06/06/2026
MOVIE REVIEW: BANDAR 2026 Hindi Thriller 2/5 Stars.
Written by Gogi Virdi for GOGI VIRDI FILMS
Bandar (2026), directed by Anurag Kashyap and co-directed by Sakshi Mehta Lau, is a grim, uncomfortable, and intentionally polarizing piece of cinema. It is a film that demands your attention but doesn’t necessarily make you feel good about giving it.
Here is an honest breakdown of the film:
The Core Premise
The film follows Samar Mehra (played by Bobby Deol), a "has-been" celebrity singer whose life collapses when a woman he had a casual encounter with, Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi), accuses him of sexual assault. The narrative shifts quickly from his personal downfall to his life as an undertrial in a brutal, dehumanizing prison system.
What Works
Bobby Deol’s Performance: This is arguably his career-best work. He sheds all his "star" vanity to play a man who is pathetic, desperate, and visibly breaking down. He doesn't ask for your sympathy, which makes his portrayal of a man losing his identity in a cage feel authentic and haunting.
Atmospheric Realism: Kashyap is at his best when crafting oppressive environments. The prison, with its filth, overcrowding, and hierarchy, feels genuinely claustrophobic. The production design is visceral; you can almost smell the rot.
The "System" Critique: The film excels when it focuses on the machinery of the legal and carceral systems. The police station scenes—brimming with apathy, casual cruelty, and the weaponization of personal messages—are some of the most tightly written parts of the movie.
Where It Stumbles
Moral Imbalance: The film positions itself in a "grey area," but it leans heavily into the perspective of the male protagonist. While it depicts the horrors of prison life, it often does so in a way that risks making the audience overlook the initial accusation. By focusing so much on Samar’s suffering behind bars, the film's "grey" narrative starts to feel like it’s steering toward a specific grievance about false accusations, which can feel dismissive of real-world survivors.
Narrative Focus: The script, written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, starts strong but loses momentum in the second half. It gets trapped in the prison, repeating its own misery to the point where the storytelling starts to feel like a "narrative crutch."
The "Easy" Answers: Despite its dark, complex setup, the film ends on a note that feels a bit too "on the nose," particularly with the final text slates regarding statistics. It’s a film that wants to start a massive conversation but occasionally fumbles the depth of that conversation by trying to act as a megaphone for one side’s pain.
Bandar is not a "fun" watch, nor is it a balanced one. It’s an abrasive, loud, and provocative experience. If you are a fan of Kashyap's darker, unvarnished style, you will likely appreciate the craft and the sheer nerve of the performance he coaxes out of Bobby Deol. However, if you are looking for a nuanced exploration of the movement or a balanced legal drama, you will likely find the film’s choices frustrating.
It is a film that will likely divide audiences: some will see it as a "necessary" and "bold" look at systemic rot, while others will see it as a regressive take on a sensitive subject. It’s best viewed as a character study of a man crumbling under the weight of his own relevance and, eventually, a broken system.
