Gumraah

Story:

“Gumraah” is a crime thriller movie released in 2023 in the Hindi language. The film is directed by Vardhan Ketkar and jointly produced by T-Series Films and Cine1 Studios, headed by Murad Khetani. The cast includes Aditya Roy Kapur in a dual role, alongside Mrunal Thakur and Ronit Roy. This movie is a Hindi remake of the 2019 Tamil film “Thadam.” The story revolves around a murder investigation that takes a complex turn when the police uncover two individuals who appear identical and are considered suspects in the case.

Plot

In the opening sequence, a man wearing a yellow raincoat breaks into a house, causing the resident to flee in terror. A brief struggle ensues between the intruder and the homeowner before the intruder kills him. Before departing, the murderer goes to great lengths to eliminate any potential evidence.

The victim is later identified as Akash Sardana the following morning. Leading the investigation is Shivani Mathur, a perceptive young police officer who skillfully pieces together the events based on available clues. Akash’s sister informs investigators that he withdrew 2 million from the family bank account, but no such funds are found.

A neighbor later reveals that the killer inadvertently captured himself in a selfie. A high-ranking police official, ACP Dhiren Yadav, recognizes Arjun Sehgal as the culprit and is relieved to have a chance for revenge. To begin, he instructs Shivani to delve into Arjun’s background in relation to the murder. Eventually, the police apprehend Arjun and gather evidence against him. However, he provides a weak alibi, leading the ACP to believe that the case may finally be closed.

But a constable detains a man named Sooraj for drunken driving and disorderly conduct, who bears a striking resemblance to Arjun. The ACP consults with his attorney friend, who indicates that the situation is bleak in court and that obtaining bail will be easy. This buys them only an additional two days before they must appear in court. Authorities now have a 48-hour window to gather evidence. Both Arjun and Sooraj display identical injuries.

In a flashback, it is revealed that Arjun, a brilliant engineer, was in a relationship with the lovely Janhvi. On the other hand, Sooraj is a minor criminal who, along with his friend Chaddi, survives through cons. Sooraj’s criminal background contrasts with his legal acumen, which rivals that of a seasoned attorney. When a mob boss kidnaps Chaddi, demanding a 2 million ransom for their deception, Sooraj loses all his remaining money in a gambling venture.

DNA evidence recovered at the crime scene links both Arjun and Sooraj, indicating that they are identical twins in the present day. However, the evidence gathered by the police is often deceptive. They proceed to narrate their story. Their parents’ marriage deteriorates, with their mother seeking solace in gambling, ultimately leading to their separation and divorce. While Arjun’s feelings toward his mother differ from Sooraj’s, their mother is equally affected. Due to his legal profession, their father gains custody of the children, preventing their mother from seeing them. Her despair eventually drives her to take her own life, after which the twins go their separate ways.

Shivani is convinced that Sooraj is the culprit due to his criminal history and flimsy alibi. An elderly constable informs Shivani that ACP seeks revenge against Arjun because eight years ago, Arjun assisted ACP’s daughter in eloping with her lover.

ACP had tried to use the legal system against Arjun, but his daughter testified in Arjun’s favor in court. Now, Shivani and ACP are attempting to frame each other while concealing evidence to secure a solid alibi for both Arjun and Sooraj. Six months later, the court remains uncertain about which of them committed the crime, but they also cannot convict either of them due to their rock-solid alibis.

A few weeks later, Shivani receives the missing person case file for Janhvi. Upon investigation, she learns that Janhvi attended a class reunion just before her disappearance. Later that day, she receives a text from Janhvi stating that she and Arjun are no longer together and that she is marrying Akash instead. Because she provided an alibi for Arjun, she cannot deny that the crime was motivated by financial gain.

Upon discovering Janhvi’s messages, Arjun decides to confront Akash, as he reveals in his account. Following a brief altercation, Arjun coerces Akash into confessing to his connection with Janhvi. They were once a couple in college, but their relationship soured. Akash approached her at the reunion, but she avoided him. Subsequently, he sexually assaulted her in his hotel room after drugging her. She overdosed on drugs and died due to the sexual assault. Akash then bribed the police with 2 million to drop the case. Out of anger, Arjun murders Akash and flees the scene.

Upon learning of Arjun’s arrest for murder, Sooraj informs him that he manipulated the crime scene and planted evidence to divert the police’s attention from himself. Sooraj assures Arjun that he won’t be convicted because he did not commit the crime. In return, Arjun gives Sooraj the house he has been living in since their separation.

Box Office

The movie had a disappointing performance at the box office, starting with a global opening of ₹1.22 crore. During its opening weekend, it managed to accumulate ₹5.93 crore.

As of April 27, 2023, the film’s earnings stand at ₹9.86 crore (equivalent to US$1.2 million) in India and ₹0.82 crore (equivalent to US$100,000) in overseas markets, resulting in a total worldwide collection of ₹10.68 crore (equivalent to US$1.3 million).

Regrettably, the film did not meet commercial expectations and can be categorized as a box-office failure.