Banner: Drop D Films, Ten Years Younger ProductionsGenre: Murder Mystery / ThrillerCensor: A
Story & Screenplay
Pune Highway revolves around five childhood friends Khandu (Amit Sadh), Vishnu (Jim Sarbh), Nicky (Anuvab Pal), Natasha (Manjari Fadnis), and Babu (Himanshu Balpandey) whose lives take a dark turn following the suspicious death of Mansekar’s daughter, Mona (Ketaki Narayan). The film explores guilt, responsibility, and suspicion among the friends, with police investigation intertwined.
Based on Rahul DaCunha’s play, the story by Bugs Bhargava Krishna and Rahul DaCunha is average and lacks the intensity expected from a murder mystery. The screenplay is convoluted and fails to engage the audience. Characters are underdeveloped, and several twists appear forced rather than organic. The whodunit premise suffers because the investigation feels half-baked, and humor in the wrong places diminishes the drama. Dialogues by Sudeep Naik are ordinary and don’t lift the script.
Performances
Amit Sadh is fair as Khandu, while Jim Sarbh is earnest as Vishnu.
Anuvab Pal is ordinary as Nicky; Manjari Fadnis is okay as Natasha.
Himanshu Balpandey is reasonably good in a limited role as Babu.
Sudeep Modak is unimpressive as Inspector Prabhakar Pethe; some scenes seem senseless.
Ketaki Narayan is alright as Mona, and Shishir Sharma delivers a routine performance as Mansekar.
Supporting cast, including Abhishek Krishnan, Aniket Kelkar, Smita Dongre, Rajit Kapur, and others, offer dull, forgettable contributions.
Direction & Technical Aspects
Direction by Bugs Bhargava Krishna and Rahul DaCunha is immature, and the poor script amplifies the film’s flaws.
Music (Clinton Cerejo, Bianca Gomes; additional by Ronit Chatterji) and lyrics (Sudeep Naik) are functional.
Background score is ordinary, lacking the tension a murder mystery demands.
Cinematography by Deepak Metkar is so-so.
Action & stunts by Rinku Bachchan Singh are average.
Editing by Abhishek Gupta is loose, affecting pacing and suspense.
Final Verdict
Pune Highway fails to deliver as a murder mystery. With a weak script, lackluster direction, and underwhelming performances, the film is unlikely to make any mark at the box office and will go largely unnoticed.
Box Office: Poor prospects; a likely flop.
PUBLISHED BY SUYASH PACHAURI, FOUNDER & OWNER, GLOBAL BOLLYWOOD | THE HOLLYWOOD SCOPE