With all the talent involved, Bandar does look like it’s aiming for something wild and exciting, notes Mayur Sanap.
Key Points
- Bobby Deol stars in Anurag Kashyap’s intense drama Bandar.
- Bandar also features Sanya Malhotra, Saba Azad, Sapna Pabbi, Jitendra Joshi.
- Bobby Deol channels classic Anurag Kashyap hero energy. He is messy, unpredictable, and far from any polished superstar image.
A Different Bobby Deol In Bandar
The first look of Bandar screamed raw Anurag Kashyap energy.
It had Bobby Deol sitting inside a filthy prison cell looking completely shattered while other inmates slept around him on the floor. That image alone promised Kashyap’s return to his dark, twisted and brutally honest zone again.
Then came the poster twist.
Suddenly, Deol appeared in flashy clothes carrying an electric guitar like some washed-up rockstar. In an age obsessed with alpha superstar energy, this almost spoofy poster felt quite amusing and different from the usual rut.
What’s Bandar Teaser About?
The freshly-dropped teaser finally gives us more clues.
Deol plays Samir Mehra, a fading superstar and complete Casanova who sees himself as a ‘bura aur ghatiya aadmi‘. That’s classic Anurag Kashyap hero energy right there. He is messy, unpredictable, and far from any polished superstar image!
Samir’s life turns upside down when he gets arrested on sexual misconduct charges. The teaser keeps things mysterious and does not clearly show whether he is innocent or guilty.
The story gives flashes of Section 375 with its focus on the #MeToo movement and the messy conversations around misuse of laws.
Saba Azad and Sapna Pabbi appear as women from his chaotic romantic life, while Sanya Malhotra plays Samir’s sister and lawyer, looking emotionally exhausted, as she fights to save him.
The final shot of the one-minute teaser ends with Deol flashing a delirious smile, a moment that recalls shades of Anurag Kashyap’s recent film Kennedy, with its story of a damaged man trapped inside a rotten system.
Bandar Teaser Raises Expectations
The writing team itself is enough to raise expectations. With Sudip Sharma, the brilliant mind behind Paatal Lok, Kohrra and Udta Punjab, working alongside Abhishek Banerjee, you can expect intense and layered storytelling.
Bobby Deol, who is having a solid comeback run after Animal, Aashram and The Ba***ds of Bollywood, also feels quite different in Bandar. This is not just another brooding guy role, but looks like a full-blown acting explosion from an actor who is always such a delight to watch on screen.
With all the talent involved, Bandar does look like it’s aiming for something wild and exciting. Hopes are up!
The film arrives in cinemas on June 5.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
