Taapsee Pannu in a thriller? That’s all it takes to pique my interest. But Taapsee Pannu producing that same thriller is what I consider unmissable. And there are no surprises here, but she delivers. A remake of the 2010 Spanish film, Julia’s Eyes, from the screenplay to the supporting actors, everything in Blurr is on point.
Blurr is a dark psychological thriller with murders, some gore, and a woman trying to navigate it all as she progressively loses her eyesight. The movie is set in the hills of Uttarakhand, where Taapsee plays a double role as twin sisters.
When Gautami, who is visually impaired, dies, her sibling (Gayatri) rushes from Delhi to her sister’s home to unravel the mystery behind her death. Gayatri is convinced that her sister’s death is not suicide, even it appears to be. She gets involved in a cat and mouse chase to find the killer. Gayatri’s husband, played by Gulshan Devaiah, also accompanies her.
While uncovering the mystery behind her sister’s death and searching for missing puzzle pieces, Gayatri also begins to lose her vision. Tapsee’s acting is bang on. And the screenplay and writing does not disappoint either. It keeps you interested to the very end, but wraps things up a little awkwardly. The climax of the film is intense, but the movie still ends on an unfinished note. However, because the rest of the film is so good, you’re willing to let this one slide.
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Taapsee carves her space in the genre
Even though her previous film, Game Over (2019), was not written as well, Taapsee kept you hooked. But in this production, she enthralls. A married anthropologist who has a twin sister who becomes visually impaired, her emotive acting undoubtedly communicates that this actor has found her space in the genre. Her characterisation of Gayatri is a job well done, but one does hope they could see more of Gautami as well. More could have been done to explore the dynamics between the twin sisters.
Thrillers and psychological dramas are now Taapsee’s niche, and she’s successfully made it clear that she is far better than the likes of Judwaa 2 (2017). With movies like Badla (2019), Dobaaraa (2022), and Haseen Dillruba (2021), she has crushed it year after year. But this one really tops it.
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A big win for Bollywood
Taapsee’s acting is not the only thing that shines. This film is a huge win for Bollywood too and should have gotten a theatrical release. Blurr’s muted lighting and direction propels it forward. There are scenes where Gayatri begins to lose her sight, and many of the actors during that time frame never reveal their faces. You can only see their backs or partially their side-profiles. This adds another great element to the film’s screenplay and makes it all the more daunting.
Rain, hills, dingy rooms — these markers of thriller movies are in this film too, but don’t seem exaggerated. It’s like Bollywood is finally learning how to produce fantastic thrillers with solo female leads. With many twists and turns, the film takes you on quite a ride. But here are moments where it loses you too. For a good 20 minutes somewhere near the halfway mark of the film, things don’t seem to be going anywhere, and it’s pretty obvious who the killer is. But even after that lull and the giveaway, the film reels you back in and draws you to a solid climax.
Odd neighbours, spooky hotel staff, other blind women at a wellness centre — all the supporting actors are also well written and do a fine job of making things more eerie. All in all, it seems like Outsider Films is here to stay and bring in fresh, new narratives.
(Edited by Tarannum Khan)