom he once thought were harmless and innocent beings. There are a few cameos in the film, too!
What I Enjoyed
The first hour of the film was enjoyable. The character of Ramakant suits Rajkummar Rao perfectly, and some of the dialogues are really well-written for an instant laugh. Ramakant is a man who seems to be familiar and relatable. For instance, he prefers to enjoy Mumbai’s cool weather and save on some of the electricity, or he believes in the concept of bargaining. Most of the laughs were evoked through the lead character and his habit of turning serious situations into comedy simply with his behaviour as a miser.
There is some hilarious and effortless situational comedy, especially in the scenes where Rajkummar Rao and Abhishek Banerjee share screen. The plot also had my attention, and I was curious to see how far the lead character could go to get back the Toaster and finally get his money. Ramakant’s hunt to trace the Toaster was not an exceptional plot; however, it is a fun ride. Despite the problems in the film, the plot, characters, and dialogue did manage to give me a good time. And that feeling did not stay for very long, though!
Oh, I also found myself vibing to the background scores in the film. It elevated the experience of watching the chaos unfold!
Performances
Rajkummar Rao as Ramakant is hilarious. The actor is comfortable in this character, and it shows. Most of his punch lines land. While we have seen Rajkummar Rao play such similar roles before, he still manages to bring something effortless and refreshing every time to the character, and yet again, he does not disappoint!
Sanya Malhotra’s performance is also impressive. The role is not a challenging one, but the actor does add a certain charm that always makes it a delight to watch her perform. Abhishek Banerjee is very effortless.
The Problems
Toaster quickly turns into a thriller, action-adventure after the first hour, but the plot goes haywire. There are certain twists in the characters that only leave me baffled. In an attempt to show something bizarre and dark, the plot turns problematic, and there is absolutely no explanation for that.
Except for Ramakant’s character, the film does not have any other strong characters. It was extremely difficult to understand Sanya Malhotra’s character and her dynamics with Ramakant. We are not given enough substance to connect with her character’s growth, as it feels very disconnected from the plot. The plot never really focused on their relationship, but in the end, the reconciliation is sandwiched into the plot. Also, based in Mumbai, the film does not really look like a story set in Mumbai, a problem that many films face because they are not shot in real locations, instead in a set where not much focus is put on making it look realistic.
The biggest plot twist in the film which reveals a particular character in a different light. It is quite bizarre and takes away from all the fun. It’s only an example of how Toaster failed to dark comedy thriller film that forgot its purpose midway. Due to weak and absurd writing, the characters also turn dull, and the actors can hardly do anything to save them. Several comic cameos in the film occasionally work.
Also Read: Tejasswi Prakash Finally Addresses Marriage Plans With Karan Kundrra. Interesting!
Verdict
Overall. Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra’s Toaster had the potential of becoming an easy-breezy and light-hearted dark-comedy thriller, but better writing and a consistent screenplay were missing big time in the film. To a point where it left me frustrated.
First Published: April 15, 2026 2:42 PM
