Gumraah Movie Review – Cast, Direction, and Critical Verdict
Plot & Origin
Gumraah (2023) is a Hindi-language action thriller directed by Vardhan Ketkar, based on the 2019 Tamil film Thadam by Magizh Thirumeni. Written by Ketkar and Aseem Arora, the film revolves around a murder investigation complicated by two identical suspects, both portrayed by Aditya Roy Kapur—delivering a tense narrative of mystery, bias, and mistaken identity.
Direction, Writing & Visual Treatment
Ketkar’s film is a faithful remake but lacks originality. Critics called out the screenplay for being “convoluted” and dragging, particularly noting the sluggish first half with extended flashbacks and contrived romantic interludes.
While the premise is engaging, the execution feels padded—diluting the thriller’s intensity and undermining its impact.
Performances & Characters
- Aditya Roy Kapur, in his dual roles, delivers solid performances but struggles to make the duo feel distinct beyond costume and attitude changes.
- Mrunal Thakur plays Inspector Shivani Mathur with stoic resolve. While polished, her portrayal lacks expressive depth, particularly in the film’s early tone-setting moments.
- Ronit Roy stands out as the commanding ACP Dhiren Yadav, bringing intensity and gravitas to his character.
Technical Elements & Music
The film leans on a typical Bollywood structure—songs, romance, and flashbacks—which break its pacing. Music and background score are serviceable but not memorable.
Critical Reception
- Rotten Tomatoes: 33% critic score—mixed reviews.
- Times of India: Praised its intriguing plot and revealed twists, rating it 3.5/5.
- Cinema Express: Criticized convoluted narration, giving it just 2/5.
- Jagran: Labeled it predictable with a messy climax, rating unclear.
- The Hindu: Called the screenplay colorless, lacking killer instinct.
- Popcorn Reviewss: Deemed it a poor adaptation of the original.
- Pinkvilla: Celebrated the suspense and performances, rating it 3.5/5.
Audience Buzz
On Reddit, viewer opinions are split:
“A well-made remake… kept me on my toes till the end.”
“Why did it fail??… The mystery was great, acting amazing!”
Many praised the suspense and lead performances despite the film’s poor box office numbers.
Box Office Performance
Despite its gripping premise, Gumraah underperformed heavily at the box office, earning far below its production budget.
Final Verdict
Rating: 2.5/5
Gumraah aims to deliver a taut thriller, and on paper, it has the elements—dual lead, investigative mystery, and psychological suspense. In reality, its stretched narrative, weak screenplay, and predictable turns drag it into mediocrity. While performances—especially by Aditya Roy Kapur and Ronit Roy—offer highlights, the film ultimately feels like an underwhelming remake that failed to sharpen itself. Worth a watch only if you’re curious about the premise or are die-hard fans of the leads.
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