A Thursday (2022) Review!!

Synopsis – When a playschool teacher – Yami Gautam kidnaps 16 small students and she puts a series of demands, it not only shakes the Mumbai police and city, but it sends repercussions throughout the country and its politicians.

My Take – At first glance, the story of a common citizen creating a hostage situation, trapping the police and the government officials at the top most levels, all for a righteous cause, may sound exactly like ripoff of Neeraj Pandey’s 2008 sleeper hit A Wednesday, but other than a few uncanny resemblances, and producer Ronnie Screwvala acting as the tangible link between the two films, this sophomore effort from director Behzad Kambata (Blank) makes enough alterations in its screenplay to stand apart and that too strong.

Acting more as a spiritual sequel with the same vein this one too is a well-made thriller with an important statement to convey. With Yami Gautam, delivering her best performance, at the helm of shouldering the entire story, the gripping thriller has it heart at its right place, and keeps you hooked till the end of it.

Sure, the film dips a little in the second half, yet it never falters in posing the right questions even in the most excessive sequences. It’s just disheartening to see how this one could have easily excelled had it released on the big screens instead of the online platform, Disney+ Hotstar.

The story follows Naina Jaiswal (Yami Gautam), a well-liked playschool teacher, who returns after a 3-week sick leave to the nursery, located in the front portion of the property owned by her fiancé Rohit Mirchandani (Karanvir Sharma), leaving both children and their parents overwhelmed with joy. However, everyone is left in a state of shock when Naina locks all doors, brings down the curtains and calls the police helpline, informing that she has abducted 16 kids, the school’s maid and a driver.

Demanding that ACP Catherine Alvarez (Neha Dhupia) get her deputy Javed Khan (Atul Kulkarni) on the case for further negotiations, the whole scenario heads in perplexing directions from Naina demanding Rs.5 Crore ransom to a conversation with the Prime Minister of India Maya Rajguru (Dimple Kapadia), leaving the whole city in havoc and guessing about her endgame.

Despite a run time of 129 minutes, the script written by Ashley Michael Lobo and Khambata, the film is briskly paced and doesn’t sag at any point, resulting a taut product. With its primary focus on three to four principal characters, the film manages to hit the right note with a holistic touch on the emotions of everyone involved. There are moments when you cheer for the cops, and feel for the pain of parents, but eventually understand the psyche behind Naina’s actions. With Kaizad Gherda’s background score brings in the eerie feel as and when needed.

The social commentary too is blended organically in the narrative. In the garb of a hostage thriller, this film smartly comments on democracy and media, who especially continue to fail nameless, faceless populace in countless ways every day.

The film also makes a timely critique how trauma and the need for therapy are confused with severe mental issues, even among the educated, woke, and posh upper middle class. Sure, there are a couple of sequences in the second half where the pace drops, the subplots involving Catherine and Javed’s former relationship and Rohit’s journalist friend Shalini Guha (Maya Sarao) fail to work, but the fitting finale ensures a lasting impact.

Performance wise, Yami Gautam Dhar has stunned us with her act. Here, director Behzad Khambata trusts her with an author-backed role where she is able to emote pain, despair, anxiety, anger, hatred with sincere conviction. It was impossible to imagine her in such role, but she totally nails it. Dimple Kapadia and Neha Dhupia render in powerful performances, while Atul Kulkarni shines as always.

Karanvir Sharma too brings in a praiseworthy performance, while Maya Sarao and Kalyanee Mulay leave a strong impact. On the whole, ‘A Thursday’ is an intriguing edgy thriller with its heart in the right place and backed by an impressive Yami Gautam Dhar act.