Bandar review: Monkey business in the name of law

Anurag Kashyap returns to form with a gripping crime thriller that reignites the rape vs consensual sex debate. Bobby Deol and Sapna Pabbi are simply terrific.

Rating: (3 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

Initially released internationally as Monkey in a Cage and after making the rounds of the festival circuit, Anurag Kashyap’s Bandar (2026) has finally arrived in India. Written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, the film features Bobby Deol, Saba Azad, and British-Indian actor Sapna Pabbi, alongside supporting performances by Sanya Malhotra, Jitendra Joshi, and Indrajith Sukumaran.

From the moment its trailer dropped, Bandar drew comparisons with Akshaye Khanna’s Section 375 (2019). There are thousands of rape cases, and you cannot club them into one, so it is unwise to equate Bandar with Section 375. However, like the latter, Bandar, too, reignites the rape versus consensual sex debate.

Story

50-year-old Samar Mehra (Bobby Deol), a struggling actor, is accused of rape by his ex-girlfriend. They connected through a dating app, met a few times, got intimate, but how did Samar find himself in this predicament? Is he truly innocent as he claims to be?

Screenplay & Direction

Kashyap’s film is set in 2018, a period when the #MeToo movement peaked in India as well, with some big names from the entertainment industry being called out for sexual misconduct. The film’s disclaimer states that it is a fictionalized account of a true story. The closest such case we could relate to was that of singer and TV actor Karan Oberoi, who was booked and arrested on charges of rape in 2019. He was granted bail a month later. Oberoi was then acquitted of the charges. Director Kashyap claimed that he had read several such stories in the news; one of them supposedly involved an undertrial rape accused walking free after 32 years. We could not find a precisely matching story, but we did come across a similar account of a rape accused from Uttar Pradesh walking free after 21 years in jail. It has been 4-5 years since he became a free man, so we would not mention him or the accuser to avoid drawing unnecessary media attention.

Mindset plays a part when you walk into a theatre for such a film. Given that women’s safety is a huge concern in India, with an average of 80 rape cases recorded a day and 24,000 annually, this film tilts to the other side, possibly pointing to a false rape case. Public anger against rapists is very high, so would one believe Samar Mehra’s side of the story? Ideally not, but Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, and Anurag Kashyap make you at least lend an ear to Samar’s version of events. This is not a simple open-and-shut case, as the victim was known to Samar.

As per NCRB data, between 2018 and 2022, the conviction rate in rape cases stood at 27–28%, which suggests an acquittal rate of around 72%. One may hesitate to be judgmental, but the data indicates that either many accused were let off for lack of evidence, many cases were false, or several are still awaiting a final verdict. A low conviction rate inevitably raises questions about the judiciary. To be fair, laws do exist to address such crimes, but Bandar exposes the monkey business surrounding these laws – cases dragging on and undertrials languishing in jail. Clearly, it is the system that requires serious introspection.

If you live in Maharashtra, the film also underlines a grave concern for non-Maharashtrians i.e. FIRs being filed in the Marathi language. One respects the idea of the ‘Marathi manoos’, or any form of regional pride, but an accused – or even a victim – ought to be able to read and understand the contents of an FIR.

A serious subject such as rape accusation warrants serious writing, and Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee arm Anurag Kashyap with an engaging, stirring screenplay. This is no criticism per se, nor any lack of creativity here, but the dark reality of life in a jail becomes a bit disturbing to watch after some time. Then again, Anurag Kashyap likes his detailing to the bone. Blessed with a talented cast, Bandar delivers on its promise as a thought-provoking crime thriller.

Performances

We last saw Bobby Deol in the blockbuster Animal (2023). Abrar ul Haque got what he deserved, but perhaps Bandar was a way for Bobby Deol to atone for his Animal behaviour.

Samar Mehra is an intriguing character. He easily resonates with the perennial strugglers of tinsel town. Mehra has done a few TV shows, and he went viral for his edgy song C’mon Baby, performed at a Delhi wedding. He is not in great financial condition, with his domestic help not having been paid for the last four months. He strikes you as a warm, shy personality, but how good is he in his relationships? He would not bother to seek help from his Brigadier father, perhaps suggesting a gulf. Then, like most people today, he communicates with his girlfriend mostly through texts and voice notes. While on a date with his current girlfriend Khushi, (Saba Azad), he questions her about whether she was with a male friend the previous night. Though starving, an upset Khushi immediately leaves. He ponders whether he is really a nice guy, or whether there is evil lurking within him. A struggling career leads to a confused mind. It is the hellish time in jail, though, that screws with his mind. As days pass, he begins to believe that we are all monkeys in our own circus. Deol’s restrained, emotionally draining performance moves you. Having endured rough phases in his career and several years without work, Deol was naturally able to bring out Samar’s despondency. You cannot help but feel for Samar Mehra.

Legally, one is not supposed to reveal a rape victim’s identity, but this is just a film. The accuser here is Gayatri, (Sapna Pabbi), a London-born beauty who charms Samar. She endured a rough childhood, with warring parents. She came to India with her lover, who then abandoned her, and that is when she found Samar. Sapna Pabbi is a British actor, though you would not guess that from her early interactions. The British accent becomes noticeable only when she rages in frustration. Pabbi has a gifted screen presence and is equally mesmerizing in her portrayal of Gayatri.

Sanya Malhotra has a special appearance, playing Samar’s sister. She is a bit off-color in her first scene, where she is struggling both for time and for a meaningful conversation with Samar. Thereafter, though, it is usual business for the efficient Malhotra.

Saba Azad is equally competent as Khushi. You admire how, despite the tough time, she decides to back her man.

Jitendra Joshi thrives in sinister roles, and his Inspector Deore is no different. Kashyap and his team have taken care to mention in the disclaimer that they have full respect for the police, and that this film in no way defames them. We spoke about the ‘monkey business’ around laws; well, the Inspector Deores are often at the forefront of it. Deore’s first interrogation of Samar is full of puns and innuendos, which add humour to the serious charge.

Music and Technical Aspects

Kashyap’s noir shine extends to the music too, but perhaps Bandar is too serious to accommodate it. In the film, we hear two tracks: C’mon Baby and Pinjara, the fun, philosophical anthem of the Taloja inmates. The background score is limited but effective.

Much of the action in the jail is shaped by Prashant Bidkar, who creates the hellhole his director demanded.

Final thoughts

Through this plot and the apathy of its protagonist, Anurag Kashyap does not let pass an opportunity to take a swipe at those who reduce Bollywood to a cesspool of drugs, sex, and mafia. The presiding judge at Samar’s bail hearing says as much. What stands out, however, is that despite its disturbing truth, Bandar does not feed into misogyny or mob mentality. By the end, Samar appears to have some sense of what may have led to this mess, and therefore does not seem to harbour any lasting ill will toward his accuser.

In rape cases, public outrage is often immediate and intense. What many do not realise is how quickly the clamour for justice can slip from feminism into misandry. When men are victims, a patriarchal society is quick to adopt a mob-like mindset and speak in a misogynistic tone. While anger is understandable in brutal rape and murder cases, especially when children are involved, society perhaps needs to temper its reaction in contentious cases and let the law take its own course. One thing seems certain: after watching Bandar, many men will probably look at their phones a little more carefully and delete any text or conversation that could later come back to haunt them.

Video review below.