Straight off the bat, I’m going to tell you that I walked out of the theatre with a headache. In a good way. Confused? You will be, but it’s worth it. I don’t remember the last time I was afraid to take my eyes off the screen for the fear that I would miss something important. Judgementall Hai Kya has the ability to drive you crazy while leaving you on the edge of your seat.
Judgementall Hai Kya is not a movie that solely depends on its mystery or climax. While it is a psychological thriller about an extremely disturbed woman, Bobby (played by Kangana Ranaut) who feels there’s something off with her new tenants – a supremely good looking couple – Keshav (played by Rajkummar Rao) and Rima (Amyra Dastur), it’s the treatment of the subject matter that makes it a delightful watch. It’s crazy, funny and nail-bitingly intense – pretty much everything that the trailer of the movie promised.
There’s hardly a frame without Kangana in it and I have no complaints. In a sea of movies with importance given to only the male leads, you have to give it away for such movies. As an audience member, you can’t help but get frustrated and quite frankly creeped out at Bobby‘s eccentricities, but at one point her confusion becomes your own. Bobby is in no way the heroine of a typical Hindi movie, in fact, she’s pretty much the opposite. She’s bold, aggressive, deadpan yet obsessive in her ways. Kangana plays her to perfection. In contrast to Bobby is Keshav – a seemingly normal guy who is deeply in love with his wife Rima. They’re everything that Bobby wants to be but cannot be — extremely good-looking, happily married and so in love. Rajkummar without a doubt is phenomenal. Aside from his acting, it also helps that he looks HOT AF. This just makes his character more mysterious and sinister and you are ultimately drawn to him. Just like Bobby is. Throughout the movie, you’re forced to jump from being on Keshav‘s side to Bobby‘s and back again. Amyra is great as the stylish and enthusiastic Rima. Satish Kaushik, Jimmy Shergill, and many other amazing actors make an appearance as supporting characters adding more layers to the story.
The screenplay by
Kanika Dhillon
is relatable yet so wild and twisted that it leaves you on the edge of your seat. It would be criminal to not mention the mindblowing cinematography by Pankaj Kumar. The whole movie is shaded with Bobby‘s mental state and the picturization of the same is beautiful. The seamless editing and transitions are the reason why you wouldn’t want to miss a moment from this film. Kudos to Shweta Venkat, Prashant Ramachandran and Sheeba Sehgal for the kickass editing. Another important factor that stands out, is the amazing background score by Daniel B George. The use of sound in the film is almost haunting and stays with you long after the movie is over. Director Prakash Kovelamudi has given us a psychological thriller that makes you laugh but also leaves you restless like most whodunnit thrillers. And a huge shoutout to Ekta Kapoor for producing such a wonderful concoction. TBH, it does have a sort of Sriram Raghavan quality to it. This is probably the second time I’ve wished the movie didn’t have an interval after Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun. JHK leaves you speculating up until the second half of the movie.
While you may be able to predict the ending from a mile, the great acting combined with amazing direction just makes it a must-watch.
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao, Amyra Dastur, Hussain Dalal
Director: Prakash Kovelamudi
Rating: 4/5