[Movie Review] Inkaar: The Page Three Misfire

Cast: Arjun Rampal, Chitrangada Goswami
Director: Sudhir Mishra
Music: Shantanu Moitra

For all I know, Don Draper, the prominent ad-men from the critically acclaimed series, Mad Men, would go suicidal after having a glimpse at the character arc of the leading ad-makers in Inkaar. You may ask if this corporate thriller of an advertising agency fired only blanks; Well, no, absolutely not! It is an unflinching approach to a bold issue of harassment which was bogged down only by a hogwash climax.

The entire suspense and the boiling plot-points of Inkaar leads to a painstaking washroom conversation amidst flickering lights which gives an opportunity to every cine-buff to make a self-note of ‘How to ruin your movie with a rubbish finale??’

Inkaar at its core is a complex character study of two personalities employed in the same advertising agency. From the ‘Full Metal Jacket’ posters in the cubicles to the boardroom meetings and the creative ad-campaigns, Inkaar stands tall in its narrative style and setting the environment to deliver its goods.

Maaya Luthra (Chitrangada Singh), National Creative Designer of the ad-agency KK & Doyle accuses the CEO of the company, Rahul Verma (Arjun Rampal) of sexual harassment. This leads to a two-day hearing of both sides of the coin which are interjected with flashbacks of the time the two shared a cozy relationship back at the Goafest they attended together seven years earlier. Mind you! Seven years earlier. The truth about the incident which is then revealed in the derivative climax ultimately packs the essence of Inkaar.


Inkaar boasts of a tremendous editing by its crew that makes the two day ordeal something that grips you till the end. Sadly, Chitrangada Singh comes over as a plain assertive in her acting skills and falls on her foot in some of the sequences that needed her to convince the board members. On the other hand, the fierce and self-assured Arjun Rampal gave a polished performance as a corporate head. Watch him out when he discards an ad-campaign so furiously that self-reliance drips out of his eloquent stance.

Definitely, Inkaar is not everybody’s cup of tea. It caters to an audience interested in solemn, dialogue-driven thrillers. It is poignant, relevant and well, a bit lost in the end. It is like watching images from a page three magazine that has somehow misfired in its transition to the big screen.

(first published in www.udaipurtimes.com)