Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar movie review: Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor reunite in Dibakar Banerjee's two-hour snooze-fest

You'd expect a suspense thriller or a dark comedy to keep you intrigued from start to finish, but Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar misses the plot despite having so much to explore. Unfortunately, its lazy writing and slow pace ruin its chances of clicking with the audience. Director Dibakar Banerjee's film touches upon bank scams and the elderly people who are victimised by them, an idea that had potential, but the narrative goes haywire.

Starring Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor in lead roles, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar's theatrical release was held up for over two years, but now that it's finally out, it might just force audience to go 'faraar' (run for their life). The first 15 minutes set high hopes and you think you're in for a lot of suspenseful storytelling, but the film turns out to be a series of repetitive events and boring twists -- just like the deceptive title.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar is the third collaboration between Chopra and Kapoor after Ishaqzaade and Namaste England. But their onscreen chemistry is the weakest in this one.

Watch the Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar trailer here

A successful banker named Sandeep Walia, aka Sandy, (Chopra) is escaping from her boss who's out to get her. A suspended cop from Haryana, Satinder Dahiya, aka Pinky, (Kapoor) comes to her rescue. Will they manage to outrun the goons and corrupt cops? Will Pinky be able to save Sandeep's life? The first half introduces you to Sandeep and Pinky and charts their journey to a hideout near the Indo-Nepal border. But the suspense, or what little there is of it, is lifted just before the interval, leaving you to wonder what to expect in the second half. The slow pace makes you want to take a nap.

Perhaps the only thing that stands out is Chopra's layered character and her decent performance. She's bold, independent, strong-headed yet vulnerable at times. Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar is essentially her film.

Kapoor is totally out of shape -- both physically and otherwise. And it's understandable since the movie was made almost four years ago. A lot has changed since then. His Haryanavi accent sounds quite natural but the acting department still needs a lot of work. In fairness, he doesn't have much to do, barring the climax, which quite literally shows him 'stepping out' of his comfort zone.

Also read: Roohi movie review: Rajkummar Rao-Varun Sharma's equation stands out in convoluted film, Janhvi Kapoor is average

There is a scene in which a die-hard Salman Khan fan is getting married and that's the only time we hear a song by Anu Malik in this two-hour snooze-fest. Watch Kapoor's obnoxious dance on the track Faraar at your own risk.

Chained to a mediocre script, some seasoned actors bring their flair. Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav are quite relatable as an elderly couple. The understated patriarchal mindset the film tries to address reflects effectively in some of the scenes. Jaideep Ahlawat is wasted as a crooked cop, with just a handful of scenes.

Meanwhile, Anil Mehta scores full marks for his spectacular cinematography, especially the way he has captured the Indo-Nepal border.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar is a classic case of lazy writing. If it ha stuck to being a suspense thriller, it might have worked, but as it stands, it wont get the cash registers ringing at the box office.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar

Director - Dibakar Banerjee

Cast: Parineeti Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav, Jaideep Ahlawat