‘Ghamasaan’ review: A riveting good-versus-evil battle

Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar (2012) valourised the athlete who became an outlaw to resist oppression. In Ghamasaan, Dhulia is fighting on the side of the law.

Although the title of Dhulia’s latest feature indicates an intense battle, Dhulia’s screenplay is in no rush. Carefully, clinically and dexterously, Dhulia follows a special task force’s mission to nab the dreaded dacoit Maharaj (Arshad Warsi).

The Hindi film is set in 2006 in Uttar Pradesh. The story, by Piiyush Singh and Ram Yash Singh, fictionalises an actual brigand and political heavyweights from the state.

Maharaj is more Gabbar Singh than Robin Hood, extorting, pillaging and massacring across villages in the Bundelkhand region. Maharaj’s connections run high and deep, something task force chief Aditya (Pratik Gandhi) needs to navigate before he can get anywhere near his target.

Aditya and his posse are deployed against Maharaj after a particularly gruesome act that threatens to disrupt an upcoming election. The cool-headed and methodical Aditya puts into place a counter-intelligence network that includes disgruntled villager Balram (Anurag Thakur) and the entertainer Kalika (Rajpal Yadav).

Aditya’s perseverance, coupled with a few lucky breaks, takes him closer to his mark. Aditya’s wife Aparna (Ishita Dutta) pops up from time to time as a reminder of the sacrifices he is making.

Ghamasaan was completed in...

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