I didn't know what to expect from this film (as I went into it completely blind), and it turned out to be a fulfilling watch. The cast is all-round fantastic, especially Rajkummar Rao (as the fickle techie-criminal Jayant) and Sikander Kher (whose charisma naturally screams "bad guy"). Radhika Apte also seems to be having a ball of a time, playing a cop. Bagavathi Perumal, whose work I've enjoyed in films down south, is also used well. The less you know about the plot, the better I'd say. The dark humor mostly works, not just in elevating the plot, but also in keeping you engaged throughout. Some interesting Easter eggs too, I might add - including a Bates Motel reference. But the greatest achievement here (from director Vasan Bala) is how he infuses a retro soundtrack into the pulpy-crime-thriller proceedings. It's just a stroke of genius, when coupled with the fascinating art work and production design.

Does it surprise me that the writer (Yogesh Chandekar) is one of Andhadhun's writers? Not one bit. It takes a wacky, twisted mind to conjure up a scenario filled with shady characters, set against the backdrop of a thriving robotics company. Every single character is aptly grey-shaded, and this leaves us with a choice of siding with the comparatively lesser evils. The storytelling perspective and texturing of Rao's character (and knowing smaller details such as his fear of snakes, his small-town beginnings) makes him the obvious choice, but the others aren't far behind. Even when the larger mystery gets revealed almost midway, the story cleverly leaves some loose ends needing closure, making us never tune out of this intricately constructed neo-noir universe.