And just like the Spanish version, Ghosh and writer Raj Vasant don’t dilute the Bollywood version with song-and-dance and skip the INTERVAL altogether.

At 125 minutes, ‘Badla’ is a thrilling watch. But, Ghosh can’t take any credit for it.

A man sits silently, locked in the darkness of a car as the world outside blares and glitters under the glow of the night sky and fairy lights. It’s a defining moment. One where the man is determined to fight the social dictums to swap his unglamorous life for a more celebrated one.  There are no words spoken. Yet, a lot is said.
Therein lies the beauty of director Zoya Akhtar’s work.

Director Aditya Dhar manages to launch a striking attack in his debut. Armed with the sturdy Vicky Kaushal, he unveils gun battles, one after another. And you can’t help but marvel at the precision with which the sound design and lights enhance the warfare.  No drama. No dialogues. Just the bullets peppering our screens and our emotions.

At 161 minutes of screen time, Hirani manages to give Sanju a massive ‘jaddoo ki jappi’, like no other, and one that will surely win over many hearts. But, does that validate the misgivings of a fallen star? I don’t think so.