Film Review: Kuttey [Dogs]

Starring: Tabu, Arjun Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkana Sen Sharma, Kumud Mishra, Radhika Madan

Director: Aasmaan Bhardwaj

A debut director with his award-winning filmmaker father, Vishal Bhardwaj, offering a lending hand with the script and soulful music promises an attractive ride at the very least.

The film opens in the form of chapters that take us deep into the psyche of the key characters, each one more flawed than the other it would seem. Gopal Tiwari (Kapoor) is an opportunistic cop always on the lookout for ways and means to make that extra buck. His subordinate Paaji (Mishra), while equally dubious, seems to be the more level-headed and smarter of the two in high-pressure scenarios.

It is through Paaji’s old friendship with Pammi (Tabu), another less than clean Mumbai cop, that the paths of the trio cross with some very deadly and bloody consequences.

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The doomed love story of Lovely (Madan) and some rebel Naxalites on the move with their leader (Laxmi) add to the drama around a proposed heist of bank notes from an ATM transit vehicle down the highway. The aging don Narayan Khobre (Shah) is also thrown in for good measure into this rather convoluted roller-coaster, which – it is pretty obvious quite quickly – will not end well for any of those along for the ride.

This satirical thriller has enough twists to confuse even the staunchest of mystery lovers. While Tabu yet again shines in her role as a loud-mouthed female cop making her mark in a man’s world, the others seem to be simply cruising along for the ride. Kapoor as the shrewd corrupt cop fails to convince and the result is that the audience feels far from invested in the outcome of any of the multiple twists and turns of this fast-paced plot.

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Vishal Bhardwaj’s writing, however, does manage to lift this caper to a level of watchability, not least for his final twist that is built up as a grand finale surprise – even if not entirely unpredictable.

All in all, a chilled out viewing vibe is certainly going for this Bollywood offering if you are in the mood for something out of the ordinary.