Gaslight, a new movie starring Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan, premiered exclusively on Disney Plus Hotstar. Vikranth Massey and Chitrangadha Singh are also featured in significant parts of the film, which was directed by Ragini MMS star Pavan Kirpalani. Let’s see how this suspenseful horror novella holds up. Scroll down to read Gaslight Movie Review.
The 2022 Bollywood mystery-horror thriller Gaslight was written and directed by Pawan Kripalani. Together with Akshay Oberoi, Rahul Dev, and numerous other actors in supporting parts, the film stars Chitrangda Singh, Sara Ali Khan, and Vikrant Massey in the key roles. This movie was made by Ramesh Taurani and Akshai Puri under the auspices of 12 Street Entertainment and Tips Must Have Hits. On March 31, 2023, “Gaslight” was made available on Disney+ Hotstar.
Gaslight Movie Review Rating
Star Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Chitrangda Singh, Vikrant Massey, Akshay Oberoi, Rahul Dev, and ensemble.
Director: Pavan Kirpalani.
Language: Hindi (with subtitles).
Available On: disney+ Hotstar.
Runtime: 111 Minutes
Watch or Not? This is an excellent exercise if you have no other choice and want to discover some quality in a picture that was directed by a director who also has Phobia in his résumé.
Story
At the request of her father, Raja Ratan Singh (Shataf Figar), Meesha (Sara Ali Khan), a wheelchair-bound woman and estranged daughter, returns to her ancestral castle after a long time. Her stepmother Rukmani (Chitrangadha Singh) welcomes her and informs Meesha that her father is away resolving a strike situation in one of their plants. Later, Kapil (Vikranth Massey), their estate manager, is introduced to her. Meesha quickly begins to sense some eerie and paranormal things in the palace. She reports seeing her father at the palace to Rukmani and Kapil.
Meesha thinks her father is dead and is attempting to get in touch with her through a spirit. How did Meesha’s father genuinely fare? She saw someone inside the palace. How did Kapil help her solve the mystery? The rest of the movie incorporates this.
The movie has an intriguing premise, and it gets off to a good start. Sara Ali Khan gave a good performance in Gaslight, showing improvement with each of her movies. She acted with conviction and carried the entire film on her shoulders.
Actor Vikranth Massey, who is quite skilled, did a good job. Chitrangada Singh delights with her performance and possesses a stunning appearance on the screen. The final twist is excellent and skillfully handled. The audience will undoubtedly be surprised by this specific twist.
Filmmakers must become more sophisticated to outsmart the audience in this OTT era. In Gaslight, there are a few significant turns. The other twists, except for the final one, can be seen for miles. We begin to have doubts about a couple of characters because of the way the story is written, which is almost like a reveal. Hence, as the story develops and the twists become obvious, the viewer won’t be shocked but instead will become angry.
The film has many dull sequences and is uninteresting from beginning to end. The viewer’s patience will be put to the test during many scenes. The entire movie contains zero instances of jump scares. The year is 2023, so the filmmakers cannot use antiquated methods to frighten the viewers.
The characterization of Sara Ali Khan should have been fleshed out more; it feels lacking. Despite being under two hours long, the movie is challenging to watch. There are a few extra characters that don’t contribute anything to the plot and only lengthen the movie.
As Sriram Raghavan pointed out in Andhadhun, with the evolution of cinema and the filmmakers’ work, even the audience has seen a lot. As it is community education, one cannot belittle the other. Whodunits have become a go-to source of entertainment for those who want to get lost in a two-hour investigation. We are all familiar with the characteristics of clichés and how a stereotype can deceive you before revealing the reality. A filmmaker’s task is to alter this template in a way that astounds and horrifies the audience. What purpose does this genre serve if not that?
Directing and Music
Phobia and Ragini MMS, two of my favorite thrillers, were created by Pavan Kirpalani. Even though the implementation occasionally lacked quality, the latter was a tremendously original notion. He dilutes his style with Gaslight to make it bigger and appear larger. He has a “haveli” at his disposal, and he chooses to add the aspects that have already been overdone. It resembles a Fear Files episode in large parts more so than a Kripalani film.
DOP Although he is constrained, Rahul Dharuman makes an effort to make the pictures work. Although the music is intended to startle people, the volume is more obtrusive than frightening.
Technical Details
The ambient music by Gaurav Chatterji is adequate. Unfortunately, despite the greatest efforts of cinematographer Ragul Herian Dharuman to create a creepy atmosphere, the weak narrative undermined his excellent work. The quality of the production is good. Editing might have been much more effective.
The film’s director, Pavan Kirpalani, did a subpar job. Although the core notion is intriguing, the subpar writing makes the entire film tedious. The audience won’t be able to become emotionally immersed in the movie for the most part due to the dull narration. The last twist is too good, but it is already too late.
Verdict:
Overall, Gaslight is a dull mystery thriller with a lackluster narrative. Sara Ali Khan performs admirably, and the surprising twist at the end. Therefore, it is not feasible to watch the entire movie for the climax. As a result, Gaslight is a letdown of a movie.
