Badla would be an engaging fare if you have not watched the original Spanish movie on Netflix. For others, it would be a definitive case of Deja-vu...seen it all, know it all, Yawn!
That said, the USP of Badla, as in most movies he stars in, is Amitabh. He is imposing, sharp, witty and overshadows the proceedings. He needed an able foil to his larger than life persona and is curiously let down by Tapsee Pannu, an otherwise talented actress.
In Badla, she is lacklustre and bland, with a flat voice in a role which required nuanced voice modulations to bring the complex character of Naina alive. Amrita Singh is loud and out of sync and the rest of the star cast is too insipid to merit a mention.
What praise should one lavish on the movie which by virtue of being an official remake has replicated scene by scene till the very end?! Hoping against hope to find some twist at the end, to give a zing to the predictable outcome, I was massively disappointed. Sujoy Ghosh, the director, has treaded the safe path of not messing with a successful movie. He has happily dispensed with originality, except switching the genders of the protagonists! As if that made any difference beyond getting Big B to unleash his genius on a drooling audience.
I recommend Badla to the lovers of whodunnit murder mysteries. Netflix loyalists can save their cash. Big B fans, you have a treat in store!
