111. Badla; movie review

BADLA
Cert 12A
115 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate injury detail

Mercifully, Indian movies are becoming shorter but even when they are a crisp 115 minutes, there are still 15-minute intermissions.
During Badla's half-time, Mrs W remarked: "I am enjoying this but I am sure I have seen it before."
Needless to say, as the fount of all knowledge, I dismissed her claim but it turns out that she was spot on.
Mrs W is a Netflix fan and had been intoxicated by a Spanish movie called The Invisible Guest of which Badla is an adaptation.
I digress.
Badla is another example of the wonderful screen presence of Amitabh Bachchan.
He stars as a lawyer who has been employed by the businesswoman of the year (the excellent Taapsee Pannu) to get her off a murder charge.
He calls at her home and demands that she recount exactly what happened leading up to the death of her lover (Tony Luke).
Initially, she is reluctant, but, as the clock ticks, she delves deep into a story which has many surprising twists and turns.
Bachchan isn't one of India's most beloved actors for nothing. He may be 76 but he still crackles like no other leading man in Bollywood.
His quick-witted, prodding lawyer is a great character.
But most praise for Badla should be reserved for Sujoy Ghosh's direction. He builds up suspense quite beautifully, adding layers upon layers of intriguing complexities.
The only disappointment was that I had worked out his final coup de grace well before the movie's end.
Nevertheless, Badla is a typical Bachchan movie - compelling and very different to usual Bollywood mainstream.
If you get a chance, it would be a fine introduction to Indian cinema.

Reasons to watch: A twisting thriller with Amitabh Bachchan at his best
Reasons to avoid: If you have seen The Invisible Guest

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Did you know? In June 2000, Amitabh Bachchan became the first living Asian to have a wax model displayed at Madame Tussaud’s in London. In 2009, another wax model was displayed in New York, in 2011 in Hong Kong and Bangkok, in 2012 in Washington DC and in 2017 in Delhi.

The final word. Amitabh Bachchan: "I have worked in the past with Sujoy, I liked the story and the director, the element of suspense and thrill in the storyline got to me. Sujoy is restless, seeking perfection from his artists, very clear in his thought process and how he wants to roll with it."

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