A Thursday review: An out-and-out Yami Gautam film backed by a blood-curdling climax

3/5

The drama opens with a cheerful backdrop of a kindergarten, amidst laughs and innocent glee. Naina Jaiswal (Yami Gautam Dhar), the teacher, unexpectedly takes her pupils captive. Why has Naina gone to such lengths? What is her ultimate goal? There are a million questions to be answered in a short amount of time, and innocent lives are on the line! It is a story about the evil side of human nature, surprising happenings, and nefarious machinations.

Hostage drama is a genre that has been explored to the core in films and series across the world. However, one cannot call it a "done and dusted" genre, going by its intent. A Thursday fits the bill, and rightly so. The film, starring Yami Gautam Dhar in the lead role, screams hostage drama from the word "go".

The actor plays a teacher who is a favourite among the kids at a playschool. However, things take an ugly turn within a few minutes when she takes them as hostages and demands bizarre things that shock the whole nation, including the Prime Minister. The film has the heart in its place when it comes to casting, including Yami, who has given another memorable performance after Bala (2019).

The actor is joined by Atul Kulkarni, who is his usual and flawless self as cop Javed Khan, as the negotiator. Neha Dhupia is going to surprise you with her brief role as ACP Catherine Alvarez, who is eight months pregnant, as she was in real life.

A Thursday has its moments where you will be left shocked with a lasting impression, but those are not the crucial moments as the film defines them to be. The sudden zoom in with a trumpet sound is a put-off, as it comes every time there are solo shots of Yami while she makes demands.

Going by the premise of the film, here comes a hint on what her character, Naina Jaiswal's intentions as a kidnapper are. The shock value is dismissed immediately in the long first half of the film.

Hostage drama is more in the thriller space, and it's meant to have edge-of-the-seat moments. However, A Thursday lacks the same, but it makes for an interesting aspect of what the thought behind the film is.

The dialogues by Vijay Maurya punch hard, and most of them are mouthed by both Yami and Atul. The actors have done a great job of knowing the narrative with the perfect reactions they give each other, despite not being in the same frame.

It seems like a tough thing to crack to have a piece to camera and deliver their dialogues. But a lot of films have done that, and one of the finest examples is the Malayalam film Take Off (2017), where it has been shown flawlessly.

However, we cannot take it away from both Yami and Atul for going hand-in-hand with their sequences together and making them look as real as possible.

Yami's sequences with the kids are a few lighter moments brought to the film. However, it has a thrilling undertone knowing her agenda behind it. The film also throws some light on mental health issues and shows in a realistic way how it's defined as the "craziness" of a person rather than discussing the "why."

While the mental health issue sequences are shown, it might make one wonder why every other film or series creates them as a catalyst. But the need for it in A Thursday is bone-chilling and will make all the apprehensions one can have vanish while going through the different chapters of Naina Jaiswal.

The film is more performance-oriented, including the three leading actors, Yami Gautam Dhar, Atul Kulkarni, and Neha Dhupia. While Dimple Kapadia, as the Prime Minister of the country, in her brief role, addresses more about being a female politician and how emotions are important to come into play while being the decision-maker.

The revelations of A Thursday come at the right time, but they could have been done earlier as well. While it is about the most discussed crime in the country and also in movies, there are a few moments, especially the dialogues, which are uncomfortable to witness. Well, that's the very reason it rightly became a part of the film.

Behzad Khambata, who has written and directed the film, played well with the runtime and crisp editing. However, the background score is kind of a disappointment.

A Thursday is an important watch for the social issues it touches upon and the great performances by the actors.

Barring the long first half and slightly predictable plot, A Thursday is an apt OTT release that will find its right audience. Yami Gautam is an actor to watch out for, and the actor shoulders the film perfectly.