What Is the Story About?
Jio Cinema’s direct to digital release ‘Blind’ centres on former policewoman Gia Singh (Sonam Kapoor) who loses her brother, her eyesight and her police job, after a terrible accident. Gia is still wallowing in her misery and loneliness, when her path crosses that of a distinctly creepy man (Purab Kohli). As girls begin to go missing in Glasgow, her instinct makes her suspect the man she had run into, while her heightened senses help her evade the sinister intentions of the serial killer.
Performances?
Sonam Kapoor is earnest and watchable as the blind Gia, but her trademark expressionless acting does her in again. Purab Kohli is suitably ruthless as the serial killer, but fails to bring the element of chilling menace in his performance.
Vinay Pathak is as efficient and adorable as ever in his role of police officer Prithvi Khanna. He brings much-needed charm and humour to the drab and dreary proceedings. Shubham Saraf lends good support as Nikhil Saraf, eye witness to the kidnapping of one of the girls. Lillette Dubey, stylish as always, is wasted in an inconsequential role.
Analysis
Blind is a remake of the 2011 Korean movie of the same name. The film was also remade in Tamil as Netrikann, with Nayanthara essaying the role of the blind girl. Since Netrikann was released bang in the middle of the pandemic, directly on Disney Plus Hotstar, and in multiple Indian languages, there’s a good chance that most digital viewers have already seen the Tamil film. Some may even have watched the Korean original. In both scenarios, yet another version of Blind premiering in India seems like an exercise in futility.
Yet, Sonam Kapoor’s Blind is here, and most definitely the weakest of the three. Though slickly made, the narrative lacks the distinctive edge-of-the-seat thrill that is essentially the make or break element of a movie of this genre. The action scenes seem more silly than scintillating, the story has loopholes the size of craters on the moon, while the villain seems like a total buffoon.
The lazy writing is a bane. The writers make no effort to let the viewer in on the mental makeup of the characters — especially the serial killer, known only as ‘the driver’ — what makes him tick; or kill, for that matter. After all, one wouldn’t expect a gynaecologist — who facilitates the birth of new life — to go around killing harmless people and adorable dogs with chilling brutality. There has to be a terribly f**ked-up mind behind all that madness. And also a reason for that mind to get so f**ked-up. But the writers of Blind are not telling; nope, they sure aren’t.
The length of the film is another thing that sets one’s teeth on edge. It is thirty minutes too long, and the songs, too many. A crisp, taut screenplay, 100 minutes or so, is what is needed to tell a story of this kind. Anything longer is just self-indulgence on the part of the makers.
To sum it up, Blind is a below average watch that had no business getting made in the first place. Watch it if you must, before it recedes to the farthest corners of digital obscurity in a few days.
Music and Other Departments?
Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes’ music is just about average. Gairik Sarkar’s cinematography is nothing to write home about. Tanupriya Sharma’s editing is decent.
Highlights?
None
Drawbacks?
Mediocre and lazy writing
Terrible dialogues
Zero thrill and chills
Did I Enjoy It?
No
Will You Recommend It?
No
Blind Movie Review by Binged Bureau