Apurva Review: Tara Sutaria starrer is a bland copy of Anushka Sharma's NH10

Survival thrillers mostly work on the elements of shock and awe. When Navdeep Singh helmed Anushka Sharma starrer NH10 (2015), the genre showed promise. However, Apurva, given the fact that it comes almost a decade after NH10, lacks novelty in terms of plot, treatment, or performances by the lead stars- Tara Sutaria, Abhishek Banerjee and Rajpal Yadav. It is mired in predictability from start to end and turns out to be a laborious watch.

Hot Take

Apurva poster shows a battered and bleeding woman (Tara) holding a sickle as she hides behind a makeshift wall in a ravine. Two men (Abhishek and Rajpal), seemingly hunting her down, hide on the other side. The film's poster gives away most of the movie's plot. Unfortunately, there's nothing more to Apurva than a silly and overdone cat-and-mouse chase, which unfolds in a yawn-inducing manner.

Tara plays a de-glam role but is unconvincing in most parts. She fails to get the Uttar Pradesh dialect right even though most part of the film is devoid of dialogue. Makeup then becomes a major factor in making her look the part as she runs and hides from the carjacking villains who are after her life. There is a lack of newness in the plot, the treatment offers nothing fresh either.

Does Apurva live up to the hype?

In an old-fashioned manner, the plot sets out to introduce us to a rather meek Apurva. After a surprise kidnapping, she comes into her own and finds her independence. While NH10 had strong feminist undertones and the heroine set out to avenge the death of her betrothed, Apurva director Nikhil Bhat seems to have no such intention. Instead, it chooses to focus on the mundane chase, which comes across as very run-off-the-mill since neither the stakes really build up nor the treatment is fresh.

Abhishek and Rajpal, who are supposed to be the dreaded villains in the storyline, come across as caricaturish. The intention behind kidnapping Apurva is never really justified in the first place. From wanting to rape her to the impulsive decision of marrying her, Sukkha (Abhishek) dilutes his own presence and motive in the film. Rajpal, known for his slapstick comedy, does not strike the right chord as one of the gangsters, Chota. Wielding a gun and pulling a trigger doesn't make villains and Rajpal's casting is one of the weakest links in the film.   

The villains lack the screen presence and the dialogues they deliver have no depth. Though colloquial, the impact of the wordplay is missing. The absence of a strong protagonist and antagonist serves as a double whammy in this rather pale film. While the predictability bogs you down, even at 1.35 hours, Apurva feels too long to sit through.

Stream it or skip it?

Apurva lacks substance. Even though the intent behind making the film may have been right, a lot of the elements in it are missing. The deserted grounds and the haunted houses where the chase unfolds have been depicted in many a film in the past. The tension never builds so the catharsis never really hits home. You know since the start where the film is headed and there is no surprise element to keep you hooked to your seats.

Bottomline

Apurva attempts nothing new and ends up being a below-average film with no entertainment or thrill factor. Tara's intent to successfully headline a female-led film is foiled by the director's lack of vision and no intention whatsoever of offering anything new to the audience.

Rating: 1/5 stars