Film Review - NH 10

Highway to Hell

Film: NH 10

Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neel Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumaar

Directed by: Navdeep Singh

Duration: 1 hr 45 mins

Rating: *  *  * 1 / 2 

Directed by Navdeep Singh (of Manorama Six Feet Under fame), NH 10 is a terse thriller about a road trip gone awry. The plot is not quite novel (it has shades of Eden Lake,2008) but the execution is a cut above the rest making NH 10is quite a ride.

It is not much fun for the characters involved. Meera (Anushka Sharma) and Arjun (Neel Bhoopalam) take a break from Delhi and head out to celebrate her birthday; he has booked a private villa for the two of them to spend the weekend. 

A fracas ensues at a dhaba during their journey. A young eloping couple is mercilessly beaten up by a bunch of goons lead by Satbir (Darshaan Kumar from Mary Kom).  Arjun tries to help the lovers and suddenly their getaway plans are thrown out of gear.  

They witness a brutal honor killing which is rampant in parts of the country where some places have their own laws. Chekov’s gun suggests that if there is a rifle hanging on the wall in the first chapter, then it must be fired in the second or third or else it shouldn’t be hanging there. In an incident that happens earlier, we are told how and why Meera always carries a gun. The gun goes off later during a tiff with the goons and soon they are being hunted down by the barbaric men. 

As they get separated, she has to fight for survival on her on in the middle of the night under severe hostile conditions. She goes to the police but the law of the land doesn’t quite apply in these villages and it only gets worse as she seeks help. 

Without delving on it too much or for too long, the misery of life in such places is appropriately highlighted.  A conversation with a police officer about caste and how much it means, portrays the harsh reality.

Singh keeps you on the edge of the seat throughout the film, and the story cuts to the chase right from the word go. Sure there are some loopholes in the plot but you are willing to forgive them because the film is under two hours and for large parts it is crisp. The violence is unflinching and that makes the events even more effective.  

The background score, editing, camera work are all apt contributing positively to the film. Of the cast, Neel Bhopalam is serviceable and Darshaan Kumar looks calm and menacing enough. Anushka Sharma gives a first rate performance in a role that is quite demanding. She also deserves credit as a co-producer for getting involved in this project.  Like a few of them we have seen lately, NH10 is a refreshing film from Bollywood.

Published in The Navhind Times, Goa on 15th March 2015

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