Film Review: DELHI BUS (Hindi)

XYZ Entertainment’s Delhi Bus (A; crime thriller drama) takes direct inspiration from the horrific 2012 Nirbhaya case, attempting to fictionalise the brutal gang-rape incident and its aftermath.

The story follows a group of six men who lure a girl and her friend into a bus in Delhi and subject her to unimaginable torture. The screenplay, while hard-hitting in parts, suffers from poor execution. The first half builds tension, but post-interval the film slips into melodrama and clichéd courtroom sequences.

Dialogues are raw, often exploitative, and lack the dignity such a sensitive subject demands. Instead of nuanced social commentary, the film leans towards sensationalism.

Performances are average. The actress playing the victim tries sincerely but is handicapped by weak writing. The male actors portraying the perpetrators resort to over-the-top theatrics. Supporting cast (lawyers, parents, police officers) are strictly functional.

Direction is clumsy. The film neither offers gripping realism nor the emotional gravitas expected from such a subject. At several points, it feels like a low-budget docu-drama.

Music is forgettable. Background score is loud and jarring. Cinematography is ordinary, with handheld shots that don’t add to the impact. Editing is loose, making the runtime feel much longer than necessary.

On the whole, Delhi Bus is exploitative and underwhelming. It lacks both cinematic finesse and sensitivity. At the box-office, it will meet with outright rejection.