Film
Wazir
A chess grandmaster in a wheelchair and an ATS officer bond over shared grief and become unlikely allies in a high-stakes game of revenge. This slick Bollywood thriller uses the chessboard as metaphor and playground, mixing procedural crime elements with character-driven tension. It's for anyone who enjoys intelligent action cinema that doesn't neglect its emotional core.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like a lean cat-and-mouse thriller where two wounded men's unlikely partnership carries as much weight as the chase, and chess-board logic drives the plot.
Skip it if you want big set-pieces and fast momentum; this is talky and deliberate, with long stretches of quiet conversation and a plot that asks you to keep up with its moves.
What it asks of you: It runs a brisk 103 minutes, but the early scenes move at a measured pace, and it wants you listening closely rather than half-watching.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Badla2019
A cat-and-mouse game between two leads, built on misdirection and a twist that recontextualizes everything you've seen. Taapsee Pannu and Amitabh Bachchan again, proving their chemistry works across genres.
But The reveal divides viewers sharply—some find it brilliant, others feel manipulated. Talky thriller rather than action-driven.

Khoon Bhari Maang1988
An Amitabh Bachchan revenge thriller where intelligence and cunning matter more than physical prowess. Proof he excels at playing men who win through strategy, not just screen presence.
But Eighties melodrama sensibilities will feel overripe to modern viewers. Some plot conveniences creak under scrutiny.

Article 152019
Crime thriller that treats its subject matter with real gravity, powered by Ayushmann Khurrana's investigation into systemic corruption. Sharp social commentary wrapped in thriller pacing.
But Unflinchingly dark and difficult. Some viewers want genre thrills, not moral weight alongside them.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Wazir
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Talvar2015
Both use investigative structure and partnership at their core, but where Wazir embraces the symbolic weight of chess and strategy, Talvar grounds itself in the messy reality of actual crime-solving. One is mythic, one is forensic.
A police procedural built on genuine forensic investigation and the corruption that clouds it. Two officers, competing theories, no easy answers. Made by Meghna Gulzar, it's inquiry as thriller.
But Refuses to deliver the satisfaction of a tidy resolution. Based on a real case where justice remains ambiguous and contested.

More like this (8)
Pink2016
Amitabh Bachchan as a lawyer fighting a legal battle shaped by twisted circumstance and buried secrets. Intelligent, dialogue-driven, propelled by moral conviction rather than spectacle.
But Courtroom drama moves slowly in places. The political message some viewers find preachy, others essential.

Bobby Jasoos2014
A woman detective thriller that prioritizes wit and character observation over action. Proof Bollywood can build suspense through intelligence and humor rather than fights.
But Deliberately underplayed and quirky, which means it won't satisfy anyone wanting conventional thrills. Feels slight compared to heavier entries.

Raees2017
Shah Rukh Khan as a gangster playing an intricate game of power and survival. Stylish, violent, and driven by the cat-and-mouse dynamic between hunter and hunted.
But Glorifies criminality with charisma in ways that land unevenly. The third act betrays some of the intelligence built earlier.

Special 262013
A con-man thriller that rewards close viewing. Watches like an elaborate magic trick where the pleasure comes from being outthought by characters as smart as the audience.
But The moral compass is deliberately absent, which alienates viewers who need heroes. Complexity can feel cold.

Sooryavanshi2021
Akshay Kumar cops-versus-terrorists action cinema with intelligence woven through. Briskly paced, genuinely suspenseful in stretches, and aware of its own genre conventions.
But Leans heavily on bombast and spectacle in the final hour. Some will find the patriotic messaging heavy-handed.

Raid2018
A taut, claustrophobic thriller about a government income-tax raid. Minimal plot, maximum tension. Ajay Devgn at his most controlled and credible.
But Deliberately confined and procedural. Viewers seeking broad action sequences or emotional arcs will find it austere and narrow.

Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 12012
Both center on men playing a long game against worthy opponents, but Gangs treats strategy as cultural inheritance—passed down through families and generations. Wazir's chess metaphor is personal; here it's tribal.
A crime saga that prioritizes character complexity and regional specificity over Bollywood glamour. Brutal, darkly funny, and sustained by the intelligence of its protagonist's strategic thinking.
But Two films totaling five hours, shot in grainy digital, depicting North India's criminal underworld without sentimentality. Violence is casual and pervasive. Demands patience and tolerance for moral messiness.

Memories in March2011
Like Wazir, it's built on two people bound by a death they didn't cause, forced into alliance against a world that doesn't understand them. But where Wazir channels that grief into action and revenge, this film stays inside the grief itself, letting it reshape both men's understanding of love and forgiveness.
A grief-stricken father and a dead man's ex-lover must work together, their antagonism masking shared loss. Understated, moving, powered by two actors finding humanity in constraint and silence.
But Quietly small and introspective. No action, minimal plot momentum. Requires patience with emotional subtlety over external conflict.

People
Cast
Amitabh BachchanPandit Omkarnath Dhar
Farhan AkhtarDaanish Ali
Aditi Rao HydariRuhana Ali
John AbrahamS.P.
Neil Nitin MukeshWazir
Manav KaulYazaad Qureshi
Murali SharmaMahesh
Nishigandha WadRuhaana's Mother
Avtar GillG.B. Singh

Directing
- Tushar KunderAssistant Director
- Bejoy NambiarDirector
Writing
- Abhijeet DeshpandeDialogue
- Abhijat JoshiScreenplay
- Suketu MehtaScreenplay
- Supriya KelkarScreenplay
- Vikram ChandraScreenplay
- Vidhu Vinod ChopraStory
Production
- girdharswamiCasting Director
- Aquib KhanProducer
- Rajkumar HiraniProducer
- Vidhu Vinod ChopraProducer
- Hemant Kumar DixitProduction Manager