Apurva by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat is the latest addition to Bollywood survival thrillers. The movie stars Tara Sutaria in the titular role, along with Dhairya Karwa, Abhishek Banerjee, Rajpal Yadav, Aaditya Gupta, and Sumit Gulati. Even though the storyline doesn’t offer us something out of the box, it keeps the audience hooked till the last minute. Here’s our review of Apurva, a crisp survival thriller with its fair share of twists, turns, and fine performances.

Apurva’s surprise trip turns into a chilling nightmare

Apurva (Tara Sutaria) is a sweet and simple girl from Madhya Pradesh who wishes to finish her post-graduation from Delhi. But her parents insist on getting her married first as arranged marriages take time to pan out. So, she agrees to meet Sidharth (Dhairya Karwa), a banker from Agra. Soon, the two fall in love, get engaged and are close to their wedding day. Just before the wedding, Apurva plans to surprise Sidharth by showing up in Agra to spend some quality time with him. But on her way to Agra, the bus is hijacked by a bunch of goons who kidnap her and drag her away into the ruins of a village.

Unaware of Apurva’s surprise plan, Sidharth is distraught when he hears the news of her disappearance. But before anyone can reach her, Apurva is abducted by a local gang who plan to rape and kill her. Here, we encounter the four filthy goons – Sukha (Abhishek Banerjee), Jugnu (Rajpal Yadav), Chhota (Aaditya Gupta) and Balli (Sumit Gulati). Everything from their demeanour to their language and behaviour makes Apurva and the audience scared for their life. But she needs to get out before she falls prey to these men.

The performances are the highlight of the movie

Tara Sutaria, as Apurva, has upped her game with this movie. She stepped out of her usual, pretty girl-next-door roles and proved she has what it takes to be a fine performer. To sum it up, she ate and left no crumbs. From being a vulnerable, helpless girl to being a smart-ass with the courage to destroy anyone who comes in her way, you’ll definitely appreciate her performance. And not just her, but Rajpal Yadav as Jugnu, the gang leader, breaks away from his usual comic roles and delivers an amazing performance as the filthy, short-tempered guy who can send chills down your spine with his maniacal attitude. Along with him, Abhishek Banerjee, as Sukha, is the one who will scare you the most. The tall, brooding, and hot-tempered man makes you shudder at how he mishandles Apurva.

The two other gang members, Aaditya Gupta as Chhota and Sumit Gulati as Balli are equally deranged and brutal. Their constant condescending sneers are enough to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Dhairya Karwa, as Sidharth, despite the limited screen time, brings out the concern and helplessness one would feel in a situation like this. He greatly compliments Apurva’s character.

Can you watch it with your family?: Apurva has some foul language and sensitive scenes that might not make for the best family watch.

That’s all for Apurva’s review, now streaming on Disney+Hotstar.

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