05 June,2026 12:55 PM IST | Mumbai | Athulya Nambiar
Bobby Deol in a still from Bandar
Last month, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's System, starring Jyotika and Sonakshi Sinha, revolved around a chilling idea: it does not matter whether you committed a crime; what matters is whether you can prove your innocence in court. The acclaimed Drishyam franchise has also explored a similar belief. Anurag Kashyap's latest film, Bandar, revisits the same unsettling theme and turns its gaze towards India's overburdened judicial system.
Bobby Deol stars as Samar Mehra, a moderately successful musician. He is not famous enough to be hounded by paparazzi, but famous enough to make headlines when he is accused of rape. Samar maintains that he is innocent. The complaint is filed by Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi), a former girlfriend who struggles to move on after their relationship ends from the man's side. While Samar begins dating Khushi (Saba Azad), his past returns to haunt him.
With evidence seemingly stacked against him, Samar is arrested and sent to prison while awaiting a bail hearing.
The film largely unfolds within the prison walls, where Samar joins countless undertrials waiting for justice. India's overcrowded prisons and staggering number of undertrial inmates are well documented, and Kashyap uses Samar's story to offer a deeply immersive look into that reality.
A man who dislikes sharing even his bed is suddenly forced to survive in a cramped cell packed far beyond capacity. Through his eyes, we encounter prisoners accused of different crimes, each carrying stories that paint them as victims of circumstance. Some remain hopeful; others have long surrendered to despair.
Inside prison, Samar must navigate the complex hierarchy of "handis" - inmate groups that function as survival networks. Despite being accused of rape, one of the most despised crimes within prison culture, he finds acceptance in Lijo's group, played with quiet authority by Indrajith Sukumaran. The only rule: he cannot associate with the handi made up of men accused of sexual offences.
What makes Bandar compelling is that Kashyap is not interested in determining guilt or innocence. Instead, he examines a system where delays can become punishment in themselves. At one point, through a voiceover, Samar observes that every undertrial believes they are innocent and that every story naturally favours its teller. It is ultimately the court's responsibility to decide the truth.
Yet Samar barely gets an opportunity to present his side. In one hearing, he is asked to remain absent because the complainant finds his presence intimidating. In others, he learns about verdicts on his bail before he can even reach the courtroom. The process feels distant, mechanical and often indifferent.
Kashyap keeps the treatment of Bandar raw and unfiltered. From the language spoken by police officers to the grim realities of prison life, the filmmaker avoids sanitising his world. The first half offers moments of dark humour, while the second half becomes increasingly unsettling, forcing viewers to confront the emotional and psychological toll of incarceration.
Bobby Deol delivers one of the strongest performances of his career. He convincingly charts Samar's transformation from a self-assured celebrity to a frightened and vulnerable prisoner under-trial. One particularly moving scene sees him speaking to his sister, played by Sanya Malhotra, through prison bars. As he breaks down asking for money because "everything in prison has a rate card," she struggles to hold herself together while confronting the family's deteriorating circumstances.
Indrajith Sukumaran makes an impressive Hindi film debut. His commanding screen presence elevates every scene he appears in, and his portrayal of Lijo feels authentic and lived-in. Raj B. Shetty, despite limited screen time, leaves a mark as a drug-addicted inmate. He is particularly memorable in the song Pinjara, a prison musical sequence that reflects on the many forms of imprisonment that exist beyond prison walls.
Sapna Pabbi is effective as Gayatri, portraying a woman unable to let go of a relationship that has ended. While her performance is compelling, one wishes the film had spent more time exploring her motivations and emotional journey, especially given how central she is to the narrative.
Bandar is not an easy watch, nor is it trying to be. It is a grim, often uncomfortable examination of a system where justice moves painfully slowly and where the accused can end up serving a sentence long before a verdict is delivered, whether in his favour or not.
It would not be wrong to compare it with the latest Hollywood hit Obsession. Although, the obsession here lands you in the horror that is the jails in India.
