Gurgaon (film)

Gurgaon is a 2016 Indian Neo noir thriller film directed by Shanker Raman produced by award-winning JAR Pictures studios.[1][2] The film stars Akshay Oberoi, Ragini Khanna and Pankaj Tripathi and is set in the metropolis of Gurgaon, Haryana.[5][6]

Gurgaon
Theatrical release poster
Directed byShanker Raman
Produced byAlan McAlex[1]
Ajay G. Rai[2]
Written byVipin Bhati
Shanker Raman
Sourabh Ratnu
Starring
Music byNaren Chandavarkar
Benedict Taylor
CinematographyVivek Shah
Edited byShan Mohammed
Production
company
Release date
  • 9 December 2016 (2016-12-09) (IFFA Macao)
  • 4 August 2017 (2017-08-04)
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Haryanvi[3]
Box office₹ 67 million[4]
(Weekend gross)

The film premiered at the 2016 International Film Festival & Awards in Macao and was later released on 4 August 2017 worldwide.[7][8] It was reviewed positively by critics.[9][1]

Plot

Nikki Singh (Akshay Oberoi) is a boxer and the wayward son of real estate tycoon Kehri Singh (Pankaj Tripathi), who is often sidelined in favour of his sister Preet (Ragini Khanna) whom Kehri considers his lucky charm. Kehri shrewdly runs Preet Real Estate business successfully in his daughter's name. Preet has just returned from France after completing her course in Architecture & convinces her father to create a park instead of a multi-billion real estate project on a land closer to a forest.

One fine day Nikki places a large bet & loses it. On their way to a concert out of frustration of losing, they kidnap Murthy a guitarist who was about to perform. The dealer gives him 3 days to pay him 10 million that Nikki owes to him. Nikki hatches a plan to kidnap his sister Preet to repay his debt. With the help of his friend Rajvir, they hire a small-time crook Jonty to get Preet to a safe house, which turns out not to be empty as they had expected. They have to change their plans & Jonty demands more money for this botch up. One their way to his Rajvir's home, they are held up by at a toll booth. There Jonty gets enraged at a person who has held up the counter unnecessarily. Jonty tries to interfere when suddenly the driver takes out his gun & shoot the toll booth operator. The bullet grazes Jonty's ears & he lies there shell-shocked as Rajveer abandons him. Nikki's mother gets a ransom call from Rajveer who demands 30 million. Later Jonty calls from Preet's phone, which is answered by her father. He demands a ransom of half a million. Kehri is confused & they finally call his estranged brother Bhoopi to track his daughter.

Next, we are shown a flashback where decades ago Kehri & Bhoopi are about to bury his newborn girl child (unwanted in regressive families, who think that a girl would bring the burden of dowry whereas a boy would be an heir and take care of them in their old age). As they are about the bury her, the baby cries and Bhoopi resists burying her, but Kehri none the less buries her. Later a sage tells him that his fortunes would turn only if they have a girl child. As Kehri has already buried his daughter, the sage advises them to adopt one. Kehri adopts Preet. The moment he does that, his fortunes turn & he is given a good offer by a builder for his land.

Kehri's elder brother refuses to part his land so Kehri kills his elder brother. Further Kehri becomes a real estate baron & hence considers Preet his lucky charm. Back to the present, the partner of Kehri is bitter about Kehri's change of mind regarding the multi-billion real-estate project now planned to be a park on request of Preet. He knows about the betting & kidnapping mess that Nikki is into. He offers him a bailout from it if Nikki agrees to replace his father.

Bhoopi is able to track Jonty & through him the hideout of Nikki where Preet is kidnapped. Before anyone can arrive, Preet has already escaped with Murthy. There is a confrontation between Bhupi & Nikki, where Nikki kills Bhupi & injures his father. Next Nikki gets a call from Preet who is along with Murthy asks for a ride home. On their way back there is a scuffle between Nikki & Preet, which results in a car accident. Nikki, Rajveer & Chintu get out of the car, while they allow the car to slip into the lake which results in the drowning of Preet with Murthy.

Later Nikki takes the control of his father's business & attends the foundation stone ceremony for the multi-billion project on the land which was earlier earmarked for the park by Kehri on Preet's request. Meanwhile, Kehri is resigned to the wheelchair & Nikki's mother is shell-shocked. As Nikki is trying to console her, the next thing we see is Nikki shot dead by his mother.

Cast
  • Akshay Oberoi as Nikki Singh, the troublesome son of the rich real estate tycoon Kehri Singh.[5][3]
  • Pankaj Tripathi as Kehri Singh, the cold blooded father of Nikki and Preet and a real estate tycoon.
  • Ragini Khanna as Preet Singh, the daughter of Kehri on whose name their real estate business runs.[10]
  • Shalini Vatsa as Karma Devi, the mother of Nikki and Preet
  • Aamir Bashir as Bhupi
  • Srinivas Sunderrajan as Anand Murthy
  • Anna Ador as Sophie
  • Ashish Verma as Chintu, brother of Nikki Singh
  • Arjun Fauzdar as Rajvir
  • Suryansh kapoor as young nikki

Production

The film is directional debut by National Film Award Winning cinematographer Shanker Raman[1] and is produced by Ajay G. Rai and Alan McAlex of award-winning JAR Pictures studios who have previously produced critically acclaimed films Nil Battey Sannata, Gangs of Wasseypur, Liar's Dice among others.[2] The film before its release was screened at Film Bazaar in Panaji, Goa in 2015. The film was shot on location in Gurgaon and Akshay Oberoi and other actors had to learn Haryanvi language for the film.[3] The poster of the film was unveiled by Anurag Kashyap in July 2017.[1]

Release

Gurgaon was released throughout India in limited number of screens and grossed ₹67 million in its first three days.[4]

Critical reception

The film has received positive reception from critics who praised the dark, gritty, fast moving story-line and the performances of the lead actors.[9][11]

Awards

The film won Prasad DI Award at the National Film Development Corporation's Film Bazaar in 2015.[12]

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References
  1. "Anurag Kashyap releases poster of upcoming noir thriller Gurgaon, film to release on 4 August". Panaji: Firstpost. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  2. Jhunjhunwala, Udita (24 November 2014). "Jar Pictures to produce Gurgaon, Rangzen". Screen Daily. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  3. "Akshay Oberoi learns Haryanvi for 'Gurgaon'". Screen Daily. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  4. "Dunkirk, Gurgaon box office collection: Nolan's film still going strong". Firstpost. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  5. "Akshay Oberoi learns boxing for 'Gurgaon'". Mid Day. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. Joshi, Namrata (15 July 2017). "Gurgaon, releasing next month is the latest in a string of films rooted in the Haryanvi milieu". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  7. "Gurgaon – iffamacao.com". Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  8. https://www.filmcompanion.in/interview-with-the-team-of-gurgaon-the-film/
  9. Menon, Pradeep (7 August 2017). "Jab Harry Met Sejal, Gurgaon: Why you should pick Shankar Ramen's thriller over Imtiaz Ali's latest". Firstpost. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  10. Jhunjhunwala, Udita (20 February 2015). "Television actress Ragini Khanna's next is Gurgaon". The Indian Express. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  11. Arjun Singh, Jai (6 August 2017). "The menacing quietness of Gurgaon". DailyO. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  12. "'Gurgaon', 'Machines' win at Film Bazaar". The Indian Express. Panaji. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
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