Review
Look, "Dharkan" swings for the fences with one of the most deliriously ambitious premises I've encountered in recent Hindi cinema—a reincarnation revenge thriller that's genuinely bonkers in the best way possible. The core concept of a murdered man returning as a five-year-old with fragmented memories of his past life, slowly unraveling a conspiracy right under everyone's noses, has real potential. When the film locks into this supernatural mystery angle, particularly in those scenes where young Doby demonstrates impossible knowledge of the mansion and Kewal's crimes, there's an undeniable tension that crackles. The director at least commits fully to the madness rather than playing it safe, and you have to respect that kind of creative risk-taking.
However, the execution stumbles badly where it counts. The performances are wildly uneven—the child actor occasionally nails the eerie uncanniness the role demands, but too often defaults to standard child-actor cuteness, undercutting the supernatural dread. Kewal's characterization feels thin; a murderer this calculated should carry more menace, but instead he registers as a generic drunk antagonist. The second act drags considerably as the detective work plods along, and the screenplay makes some truly questionable narrative choices that feel more convenient than earned. The climax, while thematically satisfying with its justice-through-truth angle, lacks the visceral payoff such an elaborate setup deserves.
"Dharkan" is fascin
Storyline
A ten-year-old's accidental gunshot shatters everything—he shoots his best friend Suraj, panics, and vanishes for fourteen years, consumed by guilt. When Deepak finally discovers Suraj survived, he rushes back home with his buddy Kewal, ready for redemption and reunion. But Kewal's got other plans—he murders Deepak on the train, steals his identity, and claims the fortune for himself, leaving our hero's soul to wander the universe.
Here's where it gets absolutely wild: Deepak gets reborn as a five-year-old kid named Doby, brother to a girl named Rekha who unknowingly marries the murderous imposter Kewal. The fake Deepak turns out to be a drunk, cheating scoundrel, and the shock literally kills Rekha's father—but then little Doby moves into the mansion and starts navigating the sprawling estate like he owns it, despite having zero memories of his past life. It's uncanny, it's creepy, and everyone notices something's seriously off.
Suraj and his detective buddy Inspector Darshan piece together this bonkers puzzle and realize what's happened—the kid somehow remembers everything from his previous life! They launch a mission to gather proof against Kewal, and what unfolds is this absolutely thrilling game of cat-and-mouse where the truth slowly emerges. By the climax, Deepak's reincarnation becomes the key to exposing Kewal's treachery, bringing justice, redemption, and a reunion that transcends death itself—it's pure Bollywood magic!