Gandhi Talks Review: Vijay Sethupathi shines in a silent film that misses the mark

‘Gandhi Talks’ is a silent film that attempts black comedy through the themes of unemployment and corruption.

• Gandhi Talks is a silent black comedy tackling unemployment and corruption.
• Vijay Sethupathi delivers a standout performance as Mahadev More.
• The film's strong start fades, with humour and themes losing impact over time.

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‘Gandhi Talks,’ directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, released in theatres on 30 January and stars Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swamy, Siddharth Jadhav, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Mahesh Manjrekar.

‘Gandhi Talks’ is a silent film that attempts black comedy through the themes of unemployment and corruption. The final result is average at best. With no spoken dialogue, the runtime of 132 minutes feels stretched and slowly turns tiring. Most silent films usually rely on everyday situations to create humour that often leans towards black comedy, and ‘Gandhi Talks’ follows the same path. However, there are very few scenes that actually land strong laughs.

A silent idea that overstays its welcome

Set in Mumbai, the film begins on a promising note and does a decent job of establishing the milieu and introducing its characters. The narrative moves steadily at first, but after the interval, when much of the action shifts to Arvind Swami’s character’s house, the film starts to fall apart. Ironically, these were the very scenes where humour could have worked best, but a weak screenplay spoils the impact.

When wealth, power and poverty collide

The story centres on Mahadev More (Vijay Sethupathi), who lives in a chawl with his sick mother. He is financially broken and struggles to survive. Despite repeated efforts, he fails to secure a job. Running alongside is the story of Mohan Boseman (Arvind Swami), a businessman who has fallen on hard times and is declared insolvent by the court. With financiers chasing him and his house heading for auction, Mohan is left shattered.

When Mahadev’s life intersects with Mohan and a petty thief played by Siddharth Jadhav, the film brings wealth, power, and poverty into direct conflict. Their crossing leads to a chain of events inside Mohan’s house, where Mahadev finds himself trapped between easy money and growing guilt. What begins as a chance encounter slowly turns into a situation that threatens to spiral out of control.

Strong set-up, weak follow-through

One of the film’s biggest drawbacks is that many things remain unexplained. The story relies heavily on visual symbolism, which can be difficult to decode for some viewers. The film sets its tone well in the opening scenes, whether it is Mohan losing his court case after a judge accepts a bribe or Mahadev’s job application at the Mumbai Municipal Corporation being rejected. A love angle between Sethupathi and Aditi Rao Hydari is also introduced.

Unfortunately, these early strengths fade away, and the themes of corruption and unemployment are soon sidelined. Several scenes border on being absurd. With a runtime of over two hours, the film feels weighed down by its own length. A.R. Rahman’s loud background score often feels more distracting than effective. The film also appears to draw inspiration from real-life figures, and audiences will easily recognise the person behind Manjrekar’s character.

Sethupathi shines in the film

What works in the film are the performances. Vijay Sethupathi is excellent as Mahadev Vishnu More and plays the role with complete conviction. He captures the fear, frustration, and helplessness of poverty with ease and remains the emotional core of the film.

Arvind Swami also delivers a strong performance as Mohan Boseman, portraying a man who is internally broken and haunted by his past. Siddharth Jadhav, however, comes across more like a caricature, and his character feels out of place.

Also read: Gandhi talks Twitter review: Netizens impressed with Vijay Sethupathi, Aditi Rao Hydari starrer silent film; fans call it 'visually appealing' and 'spellbinding'

A missed chance at meaningful black comedy

The film ultimately proves that making a silent film is a demanding task that requires careful planning and precision. Much depends on the actors’ expressions and their chemistry with one another. ‘Gandhi Talks’ feels like a missed opportunity. There are moments that reflect directorial indulgence, and humour is clearly not given enough attention. While sparks appear in a few places, the black humour and visual symbolism never fully come alive. Despite having a strong cast, the film ends up feeling half-baked when it could have easily soared.

Rating: 3/5