The Girl on the Train (2021)
Introduction
It is raining remakes this weekend and the bollywood biggie is here! Earlier today, I had just finished watching and reviewing Red which was an official remake of Thadam. And now I have just finished watching the official remake of The Girl On The Train on Netflix. I must admit the trailer did look raw and promising but a part of me said, well this is a remake and remakes and Bollywood aren’t really a combination that would evoke a sense of confidence to be honest. But like always I decided to give this new Hindi flick a shot. Did I like it? Did I not? Stay tuned to find out.
Story & Screenplay
The Girl On The Train is a whodunnit about the main protagonist watching a girl from the train, till suddenly the girl goes missing one day. What is the mystery? Now if you have watched the original you will know exactly how the story unfolds and the “mystery” at the end. But you will be left plesantly surprised at the end. Let me leave it there. The screenplay is decently gripping as you are slowly introduced to the characters and the world around. There are a few mindless songs that are obstacles in this mystery thriller. But the grip is decently maintained throughout. But please note that this is a slow burn. This is in no way a fast paced thriller, instead the writers let this plot simmer for quite some time. But there is reward at the end. While the cards are slowly revealed in the second hour, I for one felt the “mystery” was revealed far too early as compared to the original. But the final twist saves the day! It was a pleasant surprise to see an effort being made to not just copy paste the original and instead add its own element. And so credit must be given where due! There are a few loopholes but i’ll let that pass. The final twist is good but it won’t shock you, so keep your hopes low. I for one feel I would have enjoyed it more had I not watched the original.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are pretty good, nothing too dramatic. The music was good and underrated though the songs stem the flow of the drama. The BGM was alright, a little too loud in certain places. Director Ribhu Dasgupta has done a pretty good job. The mild tension is maintained throughout and credit must be given for that twist in the tale at the end.
Performances
Tota Roy Choudhary and Shauman Ahmed shine in their respective roles. So do Natasha Benton and Nisha Aaliya. Aditi Rao Hydari as Nusrat looks so pretty and has done a good job in an extended cameo. Avinash Tiwary as Shekhar is wonderfully restrained here, he could so easily have been over the top but he is not. I feel this man has a bright future ahead of him. Kirti Kulhari who plays the investigative cop has done a fine job yet again. Her attention to smaller details is what makes her a fine actress. Parineeti Chopra as Mira has delivered a pretty good performance. I would not like to compare her performance with Emily Blunt but lets just say Parineeti is a good actor that has found some of her form back. She definitely makes her presence felt, looking forward to many more.
Conclusion
The Girl On The Train is one of those few remakes in recent times where the Hindi Film Industry manages to score. This is what we want more, some originality if you are making remakes(will opt for an original story anyday though). Available on Netflix.
