Apurva
Official release poster
Directed byNikhil Nagesh Bhat
Written byNikhil Nagesh Bhat
Produced byMurad Khetani
StarringTara Sutaria
CinematographyAnshuman Mahaley
Edited byShivkumar V. Panicker
Music bySongs:
Vishal Mishra
Score:
Ketan Sodha
Production
companies
Distributed byDisney+ Hotstar
Release date
  • 15 November 2023 (2023-11-15)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Apurva is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language survival thriller film written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Murad Khetani. It stars Tara Sutaria in the eponymous role alongside Rajpal Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee and Dhairya Karwa.[1][2] Set in Chambal, the plot follows the story of an ordinary woman who faces extraordinary circumstances and will do anything to survive.[3] The film was released on Disney+ Hotstar on 15 November 2023 to mixed reviews from critics.[4][5]

Plot

A car on the road is blocked and the people inside are shot by a gang of four people consisting of Jugnu, Sukha, Balli and Chota. They loot the jewellery as per the tip they received and agree to next loot on a truck. Apurva Kashyap is travelling in a bus to surprise her fiancé Siddharth "Sid". The bus driver does not give way to Jungu which irks him and they forcefully overtake the bus and kill the driver and conductor. Sid calls Apurva and Sukha attends the calls, challenges Sid and kidnaps Apurva. It is revealed that Apurva and Sid met via an arranged marriage and fell in love.

The gang stop at an abandoned village in an empty train carriage where Chota threatens to rape Apurva to which she retaliates by pushing him away leading Chota to become angry and slap her across the face, rendering Apurva unconscious. Astrologer, Tara Chand, comes to the location and the gang tie him in the same carriage. Whilst the gang decides who will have sex with Apurva first, she regains consciousness and, along with Tara, they escape into the deserted village.

They bump into Chota and Apurva kills him using a bucket. After discovering Chota's body, the remaining gang members theorise that it must have been Tara who killed Chota and agree to kill him. Apurva finds a well in the middle of the abandoned village whilst trying to run from the gang. Meanwhile, the gang discover Tara's hiding spot and kill him. Apurva takes Tara's phone and calls Sid but Sid ignores it as he met Tara in the past in a bus.

When Sid finally answers the calls, he realises it is Apurva who tells him Chota and Sukha's names. The police ask Sid to wait until the morning as they cannot go against the gang during the night. Apurva is found by Bali and, before killing her, he ask her to strip. Simply acting as if she is striping, Apurva stabs Bali with a knife she had previously hidden in the rocks. Sukha and Jugnu find Balli but Sukha refuses to take Balli to a hospital as he is fixated on Apurva.

Apurva formulates a plan that leads to Jugnu falling into the well whilst they chase her. Jugnu is subsequently killed by Apurva who throws stones at him. Apurva finds the wounded Bali and kills him and attempts to run over Sukha. The car is destroyed, forcing Apurva to walk whilst Sukha follows her to the railway tracks. Noticing an oncoming train, Apurva attempts to push Sukha in front of it, only to be overpowered by him. Apurva garners enough strength to shove Sukha off of her and push them to opposite sides of the train. An injured Sukha expresses his love for Apurva and his desire to marry her. Apurva kills Sukha.

Apurva reaches a railway crossing cabin and calls Sid.

Cast

  • Tara Sutaria as Apurva Kashyap
  • Dhairya Karwa as Siddharth "Sid", Apurva's fiancé
  • Abhishek Banerjee as Sukha
  • Rajpal Yadav as Jugnu
  • Sumit Gulati as Balli
  • Aaditya Gupta as Chhota
  • Rakesh Chaturvedi Om as Astrologer Tara Chand
  • Navni Parihar as Apurva's Mother
  • Rajesh Jais as Apurva's Father
  • Geeta Modi as Siddharth's Mother
  • Vinod Sharma as Siddharth's Father
  • Gagan Bhasin as Sub-inspector
  • Aashish Dubey as Rajiv
  • Madhvendra Jha as Insp. Manohar

Production

The title role was originally offered to Kiara Advani, but she rejected it with her team stating it was, ''a major risk in her career at this point''.[6]

Principal photography commenced in October 2022.[7][8] Production wrapped in December 2022.[9][10]

Music

Apurva
Soundtrack album by
Vishal Mishra
Released20 November 2023
Recorded2022
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length10:03
LanguageHindi
LabelZee Music Company
Official audio
Apurva - Full Album on YouTube

The music of the film is composed by Vishal Mishra while lyrics written by Vishal Mishra and Kaushal Kishore.

The first single titled Diwali was released on 31 October 2023.[11] The second single Hai Khuda was released on 9 November 2023.[12] The third single titled Tujhse Pyaar Hai was released on 15 November 2023.[13]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Diwali"Vishal Mishra, Kaushal KishoreVishal Mishra3:20
2."Hai Khuda"Vishal Mishra, Kaushal KishoreVishal Mishra3:40
4."Tujhse Pyaar Hai"Vishal MishraVishal Mishra3:03
Total length:10:03

Release

The film was released on the streaming platform, Disney+ Hotstar on 15 November 2023.[14]

Reception

Critical response

Apurva received mixed reviews from critics with praise towards the performances of the cast (particularly Sutaria) with criticism towards the plot of the film.[15] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 20% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10.[16]

Dhaval Roy of Times of India rated the film 3.5/5 and wrote, "If your are looking for a movie that thrills, shocks and makes you hold your breath, this one's definitely for you as it ticks these boxes. Watch out for the ultimate face off between Apurva and one of the antagonists!"[17] Alaka Sahani of The Indian Express wrote, "Had the makers of Apurva not harboured the ambition of being gritty and realistic, this probably would have come close to being a ‘slasher’ movie".[18] A critic from Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3/5 stars and wrote "Apurva is a well-made gripping thriller."[19]

Prannay Pathak of The Hindustan Times wrote, "Despite the unappetising lingering over the lead character’s body and the gratuitous violence punctuating the goings-on, Apurva never scares you or makes your skin crawl".[20] Despite disliking the film, Deepa Gahlot of Rediff opined, "If at all the film does anything, it is to offer Tara Sutaria a role that allows her to act, rather than just dress up and play pretty love interest to the leading man".[21]

In a scathing review for Film Companion, Rahul Desai reviewed, "Apurva is predictable, tasteless and frighteningly dull, ticking genre boxes because they're cool and not because there's a story to be told".[22] Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal had a similar take stating, "Nagesh, although creates a world that is close to reality sans newness. Anushka Sharma’s NH10, and Imtiaz Ali’s Highway had similar tone, vibe, and atmosphere, a way better screenplay for that matter, Apurva looks stale in every aspect".[23]

Viewership

Apurva garnered 4,800,000 views in its initial week of debut on Disney+ Hotstar, securing the fourth position among the most-watched Indian content across all streaming platforms during the same week.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Tara Sutaria to headline edge-of-the-seat thriller Apurva". Bollywood Hungama. 16 July 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Apurva: Gehraiyaan actor Dhairya Karwa to star opposite Tara Sutaria in Star Studios and Cine1 Studios' edge-of-the-seat thriller". Bollywood Hungama. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Tara Sutaria admits that shouldering a film is a 'huge responsibility', says she is lucky for her 1st solo project 'Apurva'". The Economic Times. 27 October 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "Tara Sutaria's 'Apurva' to stream on Disney+ Hotstar from November 15; first-look posters out". The Hindu. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "Today's ENT Wrap: Tara Sutaria's Apurva Gets Mixed Reviews, Salman Khan's Tiger 3 Grosses Rs 240 Crore Worldwide And More". Zoom TV. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Kiara Advani rejects Kabir Singh producers woman centric film titled Apurva : Bollywood News". Bollywood Hungama. 25 March 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Tara Sutaria begins shooting for Apurva; calls it 'a tale of the true strength'". Bollywood Hungama. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Tara Sutaria-starrer Apurva starts filming". The Indian Express. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "It's a wrap! Tara Sutaria-Dhairya Karwa starrer Apurva concludes the shoot". Bollywood Hungama. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "It's a wrap for Tara Sutaria's 'Apurva'". The New Indian Express. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "'Diwali': First track of Tara Sutaria and Dhairya Karwa's 'Apurva' is out now". The Times of India. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  12. ↑ "Apurva | Song - Hai Khuda | Hindi Video Songs - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  13. ↑ Hungama, Bollywood (15 November 2023). "Apurva Movie Music | Apurva Movie Songs | Download Latest Bollywood Songs Music - Bollywood Hungama". Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  14. ↑ "Tara Sutaria starrer Apurva to directly release on Disney+ Hotstar on November 15; see the first intriguing posters". Bollywood Hungama. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  15. ↑ "Today's ENT Wrap: Tara Sutaria's Apurva Gets Mixed Reviews, Salman Khan's Tiger 3 Grosses Rs 240 Crore Worldwide And More". Zoom TV. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Apurva - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Apurva Review : A hostage drama that thrills, shocks, and impresses with its treatment". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Apurva movie review: Tara Sutaria headlines a predictable tale of brutality and bravery". The Indian Express. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "Apurva Movie Review". Bollywood Hungama. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Apurva movie review: Tara Sutaria's predictable survival thriller needed more brainstorming and less head clobbering". Hindustan Times. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  21. ↑ Gahlot, Deepa. "Apurva Review: Give It A Miss". Rediff. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  22. ↑ Desai, Rahul (16 November 2023). "Apurva Review: Predictable, Performative and Frighteningly Dull". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  23. ↑ "Apurva Review: Tara Sutaria Manages To Impress A Bit In This Run-Of-The-Mill Survival Drama". Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  24. ↑ FC, Team (3 November 2023). "The Five Most-Viewed Streaming Shows And Movies Of The Week". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.