Darlings Movie Review: Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma Shine Bright in Netflix’s Dark Comedy

Alia Bhatt chose a sensitive subject like domestic violence for her production company’s debut project. Instead of making a serious film about it, the story has been dressed up as a black comedy. But it is the characters’ hopes, dreams, and despair that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.

Badrunissa (Alia Bhatt) falls in love with and marries Hamza (Vijay Varma), who is an alcoholic who beats his wife. Her mother, Shamshunnisa (Shefali Shah), lives in the same Byculla chawl as her daughter and encourages her on a daily basis to leave her abusive husband. But Alia, like many other women, remains hopeful. She wishes to have a child with her husband, to realise the dreams she had with him, and to find ways to reform him.

The film may be upsetting to many independent women who would not tolerate abusive behaviour even for a day. Darlings will irritate you, especially after seeing films like Thappad. However, you will need to set aside your ideas of right and wrong and try to understand Badru’s desperation to keep her relationship alive, and wait patiently for the limit of her patience.

The question of right and wrong is raised several times throughout the film, most notably in the climax, when Badru is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever. Throughout the film, there is a tug of war between the mother, who favours more drastic measures, and the daughter, who follows her heart until her last hope is also extinguished, changing the very core of her beliefs.

Alia Bhatt plays the gullible wife who believes she can change her husband brilliantly. She also carries the film as an actor, as one would expect from someone who has given us Udta Punjab, Gully Boy, and Gangubai Kathiawadi. Badru occasionally reminds me of Safeena from Gully Boy.

Darlings reminded me of Gangubai Kathiawadi in Badru’s vulnerable moments – a victim of her circumstances but trying to make the best of it. When she’s breaking plates after another bout of abuse and Zulfi (Roshan Matthew) comes in to check on her, it reminded me of Afsaan’s feelings for Gangu. But there is another twist in the story.

Vijay Varma appears to have mastered the grey-shaded character, shedding crocodile tears to get his way, transforming from a loving husband to a violent demon in the blink of an eye.

Shefali portrays a practical mother attempting to show her daughter the realities of her marriage. She plays the eccentric role effortlessly and is the main source of comic relief in many scenes. On screen, Alia and Shefali are hilarious as mother and daughter.

The performances of Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, and Vijay Varma are the film’s bright spots in an otherwise bleak reality.

Despite being a black comedy, the film lacks elaborate or hilarious comic scenes and is mostly an emotional experience. The production design and attention to detail, as well as the editing pace, are both commendable. Director Jasmeet K Reen has done an excellent job of telling the story without overcomplicating it, while also maintaining a sense of dread throughout the narrative. The build-ups to Hamza and Badru’s violent episodes are some of the well-directed scenes. Darlings has some excellent situational songs, such as La Ilaaj, Bhasad, and Pleaj, that capture the mood quite well.

Darlings isn’t the best black comedy out there, but it’s definitely worth seeing, especially if you like stories about strong women taking charge of their own lives.