Indira movie review: Anita Bhat’s psychological thriller is one confusing mess

1/5

Story: Indira (Anita Bhat) and her husband Sridhar (Rahman Hassan) have apparently attempted suicide by jumping off the seventh floor of their apartment building. He dies, while she survives, losing only her eyesight and memory in the process. A medical professional, Sridhar had unearthed a scam involving a drug that was being marketed widely but has devastating side-effects. But then, Sridhar dies before bringing the scam to light. Was he murdered as a cover-up operation?

Review: While watching a movie or show, have you ever felt that you just couldn’t fathom what was happening and wondered what recreational activity the makers might have indulged in while putting the narrative together that only they know what their true intention was? That’s exactly what I felt today while watching Indira, the Friday Premiere on Voot Select, which has Anita Bhat in the lead. 

Here, she is Indira, the visually-challenged survivor of a suicide attempt, who has also lost her memory. A doctor Suhani (Neethu Shetty), caretaker Sebastian (Shafi) and cop Nayak (Chakravarthy), try to jog her memory around the circumstances of her husband’s death to locate the thumb drive with all the files pertaining to the scam he had unearthed. But are these people really who they say they are or is Indira imagining all of this as her brain still adjusts to her new world in the dark – literally – and with no memory of who or what she was. Why is it so important to keep Indira alive and try and pry information out of her?

In all honesty, I was so confused after a point, that I zoned out. The film ends with a note that this is only the beginning and teases a second instalment. The hope is that they don’t follow up on this promise. I just didn’t get this film. "The world is full of hallucinations," says a character, and the film feels like a series of hallucinations strung together. 

As the producer and title character, Anita literally hogs the limelight. She appears to be enjoying this attention, even though all that she does is stare vacantly around to pass off as visually-challenged, look perplexed or hyper-ventilate.

Verdict: This film is quite the confusing mess, does not have an interesting plot or star cast. Should you still watch it, do so at your own risk.