A Thursday
Director: Behzad Khambata
Cast: Yami Gautam, Neha Dhupia
A happy-go-lucky kindergarten teacher who is a favourite among the kids suddenly decides to take them hostage, as she is about to kick off a plan that can have serious repercussions.
That’s director Behzad Khambata’s A Thursday, which could well be the story of any woman in any part of our country. From the outset, it initiates as a basic edge-of-the-seat action-thriller and for the most part of the film, it stays true to its genre which makes it an interesting watch.
But what elevates the film from your average thriller is the fact that it comes loaded with a very solid ideology – there’s more to this film than just a race against time to save the kids. It’s well-intended and makes its point emphatically. The film has its share of flaws, something that if avoided, could have made it a taut thriller.
Dissecting the film in detail would amount to giving away too much, and that’s a crime you don’t want me to commit. You may or may not agree with the moral decision in the end – but the film still makes a very important point, and does it bravely, so you’re willing to overlook its handful of flaws.
A Thursday that streams on Disney+ Hotstar from February 17 is not a perfect film. It starts off well, but simmers far too long before it gets to the boil. It’s somber, well-assembled in contrast to the quick and flashy one that would have come out by any of the masala filmmakers, and while the film’s craft and the acting chops shared by its considerable cast can’t at all be denied, it must also be said that perhaps there are a few clichés that could have been easily avoided.
Like the jarring background music which makes the film look like an overdose of melodrama or the extreme close-ups of the lead actors to showcase tension that actually makes you feel that you are watching a saas-bahu serial. Or the television journalism which appears superficial, even silly. The plot is somewhere predictable and by the end of the first half, you are fairly aware of the intentions of a teacher taking the kids to ransom.
The director manages to assemble an ensemble of fine actors who perform their roles competently. Yami Gautam is stoic as her character needs her to be. The actor manages to shuffle between a lively kindergarten teacher and a kidnapper with a lot of ease. She seems to know exactly what the writer-director expects from him. And she delivers. Her experience helps her get under the skin of this character effectively. Atul Kulkarni, as the beleaguered police inspector, is flawless and riveting, concealing his anxiety under cool stealth. He really shines in this film with a performance that is measured and meticulous. Neha Dhupia as a pregnant top cop is believable and plays her part well. Dimple Kapadia, who plays the Prime Minister, is routinely excellent.
Someone asked me if A Thursday was a watchable film, and indeed it is. It’s better put together than a lot of the films we see here, and definitely strongly acted, but somehow end up so much less enjoyable than it deserved to be.
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