A tonal mess that neither its folk roots nor Taapsee can save.
Verdict tier Unfavorable, most critics didn't like it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
No user ratings yet.
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Gandhari has been largely negative, with most reviewers finding the film tonally inconsistent and narratively incoherent. Critics repeatedly cited the film's failure to reconcile its competing genre ambitions — folk mystery, socio-political drama, and commercial thriller — resulting in a product that satisfies none of them. Taapsee Pannu's performance drew isolated praise, with one critic noting a fierce and emotional quality to her portrayal, though even admirers of her work found the surrounding film lacking. Common criticisms include illogical plot twists, a superficial script, poor pacing, and an inability to deliver the emotional or narrative weight its subject matter demands.
2 not-rated reviews aren't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 9 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Gandhari is neither impactful nor believable. The film about a child sex trafficking ring run by devilish characters, upended by the mother as ultimate saviour, suffers from unoriginality and fails to deliver the emotional or narrative weight such serious subject matter demands.
Film review ·
If you like fast-paced murder, kidnapping mysteries and thrillers... I have never seen such a fierce side of Taapsee Pannu, she makes you emotional and also makes you cry.
Film review
Taapsee Pannu's rescue thriller unfolds like a 90s-style drama in search of a contemporary voice.
Film review
Gandhari is like a layer cake put together badly. There are layers upon layers... but the layers don't hold. The ingredients don't complement one another so much as jostle for attention. The result is neither particularly satisfying thriller nor convincing folk mystery, neither grounded crime drama nor fully realised mythological action film.
Film review
Gandhari takes a slightly different route, giving the familiar cat-and-mouse chase a twist. But does this mother's fight actually tug at the heartstrings? The thriller has the action but not enough emotion to truly land.
Film review ·
All of Gandhari's attempts to shroud itself in mystery are laughable. Despite a promising premise, the movie quickly devolves into manufactured thrills and illogical plot twists, sacrificing narrative sense for contrived revelations.
Film review
Gandhari is a shrill, blurry, barely coherent movie that's a strong contender for the year's worst Hindi film. The pacing is on its own trip entirely, racing to establish a barrage of details, rushing past characters, stopping for a scene or two before diving headfirst into the next messy montage.
Film review ·
Gandhari attempts to subvert the typical Bollywood revenge trope, but it ends up more intellectually burdened than artistically elevated. The film tries to bring together director Devashish Makhija's realistic, socio-political minimalism and Kanika's commercial feminist template. However, as it turns out, it is bereft of tonal identity. Ultimately, Gandhari is consumed by its own contradictions.
Film review
Gandhari is a film that not only tests your patience but also exposes the extent to which a narrative can solely operate on smoke and mirrors. The script mostly tends to be superficial, with the buildup to the seemingly big twist tending to feel like much ado about nothing.
Credits
Taapsee PannuBani
Ishwak SinghGokul
Mita Vashisht
Swastika Mukherjee
Chhaya Kadam
Jatin Sarna
Prashant Narayanan
Chandan RoyHindi films like Gandhari
Baby
2015
Naam Shabana
2017
Ajji
2017
KILL
2024
Jawan
2023
Pathaan
2023
Assi
2026
Dabangg
2010
Fan
2016
D-Day
2013
This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
