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Apurva
Official release poster
Directed by	Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Written by	Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Produced by	Murad Khetani
Starring	Tara Sutaria
Cinematography	Anshuman Mahaley
Edited by	Shivkumar V. Panicker
Music by	Songs: Vishal Mishra Score: Ketan Sodha
Production companies	Star Studios Cine1 Studios Production
Distributed by	Disney+ Hotstar
Release date	15 November 2023 (2023-11-15)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Apurva is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language survival thriller film written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Murad Khetani. It stars Tara Sutaria in the eponymous role alongside Rajpal Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee and Dhairya Karwa. Set in Chambal, the film follows an ordinary woman who faces extraordinary circumstances and will do anything to survive.

The film was released on Disney+ Hotstar on 15 November 2023 to mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

In a rural area, a car is ambushed by a gang of four men—Jugnu, Sukha, Balli, and Chota—who kill its occupants and loot their jewellery. Planning their next target, the gang sets their sights on a nearby truck. Meanwhile, Apurva Kashyap, a young woman, travels by bus to surprise her fiancé, Siddharth “Sid.” When the bus driver refuses to yield to Jugnu's car, the gang escalates the situation, killing the driver and conductor. During a phone call between Apurva and Sid, Sukha argues with Sid, ultimately deciding to abduct Apurva.

The gang takes Apurva to an abandoned village, where Chota threatens her. In a moment of desperation, Apurva pushes him away, but Chota retaliates, knocking her unconscious. An astrologer, Tara Chand, soon arrives and is also captured by the gang. Regaining consciousness, Apurva escapes with Tara, who becomes her ally.

As they try to evade capture, Apurva confronts and kills Chota in self-defense. Blaming Tara for Chota’s death, the gang hunts him down, eventually killing him while Apurva narrowly escapes. She manages to call Sid on Tara's phone, informing him of the gang’s identities, but is left to survive alone until morning as the police advise Sid to wait to intervene.

Balli soon discovers Apurva and attempts to sexually assault her. Pretending to submit, she seizes an opportunity to overpower and stab him. Jugnu and Sukha, finding Balli gravely injured, continue their pursuit. Apurva lures Jugnu into a well, pushing him in and killing him, and later dispatches the injured Balli.

In a final confrontation, Apurva attempts to run down Sukha with a stolen car, but a crash leads to a struggle near a railway. Overpowered, Apurva finally pushes Sukha away, who expresses a twisted desire to marry her. In a decisive moment, Apurva kills Sukha and seeks refuge in a nearby railway crossing cabin, where she manages to contact Sid, ending her night of survival.

Cast

• Tara Sutaria as Apurva Kashyap
• Rajpal Yadav as Jugnu
• Abhishek Banerjee as Sukha
• Dhairya Karwa as Siddharth "Sid", Apurva's fiancé
• Sumit Gulati as Balli
• Aaditya Gupta as Chhota
• Rakesh Chaturvedi Om as Astrologer Tara Chand
• Navni Parihar as Apurva's Mother
• Rajesh Jais as Apurva's Father
• Geeta Modi as Siddharth's Mother
• Vinod Sharma as Siddharth's Father
• Gagan Bhasin as Sub-inspector
• Aashish Dubey as Rajiv
• Madhvendra Jha as Insp. Manohar

Production

Principal photography commenced in October 2022. Production wrapped in December 2022.

The title role was originally offered to Kiara Advani, however, she rejected it, deeming it "a major risk in her career at this point".

Music

The film’s music was composed by Vishal Mishra, with lyrics by Mishra and Kaushal Kishore. The soundtrack, distributed by Zee Music Company, consists of three original tracks: "Diwali", "Hai Khuda" and "Tujhse Pyaar Hai"—all of which were released as singles leading up to and coinciding with the film’s release.

Release

The film was released on the streaming platform, Disney+ Hotstar on 15 November 2023.

Reception

Critical response

Apurva received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 20% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10.

Dhaval Roy of Times of India rated the film 3.5/5 and wrote, "If your are looking for a movie that thrills, shocks and makes you hold your breath, this one's definitely for you as it ticks these boxes. Watch out for the ultimate face off between Apurva and one of the antagonists!" Writing for The Indian Express, Alaka Sahani wrote "had the makers of Apurva not harboured the ambition of being gritty and realistic, this probably would have come close to being a ‘slasher’ movie". A critic from Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3/5 stars and wrote "Apurva is a well-made gripping thriller."

Hindustan Times's Prannay Pathak wrote, "Despite the unappetising lingering over the lead character’s body and the gratuitous violence punctuating the goings-on, Apurva never scares you or makes your skin crawl". Despite otherwise disliking the film, Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com opined, "If at all the film does anything, it is to offer Tara Sutaria a role that allows her to act, rather than just dress up and play pretty love interest to the leading man".

In a scathing review for Film Companion, Rahul Desai reviewed, "Apurva is predictable, tasteless and frighteningly dull, ticking genre boxes because they're cool and not because there's a story to be told". Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal had a similar take stating, "Nagesh, although creates a world that is close to reality sans newness. Anushka Sharma’s NH10, and Imtiaz Ali’s Highway had similar tone, vibe, and atmosphere, a way better screenplay for that matter, Apurva looks stale in every aspect".

Viewership

Apurva garnered 4,800,000 views in its initial week of debut on Disney+ Hotstar, securing the fourth position among the most-watched Indian content across all streaming platforms during the same week.

References

1. "Tara Sutaria to headline edge-of-the-seat thriller Apurva". Bollywood Hungama. 16 July 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
2. "Apurva: Gehraiyaan actor Dhairya Karwa to star opposite Tara Sutaria in Star Studios and Cine1 Studios' edge-of-the-seat thriller". Bollywood Hungama. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
3. "Tara Sutaria admits that shouldering a film is a 'huge responsibility', says she is lucky for her 1st solo project 'Apurva'". The Economic Times. 27 October 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
4. "Tara Sutaria's 'Apurva' to stream on Disney+ Hotstar from November 15; first-look posters out". The Hindu. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
5. "Today's ENT Wrap: Tara Sutaria's Apurva Gets Mixed Reviews, Salman Khan's Tiger 3 Grosses Rs 240 Crore Worldwide And More". Zoom TV. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
6. "Tara Sutaria begins shooting for Apurva; calls it 'a tale of the true strength'". Bollywood Hungama. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
7. "Tara Sutaria-starrer Apurva starts filming". The Indian Express. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
8. "It's a wrap! Tara Sutaria-Dhairya Karwa starrer Apurva concludes the shoot". Bollywood Hungama. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
9. "It's a wrap for Tara Sutaria's 'Apurva'". The New Indian Express. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
10. "Kiara Advani rejects Kabir Singh producers woman centric film titled Apurva : Bollywood News". Bollywood Hungama. 25 March 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
11. "'Diwali': First track of Tara Sutaria and Dhairya Karwa's 'Apurva' is out now". The Times of India. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
12. "Apurva | Song - Hai Khuda | Hindi Video Songs - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
13. Hungama, Bollywood (15 November 2023). "Apurva Movie Music | Apurva Movie Songs | Download Latest Bollywood Songs Music - Bollywood Hungama". Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
14. "Tara Sutaria starrer Apurva to directly release on Disney+ Hotstar on November 15; see the first intriguing posters". Bollywood Hungama. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
15. "Today's ENT Wrap: Tara Sutaria's Apurva Gets Mixed Reviews, Salman Khan's Tiger 3 Grosses Rs 240 Crore Worldwide And More". Zoom TV. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
16. "Apurva - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
17. "Apurva Review : A hostage drama that thrills, shocks, and impresses with its treatment". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
18. "Apurva movie review: Tara Sutaria headlines a predictable tale of brutality and bravery". The Indian Express. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
19. "Apurva Movie Review". Bollywood Hungama. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
20. "Apurva movie review: Tara Sutaria's predictable survival thriller needed more brainstorming and less head clobbering". Hindustan Times. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
21. Gahlot, Deepa. "Apurva Review: Give It A Miss". Rediff. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
22. Desai, Rahul (16 November 2023). "Apurva Review: Predictable, Performative and Frighteningly Dull". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
23. "Apurva Review: Tara Sutaria Manages To Impress A Bit In This Run-Of-The-Mill Survival Drama". Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
24. FC, Team (3 November 2023). "The Five Most-Viewed Streaming Shows And Movies Of The Week". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.

External links

• Apurva at IMDb

• 2023 films
• 2020s Hindi-language films
• 2023 thriller films
• Indian thriller films
• Star Studios films