Blank Movie Review: Karan Kapadia and Sunny Deol Pummel Their Way Through This Dull Thriller
Blank is a decent thriller with a few surprises that may work for you.
Karan Kapadia, the nephew of Dimple Kapadia and cousin to Twinkle Khanna, is making his acting debut with this week's thriller, Blank. An interesting title for sure, since the debutante arrives on the big screen with a blank slate of expectations. It could also be a metaphor for the state his career would be in if the movie doesn't work out. With jiju Akshay Kumar promoting his film (and also appearing in a Kendrick Lamar-inspired song) and Sunny Deol in a parallel lead, the young Karan has some of the burdens of pushing the film shifted off his shoulders. All he needs to deliver, and here's where Blank actually draws a blank. Akshay Kumar’s 'Ali Ali' Song from Blank Blatantly Copies Kendrick Lamar’s All the Stars Video from Black Panther.
The anti-terrorist team, led by a righteous officer Diwan (Sunny Deol), finds that large quantities of HMX, has been shipped into the city for terrorist activities. The next day, a mysterious stranger (Karan Kapadia) is involved in an accident. When he is being treated at the hospital, the doctor finds that there is a bomb surgically strapped in his chest. The moment his heart stops, the bomb will explode.
Diwan also learns that the stranger, who identifies himself by the name 'Hanif', is one of the many sleeper agents planning chain bombings across the country. There is a glitch, though. Hanif claims he is suffering from concussion and doesn't remember a damn thing. Is he faking it or is he telling the truth, Diwan and his team have only a few hours to find out before things go out of hand.
Blank's premise has some dum just like Sunny Deol's frequent screams in the movie, I must admit. The movie has focus and doesn't waste needless time in unnecessary subplots. The idea is interesting - what happens when you come across an amnesiac suicide bomber and you can't figure out his plan? With a runtime of less than two hours, the movie should have the feel of a crisp product.
That it doesn't, is because of how laborious Blank feels at many junctures. First of all, the whole setup, including the big double twists (that is easily guessable for a movie that is also a launchpad) reminds of a certain cult film, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher in the lead. Secondly, director Behzad Khambata doesn't make the film energized enough for the viewer to feel engaged. And this is a movie about a ticking bomb attached to a man. Blank Trailer: Sunny Deol and Newbie Karan Kapadia's Terrorism Drama Is Full of Action and a Twisted Storyline.
Some of the scenes are incredulously written, especially the ones involving a terrorist head (Jameel Khan). The big reveals may surprise many but if you think hard of it, the whole buildup to them feels silly. Particularly the one involving Hanif's secret helper, as the scenes that come prior in the film aren't handled smartly enough to make us go WOW!
Watch the trailer of Blank here:
Another big disappointment is the action scenes, which feels jarring thanks to the shaky camera-work and over-enthusiastic editing. This technique of not getting us the feel of the punches is a film-maker's laziness to not take efforts to pull an effective action scene. The background score will blast half your eardrums off, if you have any left that has been not harmed by Sunny Deol's screams.
The Performances
Karan Kapadia is earnest, all right. His expressions, though, may live upto the movie's name; the lack of it certainly jars when it comes to reviewing his performance. Sunny Deol looks very tired, even though he does get to punch and shout a lot. Ishita Dutta and Karanvir Sharma (looking like Pulkit Samrat on steroids) are decent. Jameel Khan annoys, and that's more to do with how his character is written.
Yay!
- The Premise
- The Runtime
- Some Thrills, Especially Near The Climax
Nay!
- The Inspired Narrative
- Languorous Screenplay
- Unconvincing Setup for the Reveal
- The Okayish Performances
- The Loud BG Score
Final Thoughts
Blank is a decent thriller with a few surprises that may work for you. That is, if you haven't seen films of a similar mound in the past. Otherwise, its lack of energy and cumbersome approach may make you look at the watch frequently.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2019 01:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).