An intriguing story backed by adept performances, a creatively unusual background score, and enough turns to keep your eyes glued to the screen for every millisecond makes this a thriller that you absolutely must watch. 

Here is why watching Andhadhun is a thrilling experience we can’t thank director Sriram Raghavan enough for: 

SPOILERS AHEAD

1. For performances that are a sheer joy to watch.

Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu are the breathing, electric, taut with tension souls of the movie. Their chemistry redefines natural performances, despite the fact that they are sharing screen space for the first time. 

Tabu is easily the queen of layered characters, where what’s on the surface is never as simple as what the character is actually thinking. 

Even as her character’s practical self is dealing with a murder, her emotions find an expressive but silent outlet – so that the ‘blind’ piano player never guesses what the real situation is. 

Ayushmann Khurrana also shines through as he finally sheds the ‘boy-next-door’ image to emerge as the struggling artist hiding a secret or two and employing unique ways to let creativity strike. 

Radhika Apte and Anil Dhawan are characters whose interactions with their respective partners lends the movie the much needed recreational moments, tinged with relatable drama. 

The rest of the supporting cast that includes Zakir Hussain, Ashwini Kalsekar, Manav Vij, and Chaya Kadam also nail their roles, ensuring that not a single character, dialogue, or scene feels extra or out of place. 

2. For extremely clever writing.

This movie rests completely on the shoulders of the script – and what an intelligent story! From the basic premise – of a blind man caught in a situation that is as tricky as they come – to the dialogues that manage to bring alive the tension and introduce comic relief at the same time, this is a movie where the story is the definite king. 

3. For managing to turn even the expected into a shocking, and at times comical situation. 

The movie manages to take you on a ride along with its characters. Which is why there are moments when you are gripped with genuine shock, just like the character, because a scene unfolds so unexpectedly. 

At other times, you as the audience are privy to information that certain characters are not. And that is what infuses even the most shocking or thrilling events with humor that is intelligent and slightly morbid at the same time. 

Covering up a murder is perhaps the oldest trick in a thriller movie. But there is nothing old in the way the scene unfolds in the movie – and without a doubt, it is one of the most hilarious yet shocking scenes; even as it introduces us to another pivotal character in the story. 

4. For making even the absurd seem absolutely believable.

There are definite moments when you feel that there are a little too many twists. The thought – that this situation would not hold up in real life – definitely crosses your mind. And yet, at the next second the situation is one you can easily believe in. 

Suspension of disbelief is a tool that mostly fantasy movies employ – and yet the clarity with which the story unfolds in this story makes the fictional world completely real. 

5. For a soundtrack and background score that enhances the movie and takes the story forward. 

Even as Ayushmann as Akash plays the piano to display his talent, including renditions of classic Bollywood love songs, Tabu as Simi works her way around the apartment – cleaning up a killer mess! 

There is no loud score to introduce a potentially scary situation. There is no funny track to trick the audience into laughing. And yet, from collective gasps to loud laughter – the audience definitely has natural reactions to the scenarios being unfurled.

To manage that by playing a soundtrack that is at times traditionally in contrast to the situation being showcased is an incredible feat to achieve, but the movie nails it. 

6. For creating a story arc where it is absolutely impossible to predict what happens next. 

Predicting the end result of a thriller movie is the most obvious activity that the audience indulges in. But with Andhadhun, your guesses are never going to be absolutely spot on – and that is exactly where the genius of director Sriram Raghavan shines through. 

Even if you may guess a part of the story, it is impossible to figure out the complete scenario. And the way each individual trick and twist is linked makes it impossible for the audience to judge the complete story or the final outcome, even if we may figure out a small clue.

7. For the kind of editing and cinematography that makes this 2-hour film appear like a 20-minute joy ride. 

A good thriller is one that does not let you get distracted at any second. Just like Andhadhun. It is fast paced and manages to relate the complete story without missing a single beat. In fact, it would be a cardinal sin to miss the first or last scene of the movie – so make sure you reach on time and don’t skip the end at any cost! 

But while the writing, acting, and the background score is flawless – it is the editing and cinematography by Pooja Ladha Surti (also a co-writer) and K. U. Mohanan respectively that flawlessly ties the elements together to make for one hell of a thriller story!

Bollywood does not always get its thrillers right. But with Andhadhun we finally have a chance to gloriously reclaim the genre. And trust me when I say, the end will keep you guessing long after the movie is over and make you believe that when it comes to fate, there are no blind spots!