Gandhi Talks Review: A Sweet and Silent Surprise

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 3/5*

Gandhi Talks Review Movie Talkies:

Gandhi Talks is a silent film—something hardly anyone dares to attempt in today’s era. The last truly remarkable example in recent times was The Artist (2011), a part-talkie that went on to win multiple Oscars. In India, we often cite Kamal Haasan’s Pushpaka Vimana, but in Hollywood, the silent genre once dominated cinema during the 1920s and 1930s. Legendary filmmakers like D.W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, F.W. Murnau, Abel Gance, and Harold Lloyd created timeless classics without spoken dialogue. Decades later, someone in India has finally shown the guts to revisit this format. Hats off to Kishor Belekar for taking this risk and, more importantly, for making it surprisingly watchable.

Gandhi Talks Story:

The film follows Mahadev (Vijay Sethupathi), a young man searching for a job at the BMC, only to be rejected for refusing to pay a bribe. Running parallel is the story of Mohan (Arvind Swamy), a wealthy businessman who has fallen from grace and loses a court case after his powerful enemies buy both the lawyer and the judge. Consumed by betrayal, Mohan seeks revenge. By chance, Mahadev and Mohan cross paths, and Mahadev comes up with the idea of robbing Mohan, believing him to be a good man with immense wealth. Meanwhile, another burglar sneaks into Mohan’s house—but none of them are aware of Mohan’s larger plan. I’ll stop here to avoid spoilers.

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I firmly believe that in today’s time, a silent film must have an exceptionally strong story—we’re not giving two hours to a below-par narrative. Sadly, Gandhi Talks doesn’t fully deliver on that front. The first half and the third quarter are engaging, but the final quarter turns predictable and preachy. That said, the screenplay and execution elevate the average story and make the film more rewarding than it initially appears. There are brilliant frame cuts, impressive cinematography, a pacy narrative, and—most importantly—the conviction of the storyteller. The characters don’t speak; they express, read, or write. Managing to keep the audience engaged for nearly two hours through this alone is commendable, especially in an era dominated by reels and shorts. The writing has its flaws and lacks uniqueness, but thankfully, the crafting and storytelling feel distinctive and largely effective.

Gandhi Talks Cast:

Performance-wise, Vijay Sethupathi is good, though I know he’s capable of much more. Arvind Swamy, however, is excellent—easily the best actor in the lot. Siddharth Jadhav does what’s required, while Aditi Rao Hydari looks gorgeous in a traditionally beautiful avatar. Usha Nadkarni, Mahesh Manjrekar, and Priyadarshini Indulkar have very little to do, and most of the supporting cast barely registers.

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Gandhi Talks Movie Review:

Technically, Gandhi Talks emerges victorious. The top-notch editing shouldn't go unnoticed and deserves multiple nominations and awards next year. The cinematography is remarkable—as it should be in a silent film where the camera does the talking. The production design is just okay, while the background score is steady but the music itself falls flat. Kishor Belekar should have worked more on the writing, particularly in the second half. The story could have been handled more smartly instead of leaning on familiar tropes. The runtime may be an issue for some, though it didn’t bother me—I’ve watched hundreds of silent films, including several 5-to-7-hour epics. Belekar shines more as a director than a writer. You can sense his creative intent within the first five minutes. The way he abruptly cuts one scene and transitions into the next is genuinely impressive. Thankfully, he doesn’t overuse this technique and soon settles into a simpler narrative style. While that works, the finale could have been sharper. Still, Gandhi Talks is a decent film that deserves at least one watch. Half a star extra for the sheer courage to go against the tide in today’s largely non-creative, cash-grab cinema era.

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