Bangalore-based director Saad Khan can now heave a sigh of relief. After much struggle, Station, the Hindi crime thriller and Saad’s first full feature, finally hits the screens. But perhaps, the real acid test begins only now.
Station takes off with Gulshan Grover taking on the narration duties. We are introduced to our main characters - three assassins, one crime lord and his beautiful mistress. From the introduction to the absolute last scene, the audience is left hanging as to what the movie is trying to do. The cast includes Sameer Kevin Roy as Ari, Siddhant K S as Bhaktiyar and Hardik Sha as Fani - the three viscious but unsuspecting assassins; Vivek Shah as Jibreel, the crime lord; and Kanika Batra as Parveen, a prostitute who is saved by Jabreel and given new life.
Taking us deep into the underbelly of organised crime, Station takes a close look at relationships that are formed here and the fickle idea of trust that precariously holds these relationships together. Each character is second guessing the next and when Jibreel is murdered, the gang is thrown into a tizzy. When they have all taken stock of what has transpired and some time has passed, a new deal brings the three assassins back together at a deserted railway station, where they must fight their distrust of each other if they want to survive. While the movie is named Station, the characters don’t arrive here until almost the end of the first half.
The narrative is non-linear, cutting back and forth, not letting the viewer rest even for a moment, because there is a chance that if you blinked, you have missed something crucial. What is best is to see these theatre actors hold their own in front of the cinematographer’s ever changing lens as well. The awkwardness of watching screen virgins is next to negligible, and special mention goes to Sameer Kevin Roy who plays the drug addicted, western Devdas with ease.
While the movie may have been made on a shoestring budget, the production quality remains up there with any above average Bollywood film and that is an achievement Saad can be very proud of.
Where the film slightly falls behind is in its editing. A few of the scenes, repeated heavily so as to bring the suspense to a close, could have been cut tighter to provide a seamless narration and not let the audience’s attention wander. This aside, Station is a one-time watch for lovers of thrillers, suspense and oodles of gory violence.
Verdict: Station will keep you on the edge of your seat till the last scene. This one’s for the lovers of the thriller/suspense genre.
Film: Station (Hindi)
Director: Saad Khan
Cast: Sameer Kevin Roy, Siddhant K S, Hardik Sha, Vivek Shah, Kanika Batra