Thar: A Dry and Dull Remake of a Western Noir

Plot:

Thar is a movie set in the 1980s in a remote village in Rajasthan, where cop Surekha Singh (Anil Kapoor) is investigating a brutal murder, which turns out to be linked to a series of violent killings. As the plot thickens, Surekha teams up with his subordinate (Satish Kaushik) and stumbles upon a rugged stranger in town, Siddharth (Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor), who claims to be an antique dealer. The dusty desert town is ripe with drug trafficking, burglary and revenge, and the case quickly becomes trickier than it seems.

Acting:

Anil Kapoor's performance as Surekha Singh is solid, and his character is well-written. His free-flowing familiarity with his long-time friend and collaborator, Satish Kaushik, is visible in the scenes. Harsh Varrdhan's performance lacks emotional investment, and his limp intensity fails to engage the audience. Fatima Sana Shaikh's role is interesting, but she doesn't quite look the part of a Rajasthani village belle.

Cinematography:

Shreya Dev Dube's cinematography is technically sound and evocative, making the film visually compelling.

Direction:

Writer-director Raj Singh Chaudhary tries to reimagine a Western noir in a rural Rajasthan setting, but the movie fails to capitalize on its atmospheric potential. The movie uses several tropes of the Western genre, including slant-roofed houses, saloon-style dhabas, outlaws, shootouts, gold hunting, revenge, and extreme brutal violence. However, the predictable and lazy payoff doesn't quite live up to the slow burn build-up.

Dialogue:

Anurag Kashyap's hard-hitting dialogues challenge the socio-political status quo and caste discrimination and offer moments of biting commentary.

Verdict:

Anil Kapoor's performance is the highlight of the movie, and the cinematography deserves special mention. The Western theme of revenge remains at the heart of the film, but the treatment of it and the subplot about dacoits and drugs are needlessly tied in and left out, leaving much to be desired.

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