Opening with a rather cryptic shot, with the force of the dark physically as well as metaphorically pushed through the imagination of director Sujoy Ghosh, one finds Amitabh Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui caught in a fleeting yet crucial moment of crime unfolding. Cut to the present, where we see John Biswas (Amitabh Bachchan) after eight years of the said crime, still seeking justice.
Through the elusive lanes of Kolkata that retain a distinct colonial flavour, John moves slowly, displaying none of the urgency characteristic to a crime thriller. But it's engaging; the slow unfurling of the characteristic stubbornness of a man in his 70s with an old scooter, chugging their way to the police station every day (for as long as eight years) . He does not shout or raise his voice, barely speaks, but is vehement about his intent.
It is that sort of crime where we already know what happened, but what we need to know is the who-did-it part. Sujoy Ghosh has employed a non-linear narrative, where the past comes back whizzing across the years to hit the present every now and then. While the format is interesting, the past-present collusion colour the otherwise bare drama a tad darker, lending it a tone that could have otherwise fallen flat.
John Biswas' granddaughter, who was kidnapped, died following the incident eight years ago. The inspector who was investigating the kidnapping while the little girl was still alive, Martin (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) called it quits after the girl's death and became a priest. One fine day, the crime repeats. There's another case of kidnapping that has a stark similarity with the one committed eight years ago, and the police with Vidya Balan as their chief, start their investigation.
Running parallel to this, John Biswas starts an investigation on his own in quite a 'Miss Marple' sort of way, quietly unearthing one clue at a time.
The drama in a story that runs three-way - the story of John Biswas, the case of the replicated kidnapping and where the two meet to form new revelations - is exciting till half way. From mid-point on, the character of Amitabh Bachchan echoes the one he played in the Bejoy Nambiar directorial 'Wazir' with the 'act' getting multiple times complex than the actor himself.
Amitabh Bachchan is quite the effortless actor - the way he wears his determination, with quiet inflexibility and gentle persuasion is a deceptively simple act.
The performer in Nawazuddin Siddiqui makes it imperative that we expect a bigger show than his role as police-turned-priest Father Martin. Siddiqui is pushed to flake the drab off his character and bring in his suave characteristics, however, being handed a far less meaty role, there isn't much to help him elevate his performance.
Vidya Balan in an extended cameo, is a winner. Her voice modulations are pitch perfect and she displays an intelligence that's rare on screen.
With a soundtrack that seamlessly blends in with narrative, the pick of the lot is 'Kyun re' that flows softly amid the chaos around, blurring them out, forking out a gloom that moves you.
For a crime that repeats with the Newton-ian theory of an 'equal and opposite reaction', a few more neat twists would have helped the film make it to the top slots on the crime-time on celluloid.
Onmanorama rating: 3/5
