Lakadbaggha is a action comedy crime fantasy thriller film directed by viktor mukherjee.
This film deserves to on the watchlist, but sadly it is going under the radar. There isn't much talk about it. Anshuman jha as 'arjun bakshi' really brings his A-game into play, he is serious about fluffy friends and other animals and does not beat around the bush. Felt good to see him transform his body for the role. Ridhi dogra as 'akshara d souza' too is very idealistic and opinionated. She too plays her character with sincerity. Paresh pahuja as 'aryan d souza' though outshine the former duo. He is calm which makes him even more menacing. Kharaj mukherjee and milind soman too make good appearances.
The next strong point is its martial art action. The trio have worked on the martial art skills, which is in full display. The POV shots during the action also notch up the action scenes. The cinematography is very good. The handheld shots through the lanes of kolkata establish the world really well. The screenplay is very engaging. It is slow paced no doubt but never feels lethargic. It takes its sweet time to establish the three central characters nicely.
However there are some drawbacks. The police investigation is very much half baked, it never gets serious about the hoodied vigilante. The bgm in general is good, but in the concluding action sequences, it needed a bit more kick and power, which it lacked.
The commentary that the film holds is strong. It raises a voice about the restrictions on indian breeds in indian shows itself. This is a hardly talked subject. It also focuses on the illegal animal flesh trade. There is a lot of philosophical dialogues about the difference between anarchism and vigilantism, the effect of loss on human life and its metaphor with a pair of headphones. It never reaches the point of lecturing.
One of the very underrated films in 2023. Definitely, watch this.