Army commando Amrit boards a New Delhi-bound train with his best buddy Viresh in a bid to abort the arranged marriage of his ladylove Tulika, who is traveling on it en famille for the impending ceremony. But, when a gang of armed bandits, along with their leader Fani, invade the train, the army men must quickly take on a bigger rescue mission of saving the hundreds of passengers on board.
Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt’s film is truly one of its kind for India. Within the confines of the setting – the coupes and compartments of a moving train – he imagines and mounts never-seen-before kinetic action set pieces. Indian action choreographer Parvez Shaikh joins hands with South Korean Se-Yeong Oh (Snowpiercer) in designing the sophisticated stunts, mesmerizing martial arts, and cool hand-to-hand combat scenes. Lakshya, as Amrit, executes them with a focused frenzy, and Raghav Juyal is charismatic as the crazed Fani.
Friendship and family, love and loyalty – Bhatt doesn’t stray far from the familiar tropes of a typical Indian melodrama. He keeps the audience teary while offering a film that indulges in blood and gore with unprecedented style and singularity.
No amount of content advisory can prepare you for the violence in store as knives go on a carnage and something as banal as a fire extinguisher is turned disturbingly deranged.
Special Presentation in collaboration with American Cinematheque and Beyond Fest. This screening will take place at the Egyptian Theater followed by a Q&A with director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and producer Guneet Monga.
This screening is included in Industry All-Access and All-Access Passes (must RSVP). Click here to purchase a pass.
This screening is not included in Fest Passes. Fest Passholders must purchase a separate ticket. Click below to purchase a ticket.
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Indian writer and director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat debuted internationally with the feature film Saluun at the 2009 Cairo International Film Festival. Some of his most notable works include Brij Mohan Amar Rahe, the Disney+/Hotstar thriller Apurva, and the mini-series The Gone Game. Bhat’s upcoming Hindi-language action thriller, Kill, recently premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Lionsgate has acquired the film, produced by Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment, for a theatrical release in the U.S. and the U.K. this July.
