Andhadhun, released in 2018, really turned the audience over with its deception tactics. Sriram Raghavan directed the movie, with the leading cast consisting of Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, and Radhika Apte, among others. Blindness was the main thematic element that connected the storyline, as the main character was a blind pianist who, by coincidence or not, found himself a witness and involved in a murder case, and that is how the plot unfolded. The audience was being pulled into a maze of untruths, secrets, and ethical dilemmas with every note the pianist played.
Ayushmann Khurrana’s Dedication to the Role
Ayushmann Khurrana prepared for his role in Andhadhun by going through the hardest road possible- no tricks from the cinema. He underwent three months of training to play the piano- no body doubles, no fake finger movements, and so on. The tunes that could be heard in the movie were played by him, which not only gave a realistic beat to the tension but also made the audience feel that it was not just acting but living the character. His performance got him the National Film Award for Best Actor, which is very well deserved.
The Global Inspiration Behind the Chaos
Andhadhun drew its inspiration from Shoot the Piano Player (1960) and The Piano Tuner (2010), both French movies; however, Sriram Raghavan took that flicker and transformed it into something completely new. He characterised it as ‘murder melody’- a place where dark comedy, thrill, mystery, and suspense co-existed. The plot didn’t revolve around who murdered whom, but rather how the viewer’s perception could be the trickiest illusion.
Tabu’s Improvised Brilliance
The complexity of Simi’s character was represented with great skill by Tabu and her one of her most unforgettable performances. It was the kitchen scene, for example, that was based on improvisation, amongst others. According to Raghavan, all that was required from her was, “Make it look like guilt and curiosity fighting,” and, Tabu rode with it and created a moment of cinematic genius. Her surprise factor was what gave Andhadhun a haunting realism – she was not merely a villain; she was chaos incarnate.
The Ending That Still Sparks Debates
Andhadhun ended the way that it did and thereby left the audience divided and intrigued at the same time. Was he blind? Was that all a pretence? Even seven years down the road, the argument still goes on — and this is proof that the movie did the trick for the great thrillers: the audience was constantly made to question everything they were shown.
A Symphony of Suspense
One of the reasons why Andhadhun was one of a kind was that it mastered the art of employing silence as a weapon. It did not rely on jump scares and had no bad sound effects – just smarts in writing, acting that was on point, and a director who knew that often the most horrifying things take place in the silence.
