There are some films that stay with you because of their simplicity, and Vadh is a great example of that. Starring Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta in the lead roles, this is a story about a cute older couple that takes a dark, dark turn… How they then try to deal with the consequences of their actions forms the rest of the plot.
Now, Vadh isn’t necessarily a movie that will stand out in a vast ocean of thrillers, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked either. So, let’s talk about what does — and does not — work for the film.
Vadh — Review at a Glance
- Story — 3.5/5
- Acting — 4.5/5
- Direction — 3/5
- Cinematography — 3.5/5
Must-Watch: Not exactly (but those who don’t mind a slower pacing will love it)
One-Time Watch: Yes
When to Watch Vadh: When you want an Indian thriller that is interesting and complex but doesn’t take a massive emotional toll at the end…
Vadh Review — A Deep Dive
Before I clicked on “Watch Now,” Vadh’s trailer on Netflix didn’t seem very promising… It’s just a clip of the protagonists’ son being a dick to them. While there are some family dramas, like Lovesongs: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, that I love and deeply cherish, the fact remains that Vadh doesn’t fall into that genre, so I was a little confused as to what was going on.
But boy, am I glad that I didn’t judge this book by its cover.
Vadh is one of those films that doesn’t start off with grand ideas or promises only to end with some insane plot twist that grabs you by the balls. Instead, it takes a different route — one that makes you immerse yourself deeply in a tale of murder and justice.
It’s a delicate film — one that takes care of everything, from the framing of scenes to the character’s moral dilemmas — and therein lies what makes it so impactful!
The premise is simple yet complex at the same time, the twists and turns are low in drama but high in stakes, and it simply feels like this movie is a labour of love and vision.
Vadh is about an old man who kills the local goon for moral reasons and how it turns his world upside down. Along the way, the story also grapples with and challenges many philosophical and moral assumptions people often operate with.
It truly feels like the main characters all ebb and flow with each other, and Vadh evokes emotions in a manner where the good is great, but the bad is pretty terrifying.
Vadh raises difficult questions and puts its protagonist on the spot often, all while skilfully traversing the emotional landmines in the story and leaving no room for ambiguity. It also uses some very important rhetorical tools, be it the silence of its characters or the exquisite use of lighting in certain scenes, to its strength.
Plus, I also need to give a shout-out to the music featured in this film. It usually doesn’t happen that background tracks catch my attention in Indian films, but there is just something about the instrumentals in Vadh that made me do a double turn, especially in the climax.
While there is so much about this film that deserves praise, there’s one bone I had to pick with the story of Vadh.
So much care and attention has been placed into how, say, Shambhunath Mishra’s relationship is with his wife or how tormented he gets by Pandey. These scenes carry so much love/tension (depending on context), and Saurabh Sachdeva’s acting truly makes the viewer uncomfortable.
Every narrative thread that ties back to the murder has been treated with the utmost brilliance.
Amidst all this, however, it also feels like the scenes that depict Mishra’s strained relationship with his own son lack that level of nuance.
It is pretty obvious from the get-go that Mishra’s son has forgotten his Indian parents after moving to the US and starting his own family, so much so that he has absolutely no clue about the issues they are facing in life and always treats them with disdain.
But the scenes that showcase this feel a little rushed… They do the job and give the audience the necessary context, but it just feels like a cheap rip-off of some random Bollywood movie, which hurts — because the other moments in Vadh just have this clarity that is insane.
Vadh Plot Overview
Shambhunath Mishra is an old man who lives with his beloved wife Manju and tutors kids near him to get by. He is a simple man with a simple life, but he also has a lot of debt that he took on in order to send his son to the US.
As such, Pandey, his creditor and a local loan shark, feels no embarrassment in harassing and/or exploiting Mishra. However, one day, Pandey offers to waive off a huge chunk of Mishra’s loan in return for something extremely disgusting, and the old man goes off the rails.
Vadh Cast Details
- Sanjay Mishra: Shambhunath Mishra
- Neena Gupta: Manju
- Saurabh Sachdeva: Prajapati Pandey
- Manav Vij: Shakti Singh
