Bandar review
Cast: Bobby Deol, Sapna Pabbi, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Rating: 3.5 stars
There’s a scene in Bandar where Sanya Malhotra’s character, sister to Samar (Bobby Deol), breaks down during a jail visit to him. The rawness of her frustration, coupled with Sanya’s convincing performance, makes the moment land with force and draws you in completely. It is one of those scenes where the emotions feel so authentic that you stop watching actors and start seeing people.
There are several such moments in this Anurag Kashyap film, which make Bandar a compelling watch.
What is the plot of Bandar?
The story, drawing heavily from a real-life case involving a popular actor, revolves around Samar, a singer-actor whose career is on the decline. His life takes a shocking turn when he is suddenly arrested after a woman named Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi) files a rape complaint against him. What follows is a legal circus, with Samar, the ‘bandar’ forced to navigate one hurdle after another, even as he says there was consent. As the case gathers momentum, his personal life begins to fall apart, leaving him trapped in a system that appears to have already made up its mind.
The film’s subject feels especially relevant today, given the growing conversation around false accusations and the devastating impact they can have on the accused.
The first half is taut, with every scene serving a purpose. Anurag keeps the storytelling grounded, resisting the temptation to exaggerate the situation. He stages his scenes with precision. Take, for instance, a conversation between Samar and a police official, where he repeatedly pleads with them not to use abusive language. The sequence is funny on the surface, until it suddenly dawns on you that you are laughing at a man trapped in a nightmare. Anurag says what he wants to in short, effective scenes.
The second half shifts its focus to Samar’s time behind bars, and it’s here that the film begins to lose grip. Writers Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee lay bare the layers of the prison ecosystem, exposing the gang culture that operates within jail walls. These portions are interesting in isolation, but they also get a bit repetitive after a point. This affects the film’s momentum.
Performance report card
The performances are top notch across the board. Bobby has the face for such a role: his eyes carry pain. Anurag extracts a strong performance out of him, especially in the jail sequences, where he conveys fear and frustration without resorting to dramatic outbursts.
Sanya Malhotra delivers a perfect performance. Even with limited screen time, she leaves a lasting impact and brings emotional weight to Bandar. Sapna Pabbi is extremely effective as Gayatri, playing the character with conviction to keep the audience engaged. Watch out for her in the scene where she loses it.
The music by Amit Trivedi, Vishal Mishra, and Shivahari Varma is good.
Overall, despite losing some momentum in the latter half, Bandar remains an engaging watch. It succeeds because it stays focused on the human cost of an accusation and the circus that follows. In an era where public opinion often arrives before the facts, the film feels timely and relevant.