26 May Thar Review

THAR

dir. Raj Singh Chaudhary, starring Anil Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor, and Fatima Sana Shaikh

Thar, a Hindi-language neo-Western film, follows Siddarth, a strange man who comes to a small village at the edge of wilderness for exploration work while having a hidden agenda. While the town has been recently rocked by violent killings, Inspector Singh investigates the increasing violence while repeatedly crossing paths with Siddharth. As Siddharth becomes closer with Chetna, a member of the community who lives with her abusive husband, his true nature is revealed, and small town Inspector Singh realizes he may be in over his head.

If nothing else, Thar gets major points for delivering a refreshingly different take in a genre that’s slowly attempting to claw its way back into relevancy. Unfortunately, it also shows that there’s still flaws in director Raj Chaudhary’s game; important key information is withheld from the audience in an almost miserly fashion until the final 15 or 20 minutes left in the movie. To that end, the viewer is completely clueless as to what motivates Siddharth to detain and torture the three townsfolk in such brutal fashion. This makes it impossible to root for or be sympathetic for him; we don’t know if he’s on a bloody quest for righteous vengeance or a complete sociopath. With a different plot happening for Inspector Singh as he travels along his own story while occasionally intersecting with Siddharth, we’re unsure if the two plotlines are all a part of the same mystery or not. That feeling of never really quite knowing what’s happening pervades the entire film, almost inviting anyone during this golden age of streaming options to find something else to watch.

Starring Anil Kapoor, Thar shows the well loved prolific actor continue to deliver solid performances well into his 60s. A staple of Indian television and film (Americans will likely recognize him best for his role in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol or the host playing the Regis Philbin role in Slumdog Millionaire), Anil is the center of the movie as the small town Inspector who learns the hard way that sometimes it’s best to appreciate a quiet existence. Inspector Singh’s determination to resolve the increasing violence in his city before he retires is a direct reflection of Tommy Lee Jones’ Sherriff Bell in No Country For Old Men: while Sherriff Bell realizes he lives in a world he no longer recognizes and takes that as his cue to exit gracefully, Singh decides that, with the limited resources of a fringe town he has on hand, he’s the only man suited for the task. That he’s pressured into a quick resolution by his immediate superior with his own designs and schemes is hardly a factor, Singh seems to be the type of man willing to finish a task. This is all shown through Anil Kapoor’s performance, easily the film’s best, as he struggles with his decision to not retire sooner while resolving to see the mission through.

Sadly, our other leading actor, Harshvardhan Kapoor (Anil’s real-life son) doesn’t bring the same presence as his father does. Brooding and limited to sparse lines throughout the film’s first half, Harshvardhan’s Siddharth is meant to be an homage to characters like Leone’s The Man with No Name or Kurosawa’s Sanjuro. Siddharth breezes into town and immediately begins dealing out justice where he sees fit. The difference between Siddharth and Eastwood’s roguish, tight-lipped cowboy is the fact that Leone’s films always gave Eastwood a character to bounce information off, thereby giving the audience small glimpses into the character’s psyche. Here in Thar, there is no such character, and because of it, Siddharth’s actions remain confusing and befuddling for most of the film. While Eastwood and Mifune as Sanjuro are some of the most charming actors of their generation, Harshvardhan unfortunately doesn’t have that skill. Part of it is due to the writing; Chaudhary might’ve leaned a bit too far into the emotionless leading male trope to the film’s detriment. The end result is protagonist that’s virtually impossible for the audience to bond or empathize with. Harshvardhan’s at time stiff and wooden performance doesn’t seek to help matters either; even in the moments in which he chooses to let down his guard around Chetna, Harshvardhan barely emotes or softens. It’s an almost one note act that wears thin quickly.

Carrying most of the emotional heft of the film is Fatima Sana Shaikh as Chetna, long suffering wife of one of the community’s more prominent members. Seeing that Chetna’s relationship is not good with her husband, Siddharth is like a breath of fresh air in Chetna’s life as she rents the transient a room as he completes his work near town. Shaikh does a fine job as Chetna, outwardly showing vulnerability while summoning an inner strength as the movie progresses. What starts as a romantic tertiary plot to the story comes to the fore as the events of the film play out, with Chetna having a direct role in the film’s finale. Shaikh shows the character’s growth in a believable and relatable way, shifting allegiances and priorities.

Written and directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, Thar makes for the filmmaker’s second feature length project. Technically, there’s little wrong with the movie: there’s some gorgeous landscapes and shots of the Indian vista that is the Thar desert; for American viewers, the environment is similar to any classic John Ford western. Juxtaposing that familiar cowboy feel by adding modern day flourishes like Jeeps (and a car chase scene that looks like it was filmed at 45 mph) makes Thar firmly entrenched in its western roots while also standing out as something uniquely modern. Chaudhary has a keen eye for shot composition, utilizing sunrises and sunsets to provide his own spin on the style of shots and framing that have come to define the genre. It’s clear Chaudhary did his homework beforehand, it’s unfortunate that the story isn’t strong enough to match the effort put in by the production design and three cinematographers that accompany the film.

Overall, while having some issue narratively, Thar is an enjoyable way to spend 108 minutes. Lead by a great performance from Raj Chaudhary, it’s a solid middle of the week watch after a long day at work with drinks in hand. The unique setting, the homages to American and Italian westerns, and the cinematography might be enough to keep any mildly interested viewer on the hook. While the story itself doesn’t fully coalesce until the film’s final moments, it rewards those who choose to stick it out with a mildly satisfying conclusion and justice meted out. Thar is currently streaming on Netflix.

Review by Darryl Mansel