“Na ye bhaunkte hai, na ghurrate hai, bas kaatte hai,” read the caption of the announcement for Kuttey. Ever since its announcement, there has been considerable hype surrounding the film especially since its the first time Vishal Bhardwaj and his son Aasmaan Bhardwaj are collaborating (Kuttey is the latter’s directorial debut).
The film’s trailer that dropped on 20 December only made the film more exciting. To start off, the film boasts of an excellent cast. Tabu, Konkona Sensharma, and Naseeruddin Shah have all proved, through a wide variety of films, that they can pull off any genre; why would Kuttey be different?
Tabu is known for her versatility but even so, she has been seen in several roles applauded for her restraint. Her role of a cop in Kuttey seems to leave that behind (in a good way) and that, in itself, makes a compelling argument for the film.
A similar versatility is echoed in Naseeruddin Shah, evident from his work ranging from Aakrosh to Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.
Add to that Konkana Sensharma, one of the leading actors in contemporary parallel cinema and, playing the role she is and you already have a full house of powerhouse performers.
Radhika Madan and Arjun Kapoor have both experimented with action roles before and were appreciated for their performances. With better written characters, both actors will potentially fit right in this motley crowd.
Furthermore, let’s take a look at the kind of films that precede Kuttey: Haider, Ishqiya, and Omkara, to name a few. All three films, irrespective of box office numbers, received critical acclaim.
One specific thing that stands out for me is Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi’s involvement in the project. The lens he uses for cinema is captivating and that might do wonders for a film like Kuttey. Since the film seems to have several scenes shot in the dark, an understanding of light and shadow is going to be crucial behind the camera.
With a lot of his work, and specifically Women is Losers, Dehlvi has shown such an understanding.
For fans of films like Gangs of Wasseypur and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (and clearly there are many), Kuttey might be the right vibe. Naturally, people have also drawn comparisons to Kuttey and Vishal Bhardwaj’s film Kaminey.
Kaminey was appreciated for its non-linear storytelling and for the way it rewrote commonly seen Bollywood formulas. Maybe Kuttey can recreate some of that magic.
Speaking of magic, the Bhardwaj-Gulzar team has reunited for the music – tracks like ‘La Ilaaj’ from Darlings (2022), ‘Raat Ke Dhai Baje’ from Kaminey (2009), ‘Omkara’ from Omkara (2006), and ‘Bismil’ from Haider (2014) are proof that the duo can create mesmerising music together.
All of that aside, the trailer has all the elements of a classic Bollywood caper. What truly differentiates a caper from a crime drama or thriller is humour or unusual acts of audacity, and clever writing.
The clip already features scenes of dark humour and glimpses of the characters acting in unusual and audacious ways – three gangs cross paths on one hunt and chaos ensues, with “bullets, blood, and betrayal”.
Clearly, at first glance, Kuttey has a lot working for it. But will these expectations work in the film’s favour or will it be too much for it to match up to? Only time will tell (or rather we’ll find out on 13 January).
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)