What is it all about?

Mixing the grittiness of Kelly Reilly starrer ‘Eden Lake’ (2008) with the junk of Khap and the spunk of women power , Anushka Sharma’s debut as producer ’NH10’ is jaw dropping, provocative and brutal but director Navdeep Singh’s (previous China Town inspired Manorama Six Feet Under ) impulsive, peculiar and limited approach fails to give the road trip a cinematic, intellectual, uplifting or comprehensive punch to the crunch of girl child and urban rural mindset divide it uses to manipulate the audiences.

Anushka Sharma’s debut as producer backed by Eros and Phantom is quite impressive by the concept of its content and probable intent but Navdeep Singh’s singularity and peculiarity in its one way approach results in a limited appeal.

The best 'NH10' can get is some real awareness for Anushka as a knock out performer and a daring producer.

The Story

Writer Sudip Singh (previous the dud Player (inspired from The Italian Job) this time takes a leaf from Hollywood writer James Watkins’ first feature ‘Eden Lake’ (2008) and adds Indian elements of Khap, girl child, urban rural divide in this gory Badla story.

Gurgaon based happily married Meera (Anushka Sharma) and Arjun (Neil Bhoopalam) plan a weekend getaway to celebrate Meera’s Birthday. Meera has just had a traumatic night mare where a group of hooligans attacked her late at night. On their way they stop on Highway for lunch and in broad day light see a young girl and a boy being beaten and kidnapped by a bunch of local hooligans. Arjun chooses to step in, and the trauma for Meera and Arjun begins resulting in disturbing and shocking deaths.

What to look out for

Devoid of melodrama and speaking the voice of women from the B-town gharana in this dark, gritty road trip is jaw dropping and intense to a lot of extant. Navdeep Singh fascination to the de noir comes with some gory romanticisms and spine chilling moments for the regulars of this genre.

Thankfully this time Navdeep Singh doesn,t picks a classic like China town - his previous inspiration for.

Manorama Six Feet Under but a relatively less popular ‘Eden Lake’ for NH10 and does manage to give it some of its own identity. The triumph of the girl power and the inclusion of Khap instead of teens from the original helps in giving NH10 its own identity.

There are gruesome disturbing moments but ‘NH10’ doesn’t feel like torture porn. Shot like an action/horror its dark and laced by superlative performance.

Anushka Sharma as the vulnerable women caught in dangerous situations struggling for survival is first rate.

Neil Bhoopalam as the impulsive husband is impressive. Technicalities are up to mark.

Darshan Kumaar as Satbir is fine. Deepti Naval excels in a brief appearance.

What not

It touches but doesn,t stays. The makers have missed a golden chance to explode. For instance during Anushka’s run from the hooligans a cop accompanies her and during their conversation says this gem "Electricity or water, has not come to these villagers, how the constitution will come’. We needed more such cinematic comments and not restrict this gory glory to a personal revenge story" unfortunately writer Sudip and director Navdeep are seen extra busy in giving sensationalisms and sticking to be brutal resulting in registering a disturbing brutal cruelty of fate, an unlucky coincidence derived from an impulsive action leading to lethal consequences.

We wanted to hail the power and the courage of women to come triumph against all odds showing tremendous survival instincts but that doesn,t happen. Cause the script has a major flaw. The reason for all the trauma for Meera and Arjun is the result of a childish impulse coming from a urban Arjun to teach the rural hooligan a lesson by threatening them with a gun is completely out of the character of Arjun we see in the entire film. You need a real open mind to accept this flaw and even if you do the action of Arjun haunts you whenever Meera and Arjun are tortured thereafter.

Honour Killing is a crime and unacceptable but the way the writer and director infuse it to the proceedings isn’t entirely convincing and it lacks insight. The lovers of dark, intense and gory cinema might associate but for rest there’s not much to cheer.

We appreciate originality and Navdeep Singh again after his debut Manorma Six feet Down Under (China Town) gets inspired from a British Hoodie -horror for NH10 starts off brilliantly but disappoints in the end.

Conclusion: Mixing the grittiness of Kelly Reilly starrer ‘Eden Lake’ (2008) with the junk of Khap and the spunk of women power , Anushka Sharma’s debut as producer ’NH10’ is jaw dropping but unoriginal  mess of impulsive and peculiar film-making.