Accused (2026)

Accused (2026)

A 2026 psychological thriller in Hindi, directed by Anubhuti Kashyap and produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Somen Mishra and Adar Poonawalla under Dharmatic Entertainment. The film stars the excellent Konkona Sen Sharma and Pratibha Ranta in the lead roles.

This film has a distinct TV movie (Netflix) feel to it. I can’t say it’s a gripping film. It sorely lacks verve and energy. Yet the actors are good and the story isn’t too bad, though it’s relatively run-of-the-mill by now. It deals with the sort of issues we hear about every day, on various levels. Admittedly, not everyone gets accused of a crime, but there are also issues of loyalty, friendship, gay relationships, the open-mindedness of Indian families, and so on. When I say Indian family, it could be anyone, from any non-European country, though we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that some conservatives still live as if in the Middle Ages.

It felt like it dragged on, but at the same time, everything is easy to follow so it’s not a headache. If you’re looking for a proper thriller, look elsewhere for something that doesn’t feel like a long-running soap opera. If you’re looking for an action film, you’ll fall asleep from the very first scene. Nor is it a comedy-drama, as there’s, on the face of it, nothing funny here. It’s very much a psychological drama for your Sunday afternoon, far more so than a proper thriller.

Worth watching once for those who enjoy this sort of storyline, or for those who are very easy-going and open to anything.

It’s quite exhilarating, for me, to watch a film featuring Indians without it being a Bollywood production. No one starts dancing for no reason in the middle of a scene, and the film doesn’t run for three hours either. There’s even the strip club cliché, which is supposed to be in all good crime films, followed by a short chase set to funky music with a great bass line!

Once again, we see the inefficiency of the justice system, but that hasn’t been a secret for a very long time. If a burglar breaks in and steals nothing, the police do nothing, even if important information has been stolen.

Perfect for people who like simple dialogue and long, slow-paced feature films that are quite realistic.

The ending is predictable, with no surprises. The music in the credits is a bit too energetic and gives the impression that we’ve just watched a James Bond film.

Pratibha Ranta is the most fabulous actress of the lead duo, as well as the standout performer in the entire film.

Worth watching to pass the time for those who are easy-going, don’t get bored easily, or simply enjoy seeing slices of life in films.