Andhadhun (2018)
9/10
"What is life? It depends on the liver."
27 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
For those contemplating watching this movie, don't be misled by the tag underneath the title here on IMDb, or the Storyline that describes the protagonist Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana) as a blind pianist. Even a lot of the reviews say he's a blind pianist, but it's not the case that he's blind until well into the story. But it's so easy to believe he's blind because the actor Khurrana is so skillful at portraying a character who can't see. In fact the first time it's revealed that he CAN see, the tenor of the picture turns from a fairly serious romantic drama into a hilariously outrageous story that you'll have trouble believing. Not that this would have any remote chance of happening in real life, but it's pulled off like it might be able to, and that's where the fun resides.

For all of the story's twists and turns, I had a hard time trying to find a plot hole or flaw in the picture. You could point to one of the near final scenes in which Akash explains what happened when the doomed rabbit hit Simi's (Tabu) car window, because he WAS blind by then, but he would have learned of it in some manner, so I'm willing to concede a little on that point. Where I'm definitely at a disadvantage is in not having an Indian background, because in reading some of the other reviews, some nuance and perspective is laid out that definitely adheres to that nationality. But from where I'm coming from, this was one of the most uniquely creative stories I've ever seen, which is something hard to come by after watching and commenting on a few thousand movies.

The best part of it all though has to be that very last second of the movie when Akash departs the French restaurant and leaves Sofie (Radhika Apte) to contemplate what might have been. Instinctively I had a feeling that his sight was restored, but it was the Keyser Söze manner in which it was revealed that proved the icing on the cake. I'm tempted to watch the movie all over again, but I know I'll never be as surprised again as I was the first time. If that sounds like a recommendation, take it for what it's worth and catch this movie.
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