Darlings Review: Alia Bhatt, Vijay Varma, Shefali Shah and Roshan Mathew’s film is a mirror and a reminder

Darlings Review: Alia Bhatt, Vijay Varma, Shefali Shah and Roshan Mathew’s film is a mirror and a reminder

Name: Darlings

Director: Jasmeet K Reen

Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vijay Varma, Shefali Shah and Roshan Mathew

Release: Netflix 

Rating: 3.5 / 5

It is difficult to make a film that is entertaining but also has a strong message, and despite several attempts in the past, very few filmmakers have managed to achieve this skill. More often than not, these films end up being preachy, or a compromise on the entertainment quotient. However, Darlings writer-director Jasmeet K Reen pulls off this mighty task effortlessly. Despite showing much of the world of Darlings in the trailer itself, the dark comedy still has a lot to offer at just over two hours long. Although the film doesn’t feel long at any point, the main credit goes to the editor Nitin Baid.

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Darlings revolves around Badrunissa Sheikh aka Badru (Alia Bhatt), a strong willed girl who tries her best to save her crumbling or rather failing marriage with her husband Hamza Sheikh (Vijay Varma). However, an unfortunate event turns this comedy drama a little dark, forcing Badra and her mother Shamshunissa Sheikh (Shefali Shah) to take matters into their own hands. This Jasmeet K Reen directorial is a powerful statement on domestic violence. It may attract a lot of opinions about the path the filmmaker chose to point out, but hopefully it will at least get people to discuss the topic a lot more.

That’s not all the movie has to offer. It also makes you think about topics such as alcoholism and its impact on the family, superstition, manipulation, jealousy, karma and the impact of parents’ lives and decisions on their children. All of these aspects were beautifully woven into the story, but almost all of them were presented in a fun way. The characters were well drawn with just the right amount of contrast, shades of gray and innocence that makes them real and relatable. Kudos to writers Parveez Sheikh and Jasmeet K Reen for churning out a healthy script.

Apart from this, the dialogues penned by Vijay Maurya, Jasmeet K Reen and Parveez Sheikh stand out. Lines like “Saab Twitter walon ke liye duniya badal gayi hai, humare liye nahin” or the conversation between Inspector Rajaram Tawde (Vijay Maurya) and Shamshunissa Sheikh at the police station act more like a reality check. Cinematographer Anil Mehta’s lens effortlessly brings the world of Darlings to life, while Garima Mathur’s set design stays true to the story. Vishal Bhardwaj and Mellow D’s music has a perfect mix of contemporary and a bit old world, but mainly helps to move the narrative forward.

When it comes to performances, there is probably nothing that Alia Bhatt can’t do on screen and she has proven that time and again with her on screen performances. The audience will thus see two very different personalities of her character in the first and second half of the film, both exceptionally played by Alia. Vijay Varma played his role so well that after a while one forgets the actor and only looks at the character. Roshan Mathew as Zulfi is the real surprise of the film, however for me the real star of Darlings is Shefali Shah.

One moment the character makes a powerful statement, the next second he can make you cry, and the third he can put a big smile on your face. A really great performance. Rajesh Sharma as Kasim Kasai has no dialogue but still manages to make his presence felt.

Overall, Darlings remains consistent in the second half as well, and a few main points sprinkled regularly throughout the script will keep you hooked on the narrative. Check out the report and performances.