Gaslight REVIEW: Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey, Chitrangda Singh starrer is a decent watch

Film: Gaslight

Director: Pawan Kripalani

Star Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey, Chitrangda Singh, Rahul Dev

Platform: Disney+ Hostar

Bollywood Bubble ratings: 2.5/5 stars

Gaslight Movie REVIEW:

Gaslight starring Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey and Chitrangda Singh is a suspense thriller with a touch of horror. I actually went to watch the movie with a clean slate, with zero expectations. Surprisingly, the movie wasn’t as bad as one would hope.

Whenever I watch a horror movie, I always wonder why don’t people switch on the lights. I mean if you’re trying to figure out who is standing in front of you, switch on the goddamn lights. There’s a scene in the movie when Sara experiences something and then after calling people, she tells them that she saw someone there. I mean hello, why would that supposed ghost or spirit still be standing for you? It is quite funny. Well, you’d be seeing quite a few scenes that will baffle you for sure.

Drawbacks:

First, the story of Gaslight is very predictable. The horror is a dud and it will not even startle you. Considering that he wanted to make it look like a horror movie, we get to see all the typical elements like the lead roaming alone in the mansion at night, people not turning on the lights and sudden sound effects. Well, I usually don’t get scared while watching horror movies but if you’re someone who will just jump with any small noise, then yes, it is a horror movie for you. But honestly, the entire time I was just sitting back and watching the movie.

Story:

Meesha who returns to her royal family estate after 15 years to visit her estranged father finds something is wrong in the house. After returning, she learns that her father is not at home when he himself called her home. Even though her father’s second wife asserts that he will come back, Meesha thinks that he has been murdered when she starts seeing him in the mansion. Will she find the truth? Will Meesha reunite with her father?

Star Performances:

Sara Ali Khan plays the role of the royal princess Meesha in the movie. She returns home after 15 years and finds several things to be changed. She is a physically challenged person but has a lot of strength and potential to find the truth. Speaking about her performance, Sara does a decent job in playing Meesha; however, she falls short in anger and emotional scenes. It seems like she is trying way too hard and it doesn’t come across as convincing as she tries it to be. She still needs to work on the emotional parts.

Vikrant Massey essays the role of Kapil who handles all the business work of the king. He is timid and innocent but there’s a mysterious side of him that drives you to know more about him. Vikrant delivers a promising performance and will surely leave you impressed with his acting prowess.

Chitrangda Singh is playing the role of the second wife of Ratan Singh, Rukmini. She is calm and composed but has an ocean of secrets in her heart. She is not easy to read and leaves you only speculating. Nevertheless, I won’t say it is the strongest character but she does demand attention, now you call that to be her character or Chitrangada playing it. She looks beautiful and has a stronghold onscreen. Also, I’m so taking cues from her on royal dressing, she is just perfect.

Direction/ Screenplay:

Director Pawan Kripalani is often known for his horror genre. His last offering Bhoot Police starring Saif Ali Khan, Yami Gautam, Jacqueline Fernandez and Arjun Kapoor wasn’t a successful venture; however, Gaslight was actually interesting. Though it gets predictable from the start, there are certain twists that leave you surprised. Given the fact, it is a horror suspense movie, you just know what is going to come next. Be it some person or even the sound effect, there’s no surprise there. Pawan tries to make a smart and a gripping film but it still makes you question a certain things.

As Gaslight is touted to be a horror-thriller movie, Pawan also tries to keep the theme of the movie quite subdued and dark. I can’t say the story that is written by Pawan himself is strong and tightly knitted as it has several loopholes. Aman Jain and Navin Chandra are in the DOP department and have done a decent job of creating a suspicion world.

Conclusion:

In totality, Gaslight is actually not a bad film to watch. It is a decent film. Yes, the first half fails to grab your attention but the second half gets a bit interesting. Despite the predictable story, there are a few twists that leave you surprised. However, the film is also touted to be a horror film and actually, there’s nothing. Pawan Kripalani tries to scare you with its typical sound effects and by adding the jump scares but it is simply yawning.

Watch the Gaslight trailer after the review:

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