Title: Visfot
Director: Kookie Gulati
Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan, Priya Bapat, Krystle D’Souza, Sheeba Chadha, Seema Biswas
Where: Streaming of Jio Cinema
Rating: 3.5 stars
Visfot, meaning "explosion" in Hindi, promises just that—an eruption of events in the lives of its characters that begins as a routine day and quickly escalates into chaos.
Directed by Kookie Gulati and written by Abbas and Hussain Dalal, this thriller is a fast-paced, anxiety-riddled ride through the grimy streets of Mumbai. In many ways, the film zips through its narrative with such energy that you might just feel the wind in your hair—or at least the whistle of an impending cinematic detonation.
Shoeb Khan (Fardeen Khan) is a taxi driver who has returned from Australia to care for his ailing mother. She is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Intent on living a clean, honest life, Shoeb settles back into his old Dongri neighbourhood, hoping for a fresh start with his girlfriend Lucky (Krystle D’Souza). Of course, in a city like Mumbai—and in a film titled Visfot—fresh starts are as elusive as peace and quiet. Shoeb’s childhood friend, Manya (Nachiket Purnapatre), drops a drug stash into his lap, a ticking time bomb that goes missing. Cue the panic.
On the other side of town, we have Captain Akash Shelar (Riteish Deshmukh), the epitome of the "perfect father" trope, juggling family life with his career. But when Akash discovers his wife Tara (Priya Bapat) is having an affair with Javed (Arjun Aneja), his meticulously managed life collapses. In a fit of misplaced trust, Akash leaves his son Parth (Prithviraj Sarnaik) in Lucky's care, unknowingly setting off a chain of events that will embroil everyone—Akash, Shoeb, Lucky, and a formidable drug lord, Acid Tai (Seema Biswas)—in a web of crime, betrayal, and, naturally, explosions.
While the narrative effectively captures the familiar cat-and-mouse game between the mafia, police, and entangled civilians, the climax feels formulaic. The first half builds solid momentum, but by the end, the film loses its adrenaline rush. A misplaced song near the climax only adds to the letdown, derailing the tension and transforming what could have been a gripping thriller into an overly emotional detour.
Still, credit where it’s due: the performances anchor this rollercoaster. Fardeen Khan’s portrayal of a man teetering on the edge is grounded and nuanced. Riteish Deshmukh brings depth to Akash, balancing vulnerability with intensity, while Priya Bapat, as his conflicted wife Tara, convincingly portrays the strain of a crumbling marriage. Krystle D’Souza’s Lucky adds charm and resilience to the mix, though her role is somewhat underutilized. Seema Biswas as Acid Tai is nothing short of menacing, embodying a villain you’d cross the street to avoid. And Sheeba Chadha as Shoeb’s mother, despite her limited screen time, delivers a heartbreakingly authentic performance.
With the performances firmly holding the narrative together, the film’s technical elements further enhance the experience. Resul Pookutty’s sound design, in particular, deserves applause for adding texture to the chaos, and the cinematography beautifully captures Mumbai’s gritty pulse. Though the background score sometimes teeters on the edge of overkill, the visuals and sound keep you engaged, proving that even in the midst of an explosion, there's always room for a thrilling ride.
.jpg)
