Ittefaq movie review: Akshaye Khanna is the binding force in this edgy whodunnit

Bollywood has seen very few murder mysteries where the audience sits through the entire 3 hr roll time and still can't guess the real culprit. But debutant filmmaker Abhay Chopra's Ittefaq is one such gritty whodunnit where you will be deceived until the very end.

Ittefaq co-produced by Red Chillies and Dharma productions stars Sidharth Malhotra (Vikram Sethi, writer), Sonakshi Sinha (Maya Sinha) and Akshaye Khanna (Dev, the tough cop). The film is inspired by classic 1969 thriller by the same name Ittefaq starring megastar Rajesh Khanna, Nanda and Iftekhar.

Now comes the best part, it is inspired by the Yash Chopra directorial but the story is different. The plot opens with a long chase sequence shot during a rainy night and we know it is a thriller ( of course, these are prime elements we have seen in multiple films falling in that genre).

Interestingly, the two prime suspects in double murder mystery—Vikram and Maya's paths cross and in such a way that there is a web of chaos, lies and deception. All this and much more which Dev, a hard taskmaster on duty to solve the high profile case in three days flat has to unravel.

No, I am not going to reveal the details or give out any spoiler because that would kill the essence of the movie. All you should know while reading the review is that expect a class performance by Akshaye Khanna, who is at the top of his game. In fact, he fits the bill as inspector Dev who has a sharp mind and an eye for detail.

The dialogues given to him are worth remembering like this one goes 'Tere Jaise Bhutte Hum Roz Sekte Hai'. Yes, he says that to Sidharth while interrogating him (trailer had this one too).

Like the 1969 thriller, there are no songs in this one too. The makers took a wise decision to not include any track in this 2 hr 45-minute long mystery plot as it would have been a distraction.

You will see some untapped chemistry between Sid and Sonakshi which can work wonders if given a chance. The supporting cast, especially Himanshu Kohli and the one who played the constable did a fab job in adding some light moments in an otherwise dark narrative.

Do watch the film over the weekend to appreciate some fine performances. Who knows this Ittefaq might intrigue you!

(Ratings: 3 stars out of five)