Alia Bhatt makes her debut as a producer and needless to say Darlings leaves a mark with a strong revenge plot.
Quick Synopsis: Badru thinks her husband's violent behavior towards her will stop after he gives up alcohol. But when the torture goes out of hand, Badru and her mother decide to take the matter into their own hands. What follows is a series of hasty events in order to seek revenge.
Everyone has their own idea of love, Badrunissa urf Badru (Alia Bhatt) dreamt of a perfect life with her lover turned husband Hamza (Vijay Varma). So much so, that she had planned everything out. The only thing that held her back from it was none other than her husband. Darlings dig into the idea of how abuse is normalized in relationships. The plot of the movie is straightforward but with a touch of neo-noir. Taking an issue like domestic violence is not easy but Jasmeet K Reen manages to parcel it to the audience with fragile written all over it, making you laugh at the irony of it. Shamshunissa urf Shamshu, Badru's mother is a carefree woman who isn't afraid of anyone, she lives her life on her own accord but still carries a grimness to herself.
Her (Badru's mother)struggle in the first half of the movie is to get her submissive daughter to complain against her husband. Shamshu shows you the reality of life, when she is filing the report on her daughter's behalf, the police officer says 'Duniya badal gayi hai madam' (The world has changed, madam), to which she replies 'Twitter walo ke liye badli hai Saab, humare liye nahi' (The world has changed for the people on Twitter, not for the likes of us). A simple dialogue with a sad reality, how abusive relationships are prominent to this day despite the conjecture online.
Alia's character endures the abuse in silence, her future plans of buying a 'bada house' and having a baby blinding her from the toxic relationship that she is stuck in. Hamza works at the railways as a ticket collector, but somehow he is stuck in the vicious rank cycle, therefore by morning he is a slave to his boss and by night he unleashes his wrath on his wife. Throughout the abuse, you see a pattern that Hamza follows, torturing his wife and in the morning coaxing her into believing that he'll change and they'll live the life she's always dreamed of. Badru fell for it every time.
When both the mother and daughter have had enough, the duo decides to torment Hamza and subject him to the same abuse. While this is not an ideal setting, one can simply assume that a soon-to-be mother is avenging her unborn child's death. It almost becomes uncomfortable to watch how domestic violence is used as a way to trigger laughs (but I guess that's what a dark comedy is...right?).
The movie also gives us a glimpse of how men can be stuck in the same economic race but still be completely different. Zulfi (Roshan Mathew), a screenplay writer who sells electronic appliances is the ideal representation of the gentleman, that most men aren't monsters. But then we have Hamza who is nothing short of a devil. It's almost comedic to watch. Moving forward, we have the residents of the society who pretend to be harmonious, 'dukh aur sukh main saath dena' but when it comes to the violence that Badru goes through, everyone stays silent and doesn't utter a word.
In conclusion, Alia does it again but this time as a producer and as an actor. Playing the role of Badru with conviction and grasping the character's plight with utter grace and ease. Shefali Shah as Shamshunissa was a delight, a mother who knows 'duniyadaari' and carries grief inside her heart but disguises it with her charm, which ultimately makes her the perfect support to Bhatt as they try to survive in the city of Mumbai. Vijay Varma shines bright as Hamza and gets into the skin of his character. A lovely performance by Roshan Mathew as Zulfi.
Darlings will make you dig into the psyche of men who will abuse their partners and blame their addictions for their actions. How their fragile ego can get hurt and trigger something so intense that it can ruin someone's life. The movie is an apt representation of what happens when a woman has had enough of toxicity and decides to take the leash and reverse the roles. With stereotypical characters, quirky lines, and intense themes, Darlings is a definite watch.
You can watch the movie on Netflix
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