Director: Mukul Abhyankar
Cast: Tabu, Manoj Bajpayee and Anuu Kapoor
The only bad thing about watching a suspense thriller is that you may not enjoy it the second time; especially, when the twist and turns in that particular movie are spectacular. However, Manoj Bajpayee and Tabu’s Missing is one of those suspense thrillers that has everything from peerless acting to a decent set-up but lacks an intriguing plot. Hence, what could have been a mind-blowing, unforgettable whodunit story turned out to be a childish and disappointing tale.
There’s a man who is a big time flirt. Though he never means to harm anyone, his presence often creeps you out. He doesn’t even spare the receptionist of a hotel, where he has come with his wife and 3-year-old daughter. Everything seems fine until their daughter goes missing from their hotel room. But she is just three where would she possibly go? Or why would anyone want to harm her? So do this man or his wife has something to do with it, or is there some other person who is doing all of this?
Bajpayee has once again proved that there’s nothing he can’t do or fit into. His Sushant Dubey is funny, easy breezy and even cunning at times. The way he ups his game every time the camera pans on his character is fabulous to watch. Interestingly, there are “certain" elements in his part that remind you of the iconic role he played in Gangs of Wasseypur. It’s so refreshing to see him perform something like this after such a long time and trust me, he has done 100 per cent justice to it.
Tabu’s Aparna is elegant, poise and precise, just like her other roles. She superbly dives into her character who doesn’t speak much and only means business. However, her innocence is questioned when her emotions go overboard but that’s when exactly the fun begins though it’s a different thing it doesn’t last for too long.
There’s Anuu Kapoor too and thank god, he is there otherwise this film would have fallen flat long before it actually did (because of the loopholes in the script). Kapoor’s Ram Khilawan Budhu, an investigation officer, is not so “buddhu" (fool) and knows there’s something fishy going on in the hotel. He is too good as Ram Khilawan and steals the show with his partly funny and partly confused part.
Debutant director Mukul Abhyankar tries to play with the psyche of the audience in many parts of the film but unfortunately, his main course is not as palatable as those of his fillers, which is why this film is felt more like an episode of a crime show. The biggest flaw of the film is that its ending is not supported by rest of its plot. It is filled with a couple of normal Bollywood clichés and just settles you down for the sake of it.
Perhaps a watertight script and logic-backed ending could have saved this so-called thriller. Nevertheless, a decent effort by Abhyankar.
Rating: 2
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