Accused Review {2.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Konkona Sen Sharma, Pratibha Rannta
Director: Anubhuti Kashyap
Accused Movie Review Synopsis:
ACCUSED is the story of a celebrated queer doctor in trouble. Dr Geetika Sen (Konkona Sen Sharma) is the HOD, Gynaecology, at London's Chapelstone General Hospital. She is a taskmaster at her workplace and is known to be very strict with her juniors when they make mistakes. She is in a live-in relationship with Dr Meera (Pratibha Rannta), who works at Willowbrook Children's Hospital. They plan to relocate to another city and adopt a baby. One day, their lives change as an anonymous e-mail is sent to Chapelstone. The sender, in this e-mail, accuses Geetika of sexual misconduct. As per the rules, the hospital hires an external professional, Jaideep Bhargav (Mashhoor Amrohi), to investigate the case. Geetika is assured that since the complaint is anonymous, no action will be taken against her. However, more anonymous emails follow, escalating the situation. Matters worsen when a former junior doctor publicly accuses Geetika of sexual harassment. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Accused Movie Story Review:
Sima Agarwal and Yash Keswani have written a story which is novel and arresting instantly. But Sima Agarwal and Yash Keswani's screenplay has its share of blemishes. Sima Agarwal and Yash Keswani's dialogues are decent.
Anubhuti Kashyap's direction is average. She appears to have a penchant for medical dramas; her debut feature film, DOCTOR G [2022], was also set within a hospital environment while exploring an unconventional subject. The film is just 106 minutes long and the focus is only on the principal plot. The goings-on keep one interested, as one would be curious to know whether Dr Geetika is indeed guilty. The queer angle is handled deftly.
On the flipside, the attempt to depict Geetika as a realistic, flawed person misfires. Some of her actions are such that the audience might feel disgusted by her and might not root for her. The scene where Geetika claims to have donated money had no relevance and one wonders why it is even there in the film. A few scenes are amusing and childish like the hospital’s IT team managing to delete comments against Geetika. In real-life, the case would have become a national talking point, more so because it involves a queer person of foreign origin, with mediapersons crowding outside the hospital and Geetika’s residence. Instead, what we see is little trolling on social media and one random podcaster on the field taking an interest in the case. This, coupled with the fact that the film appears to have been shot in just a few neighbourhoods (with Poland masquerading as London), lends it a somewhat low-budget look. The finale is a bit predictable and again, the way it unfolds is difficult to digest.
Accused | Teaser | Konkona Sen Sharma, Pratibha Ranta | Netflix India
Accused Movie Review Performances:
Konkona Sen Sharma constantly rises above the script and plays a complex character with reverence. She makes sure it's different from her act in AJEEB DAASTAANS [2021], where her role was bit in a similar setup. Pratibha Rannta impresses yet again after LAAPATAA LADIES [2024]. She maintains a strong position in front of a seasoned actor like Konkona and dominates the confrontational scenes. Mashhoor Amrohi gets the annoying act and leaves a mark. Aditya Nanda (Angad) does well but is let down by the writing to some extent. Kallirroi Tziafeta (Sophie) and Monica Mahendru (Simran) leave a huge mark. Sukant Goel (Mansoor) is apt for the part. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya (Natasha), Daniele Secondi (Dr Cooper) and others are decent.
Accused movie music and other technical aspects:
The song 'Maange Manzooriyan' is played for less than a minute and doesn’t register. Neel Adhikar's background score is appropriate.
Linesh Desai's cinematography is fair. Arvind Ashok Kumar and Bindiya Chhabria's production design is rich, while Himani Bhatia's costumes are classy. Prerna Saigal's editing is slick.
Accused Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, ACCUSED rests on an intriguing and novel storyline and the strong performances by Konkona Sen Sharma and Pratibha Rannta. However, the film’s impact is diluted by inconsistent writing, underdeveloped dramatic tension and a finale that lacks the punch such a sensitive subject demanded. What could have been a gripping, layered medical drama ends up being a moderately engaging but ultimately underwhelming watch.
