Gaslight Movie Review: Does It Have Enough Gas To Run The Show?

In a thriller that alternates between being pulsating and predictable, Sara Ali Khan gives it her all in the film Gaslight.

Sara Ali Khan is given a character to play by director Pavan Kirpalani, who also adds some atmospheric tension and jolting jump scares but still stops short.

Streaming Platform
You can watch Gaslight on Disney Plus Hotstar.

Language
Gaslight is released in Hindi language only.

Director of the movie
Pavan Kriplani, best known for his work on the 2011 smash hit Ragini MSS, directed the 2023 film Gaslight.

The cast of the movie
The film stars Sara Ali Khan in the lead role. Along with her, Vikrant Massey, Chitrangda Singh, Rahul Dev, and Akshay Oberoi played important roles in the film.

Catchy Opening Scene
The opening scene of Gaslight suggests that we will return to this point in time, and the story will explain what happened and why. This has been happening for a long time, where the screenplay is written in such a way that we witness a single scene twice, once as a glimpse and once more as all the clutter is pieced together.

The plot of the movie
The plot revolves around Meesha, a wheelchair-bound girl played by Sara Ali Khan, who arrives at her mansion and discovers her father is missing. There’s Rukmani (Chitrangda Singh), a caretaker (Vikrant Massey), a doctor (Shishir Sharma), a distant cousin (a hammy Akshay Oberoi), and an investigator (Rahul Dev). Without the carefully crafted complexity of the characters, everything is very Raat Akeli Haiish. It never goes deep, only giving us answers about who’s who and why.

Review of the movie
What stands out is how director Pavan Kirpalani saved some of his best work for the film rather than the trailer. There are some startling shots and jump scares that catch you off guard. After what appeared to be a thriller, the film begins to diverge into horror territory.

The camerawork, which lingers on almost every corner of the mansion, also contributes to the atmospheric tension of the narrative, particularly some devilish and mischievous paintings on the wall.

Meesha befriends loneliness and the haunting memories of her father in a place where everyone appears to be a stranger, which leads her to imagine things about his existence around her. As a result, she has had some strange and unsettling experiences that threaten to destabilize her mental and emotional balance.

Of course, anyone who has seen or felt this genre knows it’s all a set-up for her to make a larger profit. All we have to do now is figure out who is behind all of this. The reveal is as predictable as the Mumbai Indians losing their first IPL match almost every season.

Conclusion of the movie
Gaslight begins to sidetrack the moment the search begins. Though since, Singh plays a royal character, was her performance restrained or just plain wooden?

Another issue with Gaslight is its desire to be one step ahead of the audience. When you think the reveal is complete, it throws another twist that seems more insignificant than imaginative. And no matter how hard Vikrant Massey tries, the hazy material defeats him. After Love Aaj Kal and Coolie No. 1, Sara Ali Khan’s performance in Gaslight isn’t one she’ll vividly remember. If that’s all the light she needs for the time being.

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