NH10 – Review

Starring: Anushka Sharma, Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumaar, Deepti Naval

Producer: Krishika Lulla, Anushka Sharma, Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Behl

Director: Navdeep Singh

Rating: India – ‘A’

First things first – Eden Lake, on which NH10 is loosely based, was a film I reluctantly saw in the cinema with a couple of friends. And I hated it. Not because it was a badly made film – but because it was a terrifying film, and not the sort I wanted to see. NH10 thankfully isn’t as bad as Eden Lake, but by Hindi cinema standards, it is pretty creepy.

The premise is relatively simple – yuppie couple Meera (Anushka Sharma) and Arjun (Neil Bhoopalam) go for a weekend away, driving down the NH10 through the villages of Haryana. Stopping at a dhaba, they see a couple being beaten up by a group of people. The leader of the gang (Darshan Kumaar) hits Arjun to keep him out of the way. Arjun’s ego gets hurt, and he decides to go after them with a gun – but the tables get turned on Arjun and Meera when they witness an honour killing, and after an accidental death, things get increasingly horrifying.

NH10 is what I would like to call a remake in the true sense of the word – it takes the main plot of Eden Lake, and a couple of plot twists, but then sets it in a completely different atmosphere – and this works for the film, giving it a very believable setting. The film is creepy from the start, and when introduced to Darshan Kumaar and is gang, it grabs hold of your nerves and doesn’t let go till the end. NH10 rightfully earns it’s Adult certificate, with a lot of brutal violence. Director Navdeep Singh keeps a good control on the proceedings though, never making the violence seem gratutious.

The performanes in the film are top notch. Anushka Sharma takes centre stage, and earns plaudits for both her acting, and for producing the film. Meera is physically and mentally battered throughout the film, and Sharma gets the character pitch perfect. She is ably supported by Neil Bhoopalam, who despite having a half baked character (his decision to go after the gang isn’t particularly convincing), makes Arjun someone you root for. Darshan Kumaar is suitably evil – this is not a guy you want to come across. Deepti Naval steals the show in a cameo, where she plays against type.

NH10 is a film that is definitely worth a watch – just watch it during the day, you won’t really want to drive home at night after this one.