Director: Arif Khan
Writers: Radhika Anand and Parveez Shaikh
Producers: Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor
Cinematographer: Anubhav Bansal
Tanisha Saxena
Arif Khan’s U-turn is a remake of Pawan Kumar’s original U-turn in Kannada. The film follows a dynamic journalist as she investigates the people who remove the divider blocks and take a U-turn on a city’s flyover.
Radhika Bakshi (played by Alaya F) is an intern at a news outlet. This is Alaya’s movie. She is this fiercely independent girl who just can’t stand by rule-breakers. Let’s step into her shoes for a moment. Radhika Bakshi, a reporter, takes on this task herself to write a news story on the people who break the rules. Why did she choose this topic? There’s a backstory that is woven into bits and pieces in the narration.
Remakes are what we call, in loose terms, “software update.” U-turn is also a slightly improvised version of the original that was released in 2016. The title is very well justified, as there are numerous twists and turns in the story. It all starts with the death of one of the many people who took a U-turn on the flyover called NTPC. Curiously, Bakshi had visited the now deceased for a byte at his home. She didn’t meet the person when he was alive, but hours later she was called to the police station.
Arjun Sinha (played by Priyanshu Painyuli), is a cop who trusts Bakhshi, and together they set out to solve the mystery behind the consecutive deaths of whoever takes the U-turn on the flyover. However, Bakshi finds herself trapped in the chaos. HSP Saxena (played by Rajesh Sharma) at the police station, however didn’t believe Bakshi’s story. As the story unfolds, major u-turns change the course of action and intensify the narrative.
U-turn is a thriller with many supernatural elements. The creative direction by Anubhav Bansal and Ashok Kondke is a masterclass to engage in. The scariest aspect of U-turn is its twists and turns, which are indeed unsettling, disturbing, and incoherent. From the very opening scene to the end, we just can’t predict what’s going to happen next. There is this constant feeling of anxiety, but obviously, it keeps us hooked. The gothic element and the supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events in the film keep the audience on the edge of their seats. A few moments into the film, this man who took the U-turn comes back to his home, and the following scenes are highly spooky and chilling. Elements like dim lighting, wide corridors, and fluttering curtains do a lot for a potentially scary adventure. Mostly, the frame of the film is gothic and supernatural. With each death in the film, the tension mounts, but the relief is that the pace of the film is good and balanced.
Alaya F is a strong and impactful personality who gets into the skin of the character effortlessly. In the moments of her extreme vulnerability, she manages to convince the audience that the incidents are actually affecting her to the core. She is nicely dressed and carries herself confidently, just like a journalist. There’s a scene where she finds herself on the road while, actually, she had slept comfortably at home. The bed is placed on the roadside, and Bakshi wakes up in the middle of the road on the flyover. The moment is perhaps the scariest in the film, and Alaya F justified her reaction to it through her acting ability.
Priyanshu Painyuli as Arjun brings a potent source of strength to the character of Alaya. He is natural at his act and has decently justified his character. He carries a tough look on his face throughout, thereby portraying the persona of a cop. Furthermore, he manages to maintain this attitude throughout with a dash of sweetness. Therefore, he is not giving out much about his character, which in turn makes it even more interesting.
Even as a smaller character, Aashim Gulati is a class apart. He smoothly plays Aditya Iyer, who probably loves Bakshi. He lends support to Bakshi and tries to make her believe in her own instincts. The young man is able to impress and seduce us with his compelling performance. The rest of the supporting characters have played their parts decently enough.
Where it doesn’t work? Remakes should look at the core idea in a different light, or at least try to bring a new perspective to it. U-turn fails to do so. Despite some new twists and turns, the plot lacks a fresh angle. For those who have watched the original, this remake would taste stale. Moreover, the ending of the film is unsatisfactory.
