Film: Blind

Cast: Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Purab Kohli, Vinay Pathak, Lilette Dubey, Shubham Saraf

Director: Shome Makhija

OTT: JioCinema

Rating: 1.5 Moons

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja was dearly missed by her fans. Now, with Blind, she returns to acting after a gap of 4 years. In this Shome Makhija directorial, which is a remake, she plays the role of a police officer who loses her eyesight. Blind is currently streaming on JioCinema.

Blind focuses on Gia Singh (Sonam Kapoor Ahuja)'s life after she loses her eyesight in an accident. Not just this, her 'brother' Andrian is killed in the same accident and Gia loses her job due to a mistake. Her only support is a dog named Elsa. One night, while heading home from her mother (Lilette Dubey)'s house, she takes a lift from an Indian person and senses something fishy. He's a killer (Purab Kohli). Despite being sightless, Gia becomes the key eyewitness, thanks to her senses. 

Blind has a concept that's outdated. It is yet another lifeless remake. Director Shome Makhija relies heavily on his lead actress Sonam and her screen presence to uplift a half-hearted film. A thriller has to have elements of shock, thrill and unpredictability. Even if you're not an avid watcher of thrillers, Blind is straightforward enough to allow you a chance to guess the climax. The linear storytelling adds to the misery. 

The execution isn't up to the standard. Blind doesn't allow the viewers to engage with the screenplay. Despite being shot majorly at night, there are no thrills and chills to surprise you. Shome puts his best but there's a lot that needs to be improved. The dialogues between the characters are lame and unexciting. A bling Gia is able to identify a person's height, age and weight. It could be possible but the lack of conviction in the dialogue delivery destroys the effect. 

Blind has some rap songs that are jarring. To make the film look and sound cool, the director adds loud music but forgets to give depth to the characters. Especially in Sonam's case. The audience doesn't get to know exactly who she is. Her struggle as a blind cop also doesn't come out well. Blind tries to dig deep beyond the surface but it fails to even scratch the surface. 

Did fans miss Sonam Kapoor Ahuja? Yes. Do we miss the real Sonam who can also be a good actress? Absolutely. Blind is a degradation of the starlet who cracked the code to impress people with Raanjhanaa and Neerja. She tries her best but the story disappoints her. Purab Kohli is unimpressive as the killer with no depth. The stillness on his face is not effective. Vinay Pathak and Lilette Dubey are wasted. 

It is time for Sonam to turn a blind eye to underwhelming scripts. We hope she bounces back with a better, more complex and tougher role that justifies her strong screen presence and comfort with the cameras.

PeepingMoon gives Blind 1.5 Moons