Kuttey

Kuttey is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by debutante Aasmaan Bhardwaj. It is produced by Vishal Bhardwaj Films, T-Series Films and Luv Films. The film stars an ensemble cast of Tabu, Arjun Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Radhika Madan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Kumud Mishra.

It was theatrically released on 13 January 2023. The film was a box office flop grossing ₹ 4.65 crore towards a budget of ₹35 crore.

Premise
One rainy night in the outskirts of Mumbai, three stray gangs unknowingly cross paths on the hunt for a van carrying crores of cash and it's every man for himself. A complex maze of subplots with greed as the Common motive leads to a tense often hilarious chain of events.

Soundtrack
The music of the film is composed by Vishal Bhardwaj. The lyrics are penned by Gulzar and Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

Reception
Kuttey received mixed to positive reviews from critics with praise for its performances (particularly Tabu's), cinematography, music and background score while criticism for its screenplay.

Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote, "It's a one-time watch and if nothing else, enjoy the music." Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kuttey starts off with a bang and keeps powering its screenplay with interestingly dark, sharp and self-centred characters". He added "it's easy to pick your favourite. Tabu tops the list her pitch is perfect and appears effortless, Kapoor has more to do, and the actor delivers an honest performance while Naseeruddin Shah, Konkana, Radhika, Shardul and Kumud make their limited time on screen count".

Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kuttey is best enjoyed if you have a knack for dark and wry humour. However, if gore is not your cup of tea, it is best to steer clear from this one. The performances are indeed the strong suit in the film Mishra and Kapoor both will leave you impressed, Tabu, steals the show, Madan is delight to watch, Naseerudin and Konkona’s extended cameo, sets the mood wish they had more screen time". Avinash Lohana of Pinkvilla rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kuttey does entertain and enthral, but in parts. The film was capable of a lot more and doesn’t optimise its potential. Kapoor gives a sincere performance, Tabu, Konkona, Kumud delivered controlled performance which leaves an impact, Radhika and Shardul shine in their respective roles".

Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kuttey rests on an interesting concept and strong performances but suffers from excessive violence and usage of cuss words". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kuttey is a film that certainly does not bark up the wrong tree. On performances she highlighted Tabu's work, who delivers unblemished performance, and admirably supported well by Mishra, Kapoor, Madan and Bharadwaj go along with the flow of the wild tale without missing a beat, while Naseeruddin Shah and Konkona Sen do full justice to their limited roles". Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost rated it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Kuttey needed some meat to bark. The film doesn’t have a very convincing storyline the unnecessary violence, use of cuss words and a huge waste of some good craftsmen".