A Thursday is the latest thriller in town, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Directed by Behzad Khambata, this movie stars Yami Gautam Dhar, Atul Kulkarni, Dimple Kapadia and Neha Dhupia in prominent roles. Anybody who has seen the trailer would have found some semblance to the 2008 Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher starrer, A Wednesday. But is it really just a copy, or does the movie have some substance? Read this review of A Thursday to know more.

A social commentary about the law and the media

Going into the movie, we know what is about to happen. There are thematic resemblances to A Wednesday, but that’s where the similarity stops. Naina Jaiswal is a pre-school teacher, running her own play school, Lil’ Tots. She’s back from three weeks of sick leave and the staff and kids are happy to have her back. As soon as she gets back to school, you know she is moving people around like pieces on a chessboard, be it celebrating a student’s birthday, encouraging a domestic worker to go get her Aadhar card, or even letting her fiance celebrate her birthday. Naina’s expressions give away that she has a plan running through her mind. So, when she takes the 16 little kids hostage, you are not surprised.

A Thursday exposes the already known dirty truth of how our country’s media and law function. As they are covering the hostage situation created by Naina, a new channel is only worried about how to make the situation sensational. They are more interested in raking in the TRPs and playing with people’s emotions rather than stating facts. Similarly, one of the journalists Shalini, whose son is a hostage, is the prime example of the vultures today’s media persons have turned into. As soon as her son is released, she goes off to play a recording of Naina just to show that Naina is insane.

The newsrooms have made a mockery of mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. They have unflinchingly tagged a person with mental illness as mentally unstable and unhinged.

Somewhat predictable, but A Thursday has the impact it aims for

As the movie progresses, you can see why Naina is doing what she is doing. What exactly she wants becomes clear even before the big reveal. But that does not diminish the impact the movie is aiming for. As the movie starts, like the police officers in the dark, we too wonder why a playschool teacher is resorting to hostage-taking. We do know by now that Naina is trying to right a wrong. She is trying to correct an injustice, but what exactly is it? After taking the hostages, her first demand is to talk to Inspector Javed Khan. Right there, we know that Javed Khan, portrayed by Atul Kulkarni, has some association to whatever it is Naina is trying to rectify.

Behzad Khambata, since the beginning, has been tying one thread to the other. If only you pay attention, you know that everything that’s happening on screen will have some connection. But that is another place where the movie lacks. It doesn’t hold your attention fully. The first half especially is not as gripping as it could have been. You easily get distracted, but even then, you won’t feel like you have missed much.

A Thursday also forces you to ask questions, which is a win. Legally, you know everything Naina did is wrong. But, at the same time, you are forced to ask, “Is this the only way for a common person to be heard? Is this the only way that justice can be served?”

Strong performances, but some characters don’t get their due

We get strong performances by all the actors. With Atul Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia, you know it’s going to be epic, and they don’t fail. Yami Gautam Dhar takes a while to get into character. At the beginning of the movie, her expressions fluctuate from scary and unhinged to an unsuspecting, happy-go-lucky woman. Her performance alone, along with the jarring music, almost puts this movie into the horror genre, rather than a thriller. But with time, the nuances and subtleties of Yami’s character shine through. Neha Dhupia as Catherine Alvarez is set up very nicely, but her character doesn’t reach its full potential.

Dimple Kapadia as PM Maya Rajguru is easily a favourite for her sheer strength, grit, and confidence. At one point, she calls out her aide for his blatant sexism when he insinuates she is emotional because she is a woman. When Maya says, “Emotions can be an asset”, it really leaves an impact. She further tells her aide, “Do not override me again”, and you see her strength of character. While this incident proves that even the Prime Minister is not free from sexism, it also shows us what a real leader should be like.

Overall, A Thursday is an impactful movie, but its full potential is not reached.

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