Blackout REVIEW: Vikrant Massey’s suffering will make you laugh despite not having a strong script

Film:
Blackout

Director: Devang Bhavsar

Cast: Vikrant Massey, Mouni Roy, Sunil Grover, Jisshu Sengupta, Karan Sudhakar Sonawane, Saurabh Dilip Ghadge, Ruhani Sharma, Anantvijay Joshi, Prasad Oak, Chhaya Raghunath Kadam, Sooraj Pops, Kelly Dorji.

Runtime: 116 minutes (1 hour 56 minutes)

Platform: Jio Cinema

Blackout Review

Written and directed by Devang Bhavsar, Blackout is a senseless comedy that will have you laughing your hearts out from pretty much the start of the film right until the climax approaches. The film takes place during a night in Pune when the entire city is engulfed in darkness to ensure a heist takes place smoothly. It mainly focuses on crime reporter Lenny D’Souza (Vikrant Massey) and the troubles he endured during that one night. The film also stars Sunil Grover as Bewdya, Mouni Roy as Shruti, Karan Sudhakar Sonawane as Thik and Saurabh Dilip Ghadge as Thak. It also sees several more characters join the circus that makes Lenny’s safar (journey) one that is filled with tones of suffering and laughter for viewers.

Is the film worth a watch? If you want the answer to this question, read our honest Blackout review below.

What Works

The biggest things that work for Blackout are its actors – specifically Vikrant Massey and Sunil Grover. The duo deliver performances that will have you hooked from the get-go. Aside from these diamonds, the film’s dialogues, coupled with Lenny’s misfortune and Thik (Karan Sudhakar Sonawane) and Thak’s (Saurabh Dilip Ghadge) stupidity, are also immensely enjoyable.

What Doesn’t Work

The script needed a tad bit more work to iron out the wrinkles. Devang Bhavsar and his team could have delivered a better product by paying a little more attention to details.

Technical Analysis

Directions

Devang Bhavsar has done a commendable job bringing the story of Lenny – a man whose life changes forever after a fateful night during a citywide blackout, to life. He beautifully captures the humour, pain, stupidity and despair of each character. The director has utilised each of his actors the best he could given the meat each character has. Devang – who has also co-written the film, captures the attention of the viewers with some unexpected twists.

Story, Screenplay & Dialogues

The film, co-written by Devang Bhavsar, Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal, is a senseless comedy that is enjoyable thanks to its dialogues. The trio attempted to deliver an amazing OTT film and they successfully did so. A little attention to cleaning up some storylines would have made the film better. From using the ‘Sonam Gupta bewafa hai’ joke to incorporating ‘Accha chalta hoon duaaon mein yaad rakhna’ in a scene, the team has made sure to keep you laughing throughout.

Music

The music of Blackout has been composed by Vishal Mishra and it will get you grooving every time a song plays during the course of the film. The film’s first song, Chor, is played during the opening credits and the tracks only get better as the film progresses. Not only the music, but Blackout’s background score – by John Stewart Eduri, is also impressive. You are sure to sway to the song whenever you hear it and hum it for a while after the film ends.

Not only this, but the use of old songs during various instances is awesome. Kudos to Devang and the makers for using tracks like Baadshah O Baadshah and Chaiyya Chaiyya without ruining it.

Blackout Star Performances

The star performers of Blackout – without a doubt, are Vikrant Massey and Sunil Grover. Vikrant as the film’s main protagonist captivates the audience’s attention from the moment he makes an appearance on screen. From his happiness to his despair and frustration as his life flips after his car collides with a truck filled with gold, money, jewellery and guns, Vikrant successfully conveys to the audience exactly what his character feels – and it’s 100% believable.

Sunil Grover is talented and can portray a variety of characters (not just comedy) beautifully and that’s exactly what we see in Blackout. You are so convinced in the first half that he is a good-for-nothing drunkard that you will be in for a shock during the later half. Not only is his truthful but funny shayari (poetry) beautiful but his tragic backstory will make you sympathise with him. He has mastered the art of timing and it’s clearly visible when he switches from comedy to action in a blink of an eye.

Karan Sudhakar Sonawane and Saurabh Dilip Ghadge as social media-obsessed siblings Thik and Thak, respectively, entertain us with their performance. Their camaraderie is incredible and makes the film even more funny. It’s impressive to see influencers – Karan and Saurabh are known for their funny Instagram reels, be given a meaty role and not something unexciting. Their dialogue delivery is on point and their poking fun at influencers is funnier.

Mouni Roy is nothing more than a side character put in for a little glam who overacts a bit more than the script demands. She has limited screen time – if you are a Mouni fan, you will be happy it wasn’t longer. Jisshu Sengupta, Ruhani Sharma, Prasad Oak, and Chhaya Raghunath Kadam deliver commendable performances, even thought their roles are smaller.

Conclusion

If you are a fun of watching senseless comedies, Blackout is for you. Bonus, you don’t need to go out to a theatre to watch this entertainer. The Vikrant Massay-Sunil Grover starrer is available on Jio Cinemas and can be viewed whenever and wherever you wish. Hope our Blackout review helps you in deciding if you want to watch it or no.

Check out the trailer of Blackout here:

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