Gurgaon (film)


Gurgaon is a 2016 Indian Neo noir thriller film directed by Shanker Raman produced by award-winning JAR Pictures studios. The film stars Akshay Oberoi, Ragini Khanna and Pankaj Tripathi and is set in the metropolis of Gurgaon, Haryana.
The film premiered at the 2016 International Film Festival & Awards in Macao and was later released on 4 August 2017 worldwide. It was reviewed positively by critics.

Plot

Nikki Singh is a boxer and the wayward son of real estate tycoon Kehri Singh, who is often sidelined in favour of his sister Preet whom Kehri considers his lucky charm. Kehri shrewdly runs Preet Real Estate business successfully in his daughter's name. Preet has just returned from France after completing her course in Architecture & convinces her father to create a park instead of a multi-billion real estate project on a land closer to a forest.
One fine day Nikki places a large bet & loses it. On their way to a concert out of frustration of losing, they kidnap Murthy a guitarist who was about to perform. The dealer gives him 3 days to pay him 10 million that Nikki owes to him. Nikki hatches a plan to kidnap his sister Preet to repay his debt. With the help of his friend Rajvir, they hire a small-time crook Jonty to get Preet to a safe house, which turns out not to be empty as they had expected. They have to change their plans & Jonty demands more money for this botch up. One their way to his Rajvir's home, they are held up by at a toll booth. There Jonty gets enraged at a person who has held up the counter unnecessarily. Jonty tries to interfere when suddenly the driver takes out his gun & shoot the toll booth operator. The bullet grazes Jonty's ears & he lies there shell-shocked as Rajveer abandons him.
Nikki's mother gets a ransom call from Rajveer who demands 30 million. Later Jonty calls from Preet's phone, which is answered by her father. He demands a ransom of half a million. Kehri is confused & they finally call his estranged brother Bhoopi to track his daughter.
Next, we are shown a flashback where decades ago Kehri & Bhoopi are about to bury his newborn girl child. As they are about the bury her, the baby cries and Bhoopi resists burying her, but Kehri none the less buries her. Later a sage tells him that his fortunes would turn only if they have a girl child. As Kehri has already buried his daughter, the sage advises them to adopt one. Kehri adopts Preet. The moment he does that, his fortunes turn & he is given a good offer by a builder for his land.
Kehri's elder brother refuses to part his land so Kehri kills his elder brother. Further Kehri becomes a real estate baron & hence considers Preet his lucky charm. Back to the present, the partner of Kehri is bitter about Kehri's change of mind regarding the multi-billion real-estate project now planned to be a park on request of Preet. He knows about the betting & kidnapping mess that Nikki is into. He offers him a bailout from it if Nikki agrees to replace his father.
Bhoopi is able to track Jonty & through him the hideout of Nikki where Preet is kidnapped. Before anyone can arrive, Preet has already escaped with Murthy. There is a confrontation between Bhupi & Nikki, where Nikki kills Bhupi & injures his father. Next Nikki gets a call from Preet who is along with Murthy asks for a ride home. On their way back there is a scuffle between Nikki & Preet, which results in a car accident. Nikki, Rajveer & Chintu get out of the car, while they allow the car to slip into the lake which results in the drowning of Preet with Murthy.
Later Nikki takes the control of his father's business & attends the foundation stone ceremony for the multi-billion project on the land which was earlier earmarked for the park by Kehri on Preet's request. Meanwhile, Kehri is resigned to the wheelchair & Nikki's mother is shell-shocked. As Nikki is trying to console her, the next thing we see is Nikki shot dead by his mother.

Cast

The film is directional debut by National Film Award Winning cinematographer Shanker Raman and is produced by Ajay G. Rai and Alan McAlex of award-winning JAR Pictures studios who have previously produced critically acclaimed films Nil Battey Sannata, Gangs of Wasseypur, Liar's Dice among others. The film before its release was screened at Film Bazaar in Panaji, Goa in 2015. The film was shot on location in Gurgaon and Akshay Oberoi and other actors had to learn Haryanvi language for the film. The poster of the film was unveiled by Anurag Kashyap in July 2017.

Release

Gurgaon was released throughout India in limited number of screens and grossed 67 million in its first three days.

Critical reception

The film has received positive reception from critics who praised the dark, gritty, fast moving story-line and the performances of the lead actors.

Awards

The film won Prasad DI Award at the National Film Development Corporation's Film Bazaar in 2015.