BATLA HOUSE: MOVIE REVIEW

Synopsis

This movie is based on one of the most controversial events in the history of encounters carried out by the Delhi Police Department. The Mission #BatlaHouse took place on 19th September 2008. Two members of the terrorist organization Indian Mujahideen (IM) were killed in this operation. However, a controversy erupted when the political parties proclaimed that the deceased students were innocent students of Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Before the movie started, the makers made it clear that some facts have been distorted to fictionalize the story. It has been solely done to avoid unnecessary controversies. The movie begins with serial blasts in Delhi which occurred on 13th September 2008. The Operation #BatlaHouse was carried out to nab the terrorists involved in orchestrating these serial blasts. Sanjay Kumar (#JohnAbraham), the head of the Delhi Special Crime Branch Cell, leads the operation. Inspector Kishan Kumar Verma (Ravi Kishan) gets martyred in this operation, wherein the two terrorists are killed.

Many questions were raised about the operation. Were the students really innocent? Was the operation forced by someone? Did the Delhi Police Department make any mistake? The movie tries to answer all these questions in an unbiased way.

Direction

These kinds of sensitive issues should be dealt with care. Director #NikkhilAdvani did exactly the same thing with #BatlaHouse. After the success of '#D-Day', #NikkhilAdvani created another masterpiece in the form of '#BatlaHouse'. The pace of the movie is racy in the first half, and the way in which the story builds up is quite interesting. The pace slightly lags in the second half due to the courtroom procedures. The storyline of the movie is so engaging that it keeps the audience intrigued throughout the whole span of 2 hours and 20 minutes. The movie has all the elements to become a successful thriller, and the director should be given full credits for that.

Technical Department

The cinematography of the film has been good. Cinematography by #SaumikMukherjee is appreciable. Most of the scenes have been shot in overcrowded environs of Delhi. The manner in which the scenes are represented in the movie gives you the feel of a thriller. #RiteshShah's writing has worked in most places; however, it could have been better towards the end. The overall impact of the movie is very positive. The action and chase sequences in this movie are well choreographed. One of the biggest positives of this movie is its dialogues. The dialogues are well written and used perfectly in the movie.

Music and Background Score

The remake of the famous song 'Saki Saki' has already been a hit before the release of the film. Unfortunately, this song starring #NoraFatehi does not seem to fit with the order of events. The other songs are average. The background score is quite good, and it matches with the theme of the movie.

Performances

#JohnAbraham carries the film single-handedly on his own shoulders. Day by day, #JohnAbraham is proving that he is the best available candidate to do justice to these kinds of roles. He has been a perfect fit for the role of Sanjay Kumar, the chief of special crime branch cell of the Delhi Police. His physique and dialogue delivery skills suited to his character. The emotions of the character at various moments in the film have been portrayed perfectly by #JohnAbraham in this movie.

We should also mention about #MrunalThakur who has played the character of 'Nandita', the wife of Sanjay Kumar in this movie. #MrunalThakur has been impressive in a recently released movie '#Super30' also. She might soon be the next big thing in Bollywood shortly.

#RaviKishan impresses with his character of Inspector Kishan Kumar Verma. The veteran actor #RajeshSharma also had proven his worth as the defence lawyer in this movie. Overall the performances of the actors lifted up the level of the film.

WMR Verdict

'#BatlaHouse' has all the elements to be successful at the Box Office. It has been released on a perfect date on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day. The buzz has been there among the audience to know the truth of #BatlaHouse. The viewers will certainly love watching the film, and they will leave the hall with questions in their mind.

#AkshayKumar starrer #MissionMangal also released on the same day. According to trade analysts, the advance bookings of '#MissionMangal' have been way better than '#BatlaHouse'. However, it has been the second-highest opening day collection of a John Abraham film after '#SatyamevaJayate'. #BatlaHouse will certainly gather its pace at the box office in the extended holiday weekend because of its good content.

WMR Rating: 4/5

Movie Name: Batla House

Director: Nikkhil Advani

Writer: Ritesh Shah

Cast: John Abraham, Mrunal Thakur, Ravi Kishan, Rajesh Sharma, Nora Fatehi

Genres: Action | Thriller | Drama

Release Date: August 15, 2019

Film Duration: 2 hours 26 min

Writer Credits: Soumik Datta