A dark and thrilling ride

Film reviews

NH10
Hindi (A)Cast: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumar
Director: Navdeep Singh

It’s the highway to hell. And the lead pair learns it pretty fast — even before their first pit stop.

By the time Anushka Sharma and Neil Bhoopalam leave the roadside dhaba, they are already sucked into the lawless lands of Haryana, where honour killings are the order of the day and where women are supposed to talk to men with downcast eyes.

Certainly not a place to be in for Anushka, the snazzy working woman who handles “primitive” men in her boardroom back in Gurgaon. But sophistication doesn’t work on this highway. Here, people understand only caste and gender. They speak with iron rods and sticks. And yeah, NH10 isn’t for the faint-hearted.

There are no distractions in the form of songs and dance. The heroine even sports the same outfit throughout the two hours of the movie! That’s quite an achievement for Anushka, who is also the co-producer of the film.

NH10 is dark and disturbing. As Anushka and Neil try to keep themselves sane, they keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. The cat and mouse game spills a lot of blood on the way, as the rural thugs chase the duo. Along the rugged terrains and bushes, some usual suspects also show up — say, cops who collude with criminals. A surprise of sorts is Deepti Naval, the woman sarpanch who endorses patriarchal views with a vengeance.

Among the men, Darshan Kumar stands out. From the loving husband in Mary Kom to the goon leader here, the actor has come a long way.

Unarguably, this is Anushka Sharma’s film. All common sense and presence of mind, she gives a riveting performance, making NH10 her show all the way.