Actor Amitabh Bachchan might as well take up a secondary career as a lawyer. The actor returns as the lawyer for Taapsee Pannu's character in the trailer to director Sujoy Ghosh's upcoming film, Badla.
The official remake of the Spanish thriller, Contratiempo, the trailer offers a glimpse into a Agatha Christie-an whodunnit murder that takes place in a closed room, with the actress being accused.
Beginning with the now familiar gravelly voice of Bachchan's Badal Gupta, the trailer leads viewers into the examination of his defendant, Pannu. The visuals then cut to the incident of the murder of which she has been accused. While she defends herself, Gupta keeps poking at the holes in her defence.
The visuals form a jigsaw-puzzle like incomplete picture of the film's key plot - a man is murdered while a woman is accused. At the same time, the visuals also hint at a larger plot. While she alleges the hand of a blackmailer, there are hints that she was herself capable of comitting the murder in a sealed room.
The sinking car, the bag of money, and a family add to the intrigue and possibilities.
Ghosh has previously provided an impactful thriller in Kahaani (2012), saving the twist for the last. With this edgy, suspenseful trailer, he seeks to return to the same genre. The trailer captures the tension with its slow build-up of music, however, reveals a little too much information regarding the relationships and conflict in Pannu's character.
The trailer is also similar in narrative and style to the original Spanish trailer, except with a gender reversal. The fast paced, rapid cuts add to the feel of the thriller.
In addition to Bachchan and Pannu, the film will also see Manav Kaul and Amrita Singh among the cast. Their characters make an appearance in the trailer, with only Singh's suspicious look adding to doubts over her actual role in the murder.
Badla is produced by Gauri Khan, Sunir Kheterpal and Akshai Puri, and co-produced by Gaurav Verma. The film will be released on 8 March.
Watch the trailer below: