Fardeen-Riteish's 'Visfot' review: Engaging film fractured by its ending
What is the worst that can happen in a day? Asks Kookie Gulati's Visfot. By the time it ends, we have the answer: an unwanted kidnapping, too many dead bodies, and a broken couple. Slick, fast-paced, and teeming with energy, Visfot is mostly appealing but is somewhat undone by its messy, jagged finale which is clearly a rushed, hasty job. It's streaming on JioCinema.
A story of coincidence, fate, and bad luck
Shoaib (Fardeen Khan) hails from Dongri and is trying to rise the ranks through his job as a cab driver. However, all hell breaks loose when he displaces his gangster friend's drugs, who now wants him to pay up. On the other hand, Akash (Riteish Deshmukh) gets separated from his son, who somehow ends up with Shoaib. It's a remake of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Deshmukh is well-cast as a helpless father
Deshmukh is as excellent in serious roles as in comedy ones, and he accentuates the vulnerability, rage, and temper of a broken man exceedingly well. His confrontational scenes with Priya Bapat are one of the most noteworthy aspects of the movie, and I was consistently hooked to their track. It's wonderful how much an actor's experience can glisten onscreen!
The foreshadowing tells you all you need to know
The film starts well and gets the foreshadowing right. For instance, when we see Akash's son speaking to him affectionately, we already know their sweet track is on its last legs. Similarly, when Shoaib and his gangster 'friend' talk in the opening scene in a cramped car with low lighting, their conversation is clearly a harbinger of the doom that's about to follow.
Deshmukh and Khan lead the film together
It's interesting how Khan and Deshmukh anchor Visfot equally, despite sharing very few scenes together. They are connected via phone nearly all the time, and yet, we never feel that these two characters have not met each other and are only connected through ill fate. If you look closely, you will also find commentary about the gaping chasm between the haves and the have-nots.
After a great start, it begins to go haywire
Visfot passes more than half the journey diligently staying on track, but as is the case with most films, the chinks in its armor start showing in the last half an hour. It's unfathomable why thrillers, which need to be crisp and tightly packed, are punctured through a musical number, inserted in the most unlikely places. It makes the film choppy.
A different ending would have served it much better
This plot is tailor-made for Abbas-Mustan and I wonder how they could have pulled off the ending. While the rest of the film is mostly enjoyable and has enough surprises up its sleeve to keep the narrative wheels in motion, it's unfortunate when the last takeaway is a botched-up climax. Sadly, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth.
It is also run-of-the-mill in some places
Another problem with the movie is the presentation of gangsters. Goons and their sidekicks being addicted to Instagram/Facebook and spending hours on Candy Crush is a cinematic aspect well past its expiry date, and feels extremely dated here. Moreover, not everything eventually comes together, and it feels like the makers took the easy way out by simply killing multiple characters.
Can be watched once; 2.5/5 stars
If you're looking for a quick watch, Visfot works on many levels, mainly due to the strengths of Deshmukh, Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, and Krystle D'Souza. However, I wish some of its other threads (like the one featuring Seema Biswas as a gangster) were better developed. Nonetheless, if films depicting the race against time are your thing, Visfot is right up your alley.
