Apurva (2023 film)

Apurva is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language survival thriller film written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Murad Khetani. It stars Tara Sutaria in the eponymous role alongside Rajpal Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee and Dhairya Karwa. Set in Chambal, the plot follows the story of an ordinary woman who faces extraordinary circumstances and will do anything to survive. The film was released on Disney+ Hotstar on 15 November 2023 to mixed reviews from critics with praise towards the performance of Sutaria.

Plot
A car is ambushed on the road, its occupants shot by a gang of four consisting of Jugnu, Sukha, Balli, and Chota. After looting jewellery based on a tip, they plan to target a truck next.

Meanwhile, Apurva Kashyap travels by bus to surprise her fiancé Siddharth "Sid". The bus driver's refusal to yield to Jugnu's vehicle leads to a deadly confrontation. The gang kills the driver and conductor, and Sukha engages in a heated argument with Sid over the phone, prompting them to abduct Apurva. Flashbacks reveal Apurva and Sid's love story, originating from an arranged marriage.

The gang takes Apurva to an abandoned village, where Chota threatens her. In a struggle, Apurva pushes him away but is rendered unconscious when Chota retaliates with a violent blow. Astrologer Tara Chand arrives, and the gang captures him. As the gang deliberates over Apurva's fate, she awakens and escapes with Tara.

In the village, Apurva confronts Chota and kills him. Believing Tara responsible, the gang targets him. During the pursuit, Apurva narrowly avoids falling into a well. The gang eventually kills Tara, and Apurva tries in vain to call Sid for help.

When Sid finally answers, Apurva reveals the gang members' names. The police advise Sid to wait until morning to intervene. Apurva is discovered by Balli, who orders her to undress. She complies, then attacks and kills him. Sukha and Jugnu find Balli but prioritize pursuing Apurva.

Apurva tricks Jugnu into falling into the well, then kills him. She dispatches the wounded Balli and attempts to run down Sukha with their car. After a crash, Apurva and Sukha engage in a deadly showdown near the railway tracks. Apurva is overpowered by Sukha and manages to gain enough strength to push them both to opposite sides of the tracks. Sukha reveals his desire to marry Apurva to which she kills him.

An exhausted Apurva seeks refuge in a railway crossing cabin and contacts Sid.

Cast

 * Tara Sutaria as Apurva Kashyap
 * Rajpal Yadav as Jugnu
 * Abhishek Banerjee as Sukha
 * Dhairya Karwa as Siddharth "Sid", Apurva's fiancé
 * Sumit Gulati as Balli
 * Aaditya Gupta as Chhota
 * Rakesh Chaturvedi Om as Astrologer Tara Chand
 * Navni Parihar as Apurva's Mother
 * Rajesh Jais as Apurva's Father
 * Geeta Modi as Siddharth's Mother
 * Vinod Sharma as Siddharth's Father
 * Gagan Bhasin as Sub-inspector
 * Aashish Dubey as Rajiv
 * Madhvendra Jha as Insp. Manohar

Production
The title role was originally offered to Kiara Advani, however, she rejected it, deeming it "a major risk in her career at this point".

Principal photography commenced in October 2022. Production wrapped in December 2022.

Music
The music of the film is composed by Vishal Mishra while lyrics written by Vishal Mishra and Kaushal Kishore.

The first single titled Diwali was released on 31 October 2023. The second single Hai Khuda was released on 9 November 2023. The third single titled Tujhse Pyaar Hai was released on 15 November 2023 with the release of the movie.

Release
The film was released on the streaming platform, Disney+ Hotstar on 15 November 2023.

Critical response
Apurva received mixed reviews from critics with praise towards the performances of the cast (particularly Sutaria) but criticism towards the plot of the film.

Dhaval Roy of Times of India rated the film 3.5/5 and wrote, "If your are looking for a movie that thrills, shocks and makes you hold your breath, this one's definitely for you as it ticks these boxes. Watch out for the ultimate face off between Apurva and one of the antagonists!" Writing forThe Indian Express, Alaka Sahani wrote "had the makers of Apurva not harboured the ambition of being gritty and realistic, this probably would have come close to being a ‘slasher’ movie". A critic from Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3/5 stars and wrote "Apurva is a well-made gripping thriller."

The Hindustan Times'  Prannay Pathak wrote, "Despite the unappetising lingering over the lead character’s body and the gratuitous violence punctuating the goings-on, Apurva'' never scares you or makes your skin crawl". Despite otherwise disliking the film, Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com opined, "If at all the film does anything, it is to offer Tara Sutaria a role that allows her to act, rather than just dress up and play pretty love interest to the leading man".

In a scathing review for Film Companion, Rahul Desai reviewed, "Apurva is predictable, tasteless and frighteningly dull, ticking genre boxes because they're cool and not because there's a story to be told"''. Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal had a similar take stating, "Nagesh, although creates a world that is close to reality sans newness. Anushka Sharma’s NH10, and Imtiaz Ali’s Highway had similar tone, vibe, and atmosphere, a way better screenplay for that matter, Apurva looks stale in every aspect".

Viewership
Apurva garnered 4,800,000 views in its initial week of debut on Disney+ Hotstar, securing the fourth position among the most-watched Indian content across all streaming platforms during the same week.