Filmy Gallery

*Gumraah* (2023) is a remake of the Tamil film *Thadam* (2019), which brings a familiar plot of doppelgangers into the crime thriller genre. The premise is centered around Arjun Sehgal (Aditya Roy Kapur), a man accused of a brutal murder, and his lookalike, Ronnie (also Aditya Roy Kapur), a criminal with a history of cons, gambling, and theft. The police investigation, led by ACP Dhiren Yadav (Ronit Roy) and his junior officer Shivani Mathur (Mrunal Thakur), unravels in a cat-and-mouse pursuit of truth, with conflicting motivations and egos complicating the case.

The film harks back to the crime potboilers of the '70s, where two people with the same face represent contrasting moralities — one good and the other bad. The idea is familiar, and the challenge for the filmmakers is to inject a fresh element into the story to keep it engaging. While *Thadam* had succeeded in doing so, *Gumraah*, unfortunately, doesn't add much to the formula. The film struggles with pacing in the first half, where Arjun’s love story and Ronnie’s conman antics feel disconnected from the main plot. It’s only in the second half that the twists and turns start to come together, but by then, the film has lost some of its momentum.

The story fails to develop some of its characters properly, particularly Ronit Roy’s portrayal of ACP Dhiren. His backstory and motivations for targeting Arjun are not sufficiently explored, leaving his character feeling underdeveloped. Similarly, Shivani’s character lacks depth, and her reasons for protecting Arjun remain vague, which hampers the emotional investment in the narrative.

Aditya Roy Kapur’s performance is a mixed bag. He excels in playing Ronnie, the rough, troubled anti-hero, but his portrayal of Arjun lacks the intensity needed to make the character compelling. The contrast between the two roles could have been more pronounced, but Arjun’s lack of emotional reaction to key events makes him feel flat. A bit more passion, especially in scenes with Ronit Roy’s character, could have made his performance more engaging.

Ronit Roy and Mrunal Thakur provide competent support, with Roy bringing authority and intensity to his role as the biased cop, while Thakur does her best with a half-written character. However, the lack of a fully realized character arc for Shivani, along with a few unresolved plot points, detracts from the overall impact of the film.

Despite its intriguing premise, *Gumraah* struggles to live up to its potential as a whodunnit. The lack of clarity in character motivations and a sluggish start prevent it from being a truly gripping thriller. With better character development and pacing, this could have been a stronger crime drama. As it stands, *Gumraah* feels like a missed opportunity to make the most of its intriguing premise.