Vadh
2022 · Directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Rajeev Barnwal
Original language: Hindi
- crime
- thriller
The story
Shambhunath Mishra, a retired middle school teacher is living a mundane middle-class life with his wife Manju Mishra in Gwalior. Life takes a complete turn for the Mishra family when a situation gets out of hand and it leads to a killing at the hands of Shambhunath Mishra. Mishra ji has very little time to plan cautiously to turn this into a “perfect murder” and leave no trace behind.
What it’s like
Cramped domestic interiors under tired tube lights, dusty ochre and faded green walls, and the flat grey of small-city afternoons give this film a worn, lived-in look. Its camera stays close to its two older leads, lingering on sweat, sideways glances and small rituals, so the tension builds from ordinary stillness rather than spectacle. The score is sparse, with long stretches of ambient street noise, ceiling fans and clinking kitchen things that make every silence feel heavier. The mood is dry, bleakly comic and anxious, a slow-burning crime thriller where the humour comes from awkward, practical problem-solving. The pacing is deliberate, and the emotional arc follows two ageing people who are suddenly forced to confront their own complicity and the quiet compromises of long marriages. The violence is brief and sudden, mostly off-screen or quickly cut, with aftermath handled through unease and discomfort rather than gore. There is some crude language and a persistent sense of dread. It suits a late evening alone or a sceptical rewatch, for viewers who enjoy morally grey, character-driven suspense with a wry edge.
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