When Sanju, a suave, master safe cracker wants to retire from a career in crime, he decides to team up with two dangerous criminals to commit one last heist. A bank robbery that will ensure that he never has to worry about money again. The robbery is successful and everything goes according to plan. Sanju is given the task of...more
When Sanju, a suave, master safe cracker wants to retire from a career in crime, he decides to team up with two dangerous criminals to commit one last heist. A bank robbery that will ensure that he never has to worry about money again. The robbery is successful and everything goes according to plan. Sanju is given the task of hiding the money till things cool down and the booty can be split. Three months later, the associates return to collect their share of the loot, but Sanju refuses to even recognize them! They realize he got into an accident and is suffering from strong memory loss and decide to stay with Sanju and his wife Neetu until Sanju remembers where he hid the money. What dangerous game is Sanju playing? Ghanchakkar is a crazy, quirky rollercoaster suspense ride that aims to surprise, shock and entertain the audience at every turn. less
Verdict
“A unique mix of mystery and comedy with a great cast and fantastic music. Ghanchakkar starts off on a high that fades along the way. Definitely a one time watch. ”
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The trailers of Ghanchakkar promised me a comedy, with the 2 funny thugs and a plump Vidya Balan dressed outrageously. What I got instead is a pretty engaging mystery that is hard to slot in any genre really.
Sanju and two petty thugs rob a bank and Sanju has to hide the money. After a cool off period of three months the two thugs surface to share the spoils only to discover that Sanju has apparently lost his memory and cannot remember where he has hidden the money. Has he really lost his memory? Is his wife in on the secret? Where is the money hidden? You have to see the movie to figure out.
The first half has a lot of lighthearted moments as the characters get established and the story warms up. The second half spins into a vortex that doesn't let go till the movie ends.
Even thought there are lots of twists and turns there are parts that sag a bit under the weight of the story. A slowing down of the pace makes you impatient specially since your mind is buzzing with questions and you want to get to the end. A zippier narrative would have helped immensely.
Emran Hashmi as Sanju, the thug whose life descends into chaos as his memory slips away, (or does it? You get no clues from me!) is first rate. He is intense and disturbed and yet brings on his full charm when he gives his wife a romantic smile. Vidya Balan is outstanding too and the interplay between these two actors makes the movie a pleasure to watch. She gets the Panju accent right and shows once again that she is not afraid to look uncool and even ridiculous on screen. The two thugs played by Rajesh Sharma and Namit Das also strike the right note. Since the movie is more like a play with just four characters it is essential that they share good chemistry and we strike lucky with this ensemble.
The title credits are too cute and Amit Trivedi's music is super, specially ' lazy lad'.
I would say don't go to see Ghanchakkar with expectations of a comedy or possibly anything at all. Let the movie just unravel and I assure you, in spite of the slow pace at times, that you will be guessing much more than whether your next kernel of popcorn going to be a caramel one or a cheese one.
