Gandhi Talks Review: What's Good, What's Bad in Vijay Sethupathi's Film?

Vijay Sethupathi and Arvind Swami's latest movie Gandhi Talks will hit the screens on Friday. However, the movie had a special show for select critics and audience on Thursday.

Directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, the movie has Aditi Rao Hydari in the female lead. Siddharth Jadhav, Meera Chopra, Mahesh Manjrekar and others are in the cast. The film, which was premiered at the International Film Festival of India in 2023, has the music of two-time Oscar Award winning musician AR Rahman.

It has Ashish Mhatre's editing and Karan B. Rawat's cinematography.

Driven to desperation by a string of dead ends, unemployed Mahadev finds an unlikely target in Boseman-a wealthy businessman watching his empire crumble. In a gamble of pure audacity, Mahadev proposes a high-stakes plan that could either save them both or seal their ruin.

The movie had generated decent buzz with its promos and trailer. Will it live up to the viewers' expectations? Well, here is what netizens say about the movie:

Subash K Jha: #VijaySethupathi's Silences Speak To Us In #GandhiTalks
Rating: ****
Our cinema is so verbose and over-saturated with dialogues that just the idea of a film that does away words completely is a treat to our agitated senses.
Gandhi Talks has a lot more going for itself than its mute mode. It is a perky twinkle-eyed tongue-in-cheek homage to the dinosaur named honesty.

It is ...well not a diatribe but something far less noisy on corruption.The two main protagonist played by Vijay Sethupathi and Arvind Swamy are both down on their lucky, one by birth the other by inheritance.

Jobless and desperate to feed his mother(Usha Nadkarni) Sethupathi's Everyman(here called Mahadev) poses as Lord Krishna at a wedding, blue mood blue hue and all.When a boy mischievously throws food at 'Bhagwan Krishna', a guest, Arvind Swamy comes forward to gently wipe his face.

This exceptionally evocative interlude helps us the audience get over some of clunkier moments in a mansion which Arvind Swami is about to burn down while two thieves try to get their hands on whatever they could.The incendiary situation never quite attains the Chaplinesque glory it strives for.

But there is much more to find and cherish in the silences. Sethupathi's balcony romance with the lovely Aditi Roy Hydari is delightful. Every time she is on screen she makes the dark clouds of Sethupathi's life(it can't get any worse than the dabbawalla sending threatening notes about stopping the food in the dabba) simply disperse.

The sunshine never evaporates even when happiness and hope do. This is a film that tells us to stay afloat even when your fortunes are drowning. Or in this case, burning.

At a time when everyone in the cine,a is shooting personal and political guns, Gandhi Talks gets contagiously Gandhian on us without resorting to mush or melodrama. Sethupathi who has always maintained that the dialogues are the least essential component of cinema, proves it here. His silences are filled with humour and hope, even when the next meal is uncertain.

Karan B Rawat lenses the chawls of Mumbai and their eccentric characters(the retired old man who does nothing except fiddle with a rundown transistor, the overweight aunty who frown forever) with an austere luminosity that respects the city while admonishing its cruelty.

A word on A R Rahman's music. Since no one is speaking, the background score does all the talking. After the deplorable job he did in the background in Chaava, Rahman redeems himself in this one. This redemption seems in harmony with work that nurtures and heals the wounded soul of Mumbai as fate frowns at the most vulnerable and laughter is the best medicine.''

Studio Flicks:#GandhiTalks Review - SPELLBINDING - 3.25/5

It is a thoughtfully crafted drama where two contrasting worlds collide at a decisive moment. One man struggles for dignity and survival, the other battles the collapse of power and privilege. Their intersection gives the film its emotional and narrative weight.

#VijaySethupathi delivers a remarkably grounded performance, moving seamlessly between vulnerability, charm, and quiet strength. His chemistry with #AditiRaoHydari is tender, his dance moments are endearing, and his portrayal in the Lord Krishna sequence adds a striking layer of symbolism.

#ArvindSwami is outstanding as the fallen tycoon, bringing depth and restraint to a character shaped by loss and disillusionment. Their first meeting and the tension-filled sequence inside his house are among the film's most gripping moments.

#ARRahman's music and background score act as the film's emotional compass, enriching every frame and elevating the performances.

A refined cinematic experience that balances emotion, symbolism, and strong performances.

Slim Shady: #GandhiTalks - SILENT Entry 🥳

This movie doesn't have a Single dialogue but the trailer Gives us a Beautiful vibe throughout the trailer ❣️
The King is ARR's One man Show

One Side VJS means Another Sidr

Emotions connected well ❤️‍🩹