Critics Review:
Directed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, Gandhari stars Taapsee Pannu as Bani, alongside Ishwak Singh, Mita Vashisht, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee and Jatin Sarna. The film takes a familiar subject, child kidnapping and trafficking, and places it in a world where folklore, motherhood, violence and revenge come together.
At its core, Gandhari is a mother’s story. A mother whose daughter is abducted and who refuses to stop looking for her, even when the system around her repeatedly fails. What begins as one woman’s search gradually becomes a much larger battle, as Bani discovers a racket that has claimed several innocent children.
The premise is not particularly new, but the setting and the treatment give it enough intrigue to hold your attention.
When Motherhood Becomes a Weapon
Bani is not introduced as an invincible action hero. Her physicality comes from her past as a ‘Kartab Wali’, someone who has performed traditional feats requiring strength, balance and agility. This becomes one of the better aspects of the action design.
She does not suddenly become an expert martial artist afier her daughter disappears. Instead, she sharpens the skills she already possesses and combines them with instinct, intelligence and an almost frightening amount of determination.
The action therefore feels more grounded than the usual revenge thrillers. There are no unnecessary superhero-like stunts, and the violence emerges from Bani’s desperation rather than an attempt to make her look invincible.
Her greatest weapon is ultimately her will to survive and bring her daughter home.
The Masks We Wear
One of the more interesting ideas explored by Gandhari is how little we truly know about the people around us.
The film constantly plays with the idea of masks, people who appear harmless, trustworthy or familiar but may be hiding something much darker underneath. This becomes particularly unsettling when children are involved because the film repeatedly reminds us how vulnerable they are and how easily trust can be manipulated.
The inclusion of factual information around kidnapping and child trafficking makes the story even more uncomfortable. These aren’t simply statistics thrown into the narrative for effect; they add a sense of reality to a story that otherwise operates within the space of an action thriller.
The numbers hurt because behind every statistic is a child, a family and a life that has been permanently altered.
A Mother Who Refuses to Look Away
The title Gandhari gains significance as Bani’s journey progresses.
The mythological reference to Gandhari immediately evokes the idea of blindness, but here it acquires a more literal and metaphorical meaning. Bani loses her vision while trying to find her daughter, yet her inability to see does not stop her from recognising what is happening around her.
Her battle eventually expands beyond rescuing her own child. She finds herself fighting for hundreds of other children who have been reduced to commodities by a ruthless trafficking network.
This transformation gives the story emotional weight and explains why motherhood becomes more than a personal motivation for Bani.
Performances That Keep It Grounded
Taapsee Pannu carries the film with the kind of physical and emotional commitment that the role demands. Bani could easily have become another exaggerated revenge character, but Taapsee keeps her grounded and vulnerable.
Ishwak Singh brings restraint to Gokul, while Mita Vashisht, Chhaya Kadam and Swastika Mukherjee add considerable depth to the world around Bani. The supporting cast also manages to make the characters feel lived-in rather than designed merely to move the plot forward.
There is a certain subtlety to several performances that works particularly well. Nobody appears to be trying too hard to convince the audience that they belong in this world, and that natural quality makes the darker portions easier to absorb.
The Music Adds to the Haunting
The background score deserves special mention because it quietly enhances the atmosphere without overpowering the story.
There is an eerie quality to the soundscape that complements the film’s themes of loss, fear and pursuit. It allows certain scenes to linger even after they are over and adds to the folklore-like quality suggested by the title.
Where Gandhari Falls Short
The biggest problem with Gandhari is not its premise or performances but the screenplay and direction. There are a lot of loose ends in the story’s execution.
There is a far stronger film hidden inside this story. The subject, the mythology, the child trafficking angle and Bani’s transformation could have resulted in something genuinely memorable. At times, it feels like the film is reaching towards the emotional and narrative impact of a Kahaani, but it never quite gets there.
The screenplay could have been tighter, allowing the investigation and Bani’s personal journey to develop more organically. Similarly, the direction does not always extract the maximum potential from the material. Some developments feel hurried while others could have benefited from greater emotional depth.
The film has the ingredients for a powerful thriller but does not always know how to bring them together.
Final Verdict
Gandhari is a film with a strong emotional core, a compelling central performance and an important subject at its heart. Its portrayal of motherhood, child trafficking and the frightening reality of people hiding behind familiar faces gives it moments that genuinely stay with you. Taapsee Pannu is convincing as a mother who turns her grief into determination, while the grounded action and haunting background score work in the film’s favour. However, the screenplay and direction prevent what could have been an exceptional thriller from reaching its full potential. There is enough here to make Gandhari a worthwhile watch, but also enough left unexplored to make you wonder how powerful it could have been with sharper writing and more assured execution.
Overall Rating: 2.5/5
By: Anushka Singhal
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