Abhinay Deo's 'Blackmail' has an interesting premise, that sadly never turns into an entirely interesting, wholesome noir-comedy, that only works in bits & pieces. Despite complete support from its cast, the film remains untapped in its potential.
'Blackmail' Synopsis: When Dev finds out his wife is cheating on him, he secretly blackmails his wife and her lover as a form of revenge.
'Blackmail' is the same old story of a husband's wrath on his wife after he finds out she's cheating on him. The twist here is the blackmail angle & how the protagonist literally turns things up, side, down for his wife & lover. 'Blackmail' is twisty tale of dark characters, who have very few redeeming qualities & will go to any length to their share of money. All of this appeals in the beginning, but as the film progresses & the blackmailing doesn't remain only one person hands, the story begins to fizzle out. Too much happens & very little actually works. Though the dark humor does get laugh out of you, its continuous act one blackmail after the other, wear you off. In short, 'Blackmail' engages in parts, not entirely!
Parveez Shaikh's Screenplay is alright. Abhinay Deo's Direction is fine. Cinematography & Editing are standard.
Performance-Wise: Irrfan, as always, is highly commendable. As the husband out for sadistic revenge, Irrfan doesn't miss a single beat. Arunoday Singh springs a pleasant surprise. The actor shines as the calculative yet dumb lover, who also flexes his gift for comic-timing here. Kirti Kulhari as the wife in trouble, is perfectly cast. She looks beautiful as well. Divya Dutta is deliciously wicked as Arunoday's wife, delivering a delightful turn, despite limited screen-time. Pradhuman Singh Mall overdoes it in his part. Omi Vaidya is fair. Anuja Sathe is fantastic.
On the whole, 'Blackmail' is only partly engaging.
'Blackmail' Synopsis: When Dev finds out his wife is cheating on him, he secretly blackmails his wife and her lover as a form of revenge.
'Blackmail' is the same old story of a husband's wrath on his wife after he finds out she's cheating on him. The twist here is the blackmail angle & how the protagonist literally turns things up, side, down for his wife & lover. 'Blackmail' is twisty tale of dark characters, who have very few redeeming qualities & will go to any length to their share of money. All of this appeals in the beginning, but as the film progresses & the blackmailing doesn't remain only one person hands, the story begins to fizzle out. Too much happens & very little actually works. Though the dark humor does get laugh out of you, its continuous act one blackmail after the other, wear you off. In short, 'Blackmail' engages in parts, not entirely!
Parveez Shaikh's Screenplay is alright. Abhinay Deo's Direction is fine. Cinematography & Editing are standard.
Performance-Wise: Irrfan, as always, is highly commendable. As the husband out for sadistic revenge, Irrfan doesn't miss a single beat. Arunoday Singh springs a pleasant surprise. The actor shines as the calculative yet dumb lover, who also flexes his gift for comic-timing here. Kirti Kulhari as the wife in trouble, is perfectly cast. She looks beautiful as well. Divya Dutta is deliciously wicked as Arunoday's wife, delivering a delightful turn, despite limited screen-time. Pradhuman Singh Mall overdoes it in his part. Omi Vaidya is fair. Anuja Sathe is fantastic.
On the whole, 'Blackmail' is only partly engaging.