‘Blurr’ Review: Taapsee Pannu’s Nail-Biting Thriller Fizzles Out Towards The End
The twists and turns make it a worthy watch!
If there’s one actress I love the most, it’s Taapsee Pannu. The actress has been winning over hearts ever since her Hindi debut. But it was only after the success of her commercial film Pink that we all discovered that Taapsee is a total hero. Since she’s my favourite, I always keep an eye out for her upcoming releases and the one film that really caught my eye was Blurr because it doesn’t just star Taapsee but it’s also produced by the actress. She donned the producer’s hat for the first time for this film. Blurr has been produced by Taapsee’s Outsiders Films in association with Zee Studio and Echelon Productions. Directed by Ajay Bahl, the film stars Taapsee Pannu in the lead role along with Gulshan Devaiah and Kruttika Desai. The film is all set to premiere on the OTT platform Zee5 on December 9. So, without further ado, check out my review of this horror thriller film.
The Story Of Blurr
Set in the hills, Blurr follows the story of Gayatri (played by Taapsee Pannu). When Gayatri’s twin sister, Gautami dies under mysterious circumstances, she jumps into action to investigate her sister’s death while the police rules it suicide. But her probe into her sister’s death gets increasingly difficult as progressive blindness sets in and her husband, Neel (played by Gulshan Devaiah) discourages her. Will Gayatri find answers before everything gets blurry? Well, you’ll just have to watch the film to find out.
Cast And Characters
Taapsee Pannu As Gayatri/Gautami: Taapsee is known to be a nuanced actor and she put her acting skills on display yet again. It’s beautiful to watch the actress as she takes you through the edge-of-the-seat thriller. While the lack of character arc is difficult to digest, it’s the writing that is to be blamed. The actress won’t just win you over, she’ll make you root for her as everything gets blurry.
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Also Read: ‘An Action Hero’ Review: An Unexpectedly Good Action Comedy That Could Have Better Character Arcs
Gulshan Devaiah As Neel: It’s no secret that Gulshan is one of the most skilled actors but the actor looks rather uncomfortable in his character. Gulshan Devaiah’s conviction and efforts to portray Neel are quite evident but the lack of a solid backstory and character arc makes him stick out like a sore thumb. But sadly the actor could not slip into his role as expected.
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Kruttika Desai As Neighbour: Even though Kruttika Desai has limited screen time, the actress manages to grab eyeballs with her acting skills. But truth be told her character deserved a better arc and writing.
Abhilash Thapliyal: The actor may not be one of the most popular faces but his impressive acting skills make him unforgettable. Having said that, revealing anything more about his acting or his character would be a spoiler but watch out for him!
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Verdict: Edgy But Cliché
TBH, Taapsee Pannu will keep you on your toes throughout the film. Like the true hero that she is, Taapsee will hold your attention throughout the film with her kickass acting skills as Gayatri investigates her sister’s death. The film rates high on the thrill factor and there’s no about that, and paired with Taapsee’s impactful performance this film is an absolute must-watch for thriller fanatics. Blurr creates a perfect blend of emotions and thrill. It starts on a great note and manages to keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end. It’ll keep you guessing and throws the most unexpected surprise at you with all the murky twists and turns. The background score, however, is nothing noteworthy. On the other hand, the direction is rather noteworthy! But it’s the cinematography that takes the cake with aesthetically pleasing shots. The visuals are kaafi appealing keeping in mind the underwhelming plot. The director and cinematographer have used the lighting and the lack of it to their advantage to create the perfect visuals and show the story from Gayatri’s blurry point of view, quite literally. While it does not capture the essence of the backdrop of the hills as one would expect but the way every sequence is shot will have your heart beating fast as you root for Taapsee Pannu’s Gayatri. The direction, cinematography and Taapsee will keep you invested in the Blurr till the very end.
Also Read: ‘Phone Bhoot’ Review: Katrina Kaif Starrer Perfectly Marries Comedy With Pop Culture References But It’ll Make You Question Your Sense Of Humour
Having said that, the film does lack in certain places. In terms of pace, Blurr starts off great and manages to maintain the pace for the most part of the film but it begins falters towards the end. The last 30 minutes of the film not only seem overbearing but also stretched. In fact, the ending of the film is unnecessarily extended to the point where it just fizzles out with very little to offer. Further, it also becomes boring and rather predictable once the plot starts unfolding. The plot truly disappoints in the end once it’s revealed. NGL, it’s yet another done-and-dusted plot with the most cliché sequences like every other thriller film ever. To make things worse, the subplots in the film are half-baked and the loose strings of the subplots do not come together in the end, leaving one with far too many unanswered questions. Taapsee Pannu’s Gayatri goes on a whole investigation spree, trying to tie the loose ends but in the end, none of her discoveries actually come together. The lack of backstories of all the characters doesn’t help either. Despite all the build-up, Blurr leaves you in a blur with no answers.
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Another thing to note is that Gulshan Devaiah’s Neel as a character has very little to offer. TBH, we wouldn’t have missed his character and the unoriginal subplot he was a part of. I mean, we all saw that one coming but what we did not see coming was the abrupt end to his character and subplot. The makers tried to sell Blurr as a horror thriller but let me give you a heads up, there’s no horror apart from a bunch of jump scares. It’s nothing more than a nail-biting psychological thriller with a banal plot. Further, it’s essential to note that the shoddy writing would’ve been difficult to digest had it not been for Taapsee’s performance. While the dialogues are decent, they’re not memorable.
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The film manages to hold only because it maintains the thrill despite being predictable and cliché. There was no saving this plot had it not been for Taapsee who anchored the film. Amazing direction, kickass cinematography and Taapsee Pannu’s badass acting skills saved the film. And that’s why I’m rating it 3 stars out of 5. Blurr is a must-watch for those who haven’t watched the original Spanish Film Julia’s Eyes. Catch the film on Zee5 on December 9.
