Critics Pan Taapsee Pannu Starrer Gandhari for Poor Plot and Execution

The Netflix film Gandhari, starring Taapsee Pannu and directed by Devashish Makhija, has received negative reviews for its unoriginal plot and lack of impact. Set in the fictional town of Joypurra in Bengal, the story follows Bani, played by Pannu, and her husband Gokul, played by Ishwak Singh, after their daughter is abducted by a child sex trafficking ring. The plot involves Bani suffering temporary vision loss while attempting to rescue her child, while a police officer named Kabir, played by Jatin Sarna, attempts to dismantle the trafficking gang led by a villain named Dada, played by Prashant Narayanan.

Critics highlighted several flaws in the production. Both reports describe the plotting as contrived and the characters as lacking depth. The supporting cast includes Mita Vasisht, Swastika Mukherjee, Chhaya Kadam, and Chandan Roy. Reviewers noted that the film relies on loud background music and simplistic tropes to create tension. The narrative focuses on the theme of a mother's strength and the idea that evil hides in plain sight, though critics found these elements to be poorly executed.

While both sources agree on the film's failure, they emphasize different weaknesses. A center leaning perspective focuses on the lack of originality and the unbelievable nature of the characters. A left leaning perspective emphasizes the film's failure to properly handle the gravity of child sex trafficking and criticizes the illogical behavior of the law enforcement characters.