OTT Review : Sara Ali Khan’s Gaslight – Hindi film on Hotstar

Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan’s new film Gaslight was released directly on Disney Plus Hotstar. The movie, directed by Ragini MMS fame Pavan Kirpalani has Vikranth Massey and Chitrangadha Singh in other key roles. Let’s see how this mystery horror thriller is.

 

Story:

Meesha (Sara Ali Khan), a wheelchair bound woman and estranged daughter, returns to her ancestral palace after several years upon her father Raja Ratan Singh’s (Shataf Figar) request. She is welcomed by her stepmother Rukmani (Chitrangadha Singh), who tells Meesha that her father is out of town to solve a strike issue in one of their factories. She is later introduced to Kapil (Vikranth Massey), their estate manager. Very soon, Meesha starts experiencing some supernatural and mysterious elements in the palace. Meesha tells Rukmani and Kapil that she saw her father in the palace. Meesha believes her father is dead, and his spirit is trying to contact her. What actually happened to Meesha’s father? Whom did she see in the palace? How did Kapil assist her in unearthing the mystery? This forms part of the rest of the film.

 

Plus Points:

The premise of the movie is interesting, and the film starts off nicely. Sara Ali Khan, who has been getting better with every film of hers, gave a neat performance in Gaslight. She carried the movie on her shoulders all the way and did her part with conviction.

Vikranth Massey, who is a very talented actor, did a fine job. Chitrangadha Singh surprises with her performance and looked gorgeous on screen. The twist that comes at the end is superb and is written nicely. This particular twist is sure to take the viewers by surprise.

 

Minus Points:

In this OTT era, filmmakers need to be more intelligent to outsmart the audience. There are a few crucial twists in Gaslight. Except the last one, the other twists can be seen from miles away. The way the narrative is penned makes us doubt a few characters right from the beginning scene, which is almost like a reveal. Hence as the film progresses and when the twists unravel, the audience won’t be surprised but will indeed feel irritated.

The movie is very boring till the end, with many bland scenes. Many sequences will test the patience of the viewers. There are absolutely no jumpscare moments in the entire film. This is 2023, and the makers can’t resort to age-old techniques to scare the audiences.

More detailing should have been given for Sara Ali Khan’s characterization, which feels incomplete. Though the movie is below two hours, it is difficult to sit through. There are a few supporting characters who are not at all relevant to the story, and they just add to the film’s length.

 

Technical Aspects:

Gaurav Chatterji’s background score is alright. Cinematographer Ragul Herian Dharuman tried his best to create a spooky environment, but unfortunately, the poor script let down his brilliant work. The production values are good. The editing could have been much better.

Coming to director Pavan Kirpalani, he has done a poor job with the film. While the basic premise is interesting, the weak writing creates boredom throughout the movie. The insipid narration won’t allow the audience to get invested in the flick for the most part. The twist brought in the end is too good, but it is too late by then.

 

Verdict:

On the whole, Gaslight is a boring mystery thriller that lacks an engaging screenplay. Sara Ali Khan does well, and the final twist would surprise. But it is not possible to sit through the entire film just for the climax. Hence Gaslight ends up being a disappointing watch.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team