Bandar Review: Bobby Deol Is Terrifyingly Good In Kashyap's Most Disturbing Film Yet

A Simple Premise Hiding Dangerous Complexity

Bandar introduces us to Samar Mehra, a washed out singer and performer who can barely keep his life together. Bills are piling up, eviction seems imminent and things are hardly going his way. The one bright spot in his life is his girlfriend, who happens to be half his age and whom he met through a dating app.

Then, within a matter of hours, everything collapses.

Two policemen arrive at his doorstep and inform him that he has been accused and convicted of rape. He must accompany them immediately.

The rest of the film follows Samar's incarceration, the horrifying realities he encounters inside prison and the endless questions surrounding the accusation itself. Did he actually commit the crime? Did he not? What is the truth? More importantly, does truth even matter once society has already delivered its verdict?

Nobody Here Is Innocent

Bandar may sound straightforward on paper, but it is anything but simple. The film is packed with layers of commentary and subtleties, areas where Kashyap has always excelled.

Almost every character exists in shades of grey. There are very few people here who can comfortably be labelled good or bad. Everyone carries baggage, contradictions and flaws. The film consistently challenges your instinct to choose a side.

That moral ambiguity becomes the film's greatest strength because it forces the audience into uncomfortable territory. You are constantly evaluating people, only for the narrative to make you question those evaluations moments later.

The Prison Is A Character Of Its Own

The jail sequences are where Bandar truly becomes unsettling.

There will be moments when you find yourself physically flinching at what unfolds on screen. Kashyap dives headfirst into the brutality, madness and chaos of prison life with almost frightening confidence. The environment feels uncensored, unfiltered and disturbingly alive.

The inmates are presented as people who have gradually surrendered pieces of their humanity. Violence is ordinary. Fear is currency, and currency is also currency. Survival itself becomes a daily negotiation.

The Fascinating Contradiction At Its Core

One of the most intriguing ideas in Bandar revolves around the perception of rape within prison culture.

When Samar enters jail, he is advised by a policeman that he can tell fellow inmates he is imprisoned for murder under Section 302, but under no circumstances should he reveal that his case involves rape. That, apparently, would make his life infinitely worse.

There is something fascinating about this contradiction.

Within prison walls, men convicted of rape are looked down upon by people who themselves are convicted criminals. They become targets. They become vulnerable. They become social outcasts among outcasts.

Outside prison, however, society continues to grapple with the horrifying reality that such crimes occur with shocking regularity.

Bandar never offers easy answers to this contradiction. Instead, it presents it, examines it and allows the audience to wrestle with it.

Wrongful Conviction Or Convenient Ambiguity?

The film also explores the idea of wrongful conviction, but not in the way one might expect.

What is both brilliant and occasionally frustrating about Bandar is that it refuses to fully sympathise with either side. Kashyap never nudges you toward a definitive emotional conclusion. He never tells you what to think.

The climax embodies that philosophy perfectly.

It leaves room for doubt, interpretation and debate. Some viewers may admire that openness. Others may wish the film had provided greater clarity regarding what actually happened.

Yet, that uncertainty is also where the film derives much of its power. Kashyap has never been interested in linear storytelling or neat conclusions. He wants the audience to sit with discomfort, and Bandar achieves exactly that.

Bobby Deol Delivers The Performance Of His Career

If there was ever a film that validates Bobby Deol's determination to reinvent himself, Bandar is it.

For years, he has spoken about wanting filmmakers to view him as an actor rather than merely a star. Here, he provides compelling evidence that he deserves exactly that recognition.

His portrayal of Samar is deeply affecting. He captures confusion, desperation, vulnerability and quiet terror with remarkable control. The emotional journey feels authentic at every stage.

This is quite possibly the finest performance of his career.

A Terrific Ensemble Elevates Everything

Supporting him is an exceptional ensemble cast.

Sabah Azad leaves an impact as Samar's girlfriend. Sanya Malhotra is effective as his sister. Indrajith Sukumaran is terrific as Lijo, one of the prison inmates. Raj B. Shetty brings a fascinating unpredictability to the role of the Lizard Man. Jitendra Joshi is fantastic as the investigating inspector, delivering sharp comic timing in the limited scenes he gets.

Then there is Sapna Pabbi, whose performance quietly lingers long after the film ends. She evokes empathy and confusion simultaneously, making the audience question their own emotional responses.

That is precisely what Bandar excels at.

It constantly questions your moral compass in ways you never anticipate.