‘Thar’ Review: Anil Kapoor, Satish Kaushik Pairing Is The Only Highlight Of This Slow Paced Neo-Western Thriller
I’m not a big fan of neo-Western action flicks but I don’t mind them unless they keep me sitting on the edge of my seat till the end. Now, we’ve seen loads of nail-biting neo-Western thrillers but not too many desi Western films. But now, Bollywood is all set to give us the gift of a desi neo-Western action thriller titled Thar. It stars Anil Kapoor, Harshvarrdhan Kapoor, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Satish Kaushik and Mukti Mohan in pivotal roles. Written and directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Thar marks the debut of Harshvarrdhan Kapoor as a producer. It has been co-produced by Anil Kapoor and Harshvarrdhan Kapoor. The neo-Western action thriller will release on the OTT platform Netflix on May 6, 2022. It also marks the comeback of the Kapoor father-son duo on our screens.
The Story of Thar
Set in the 80s, Thar follows the story of an antique dealer, Siddharth (played by Harshvarrdhan Kapoor) who travels through a remote village in Rajasthan, Munabo, located near the India Pakistan border, that is rocked by a series of violent killings. During his travels through the village, Siddharth crosses paths with Inspector Surekha Singh (played by Anil Kapoor) and his deputy buddy Bhure (played by Satish Kaushik) as they investigate the series of murders. What initially seems like a murder committed by dacoits in the area soon turns out to have deeper roots with a dark history as the murder turns out to be gory and brutal. While Surekha Singh probes further into this mystery Siddharth hires some men from the village to transport goods for him and ends up having an affair with the wife of one of the men, who is believed to be infertile, Chetna (played by Fatima Sana Shaikh). It also explores the life and sexuality of Chetna’s friend Gauri (played by Mukti Mohan) who is married to one of the men who take up a job with Siddharth.
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Cast And Characters
Siddharth aka Harshvarrdhan Kapoor: This antique dealer has been known to be a man of few words. TBH, he hardly had any dialogues throughout the film. The actor spent most of his screentime talking with his eyes and making you cringe. Harshvarrdhan Kapoor clearly did not understand the assignment as the only thing he brought to the table was good looks. The actor remained poker-faced throughout. He royally fails at expressing the feelings, emotions and inner turmoil of his character.
Inspector Surekha Singh aka Anil Kapoor: While Anil Kapoor does not look as rustic as we expected, he does manage to portray his character really well. Surekha Singh makes his presence felt on the screen and dominates throughout the film. Anil Kapoor’s performance is the only thing that Thar has going for it, TBH.
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Bhure aka Satish Kaushik: Well, we’re all for Satish Kaushik and his stellar performance in this film. He was the highlight of the story as he managed to ease into his role effortlessly (as usual). And we got to see Anil Kapoor and Satish Kaushik’s pairing once again after a long long time.
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Chetna aka Fatima Sana Shaikh: Fatima Sana Shaikh managed to ace the dialect and slipped smoothly into her role of an abused rural woman but TBH, her character seemed poorly written and underdeveloped.
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Gauri aka Mukti Mohan: To say that Mukti Mohar aced her acting debut would really be an understatement. From hurling swear words to being a raw and unembellished rural woman, the actress managed to prove her mettle in acting with her portrayal of Gauri. She managed to grab eyeballs with her role as a feisty woman. Not only did Mukti Mohan shine throughout the film but she total stole the show with the display of her rather impressive acting skills.
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Final Verdict
TBH, the plot is rather predictable and the story is half-baked and poorly written. We surely had high expectations from this desi neo-Western action thriller but it fails to impress. The sub-plots are just as underdeveloped as some of the characters in Thar. While it does have a stellar cast, the film is not the kind that will appeal to the masses. Moreover, the annoying eerie music that constantly plays in the background will make you cringe hard. The story barely scratches the surface and reveals all about the plot in the first half itself. It’s not the kind that will have you sitting on the edge of your seats wondering what is going to happen next.
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The only thing that will make you want to continue watching it is the reason behind why Siddharth does what he does and NGL but in the end that will be just as disappointing (with incomplete info, might I add). The impeccable performance of Anil Kapoor, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Satish Kaushik and Mukti Mohan are the only highlights of the entire film. IMHO, Mukti Mohan really just stole the show.
FYI, Thar is currently streaming on Netflix.
