Shabri Hindi Movie Review

Earlier, those revolting against the negative forces would seek shelter in the jungles. But, over a period of time, more and more films with urban themes started getting made and the new poster boys of the have-nots were born and raised in slums and chawls.

SHABRI, directed by Lalit Marathe, tells the story of a gangster from the slums. The difference is, it's a woman this time. She's wronged, she's livid, she seeks vengeance. Come to think of it, I am sure, slums may have women as gang leaders, those who call the shots, but a movie on a woman gangster has never been attempted in Bollywood earlier. That makes SHABRI the first of its kind. 


Though well executed with several interesting moments, the problem with SHABRI is that it comes too late in the day. I mean, haven't we had an overdose of gangster movies in rapid succession? Besides, SHABRI is atypical RGV flm [though it's directed by Lalit Marathe] in terms of mood, setting and even shot compositions.


SHABRI tells the story of an ordinary slum woman who takes to the world of crime. Working in a flour mill to support her family, Shabri [Isha Koppikar] struggles hard to make an honest living. Her life takes a dramatic turn when a cop puts Shabri's brother behind bars and tortures him, which results in his death. An uncontrollable rage seizes Shabri that sees her kill the cop, triggering off a mayhem of violence.

Director Lalit Marathe has categorically denied that the film is inspired by a real-life character, so that makes SHABRI a work of fiction. Hard-hitting and laced with several nail-biting episodes, SHABRI manages to keep your attention alive intermittently. But the film loses its fizz in the second hour, when a top cop [Zakir Hussain] starts the investigations. The problem with his character is that he's not doing anything to put an end to Shabri or the underworld. Moreover, the pacing also drops at this point.

The setting is real and so are the performances. Isha Koppikar delivers the most striking performance of her career. She's dynamic! Raj Arjun is highly competent and his acting skills come to the fore in several scenes. Pradeep Rawat is excellent, striking terror every time he appears on screen. Zakir Hussain suffers due to an ill-conceived role.

On the whole, SHABRI comes too late in the day. Sure, it holds your attention in parts, but there's no novelty whatsoever in its plot.