Anurag Kashyap’s latest film, with an unusual title, Bandar (Monkey in a Cage), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. Its poster, featuring its leading man Bobby Deol (playing Samar Mehra), caged behind bars in a flashy outfit, generated immense curiosity.
In today’s world, where there is increasing awareness of women’s rights and the rise of feminist ideology, both shifts in the right direction, an uncomfortable question arises: do some men end up being persecuted in the process? This question itself risks sounding controversial enough to quickly get dismissed. While discussing sexual abuse or rape, the woman’s side of the narrative naturally holds more weight. This is reasonable when the perpetrator is a stranger. Then again, how do we dissect intimate relationships? With women’s accounts demanding more attention, can we dismiss other motives in the accusations? By the time the legal system delivers its slow verdict, today’s social media judges already declare the accused guilty.
Bandar highlights this narrative through the story of Samar Mehra, a middle-aged, not-so-successful artist trying to survive by performing at random events. Unlike his shiny outfit, his face tells a contrasting story. Seemingly demotivated, Samar performs to pay his bills, barely hoping he may still make it big in the entertainment industry.
Samar’s dull life takes a dark turn when he is accused of raping Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi), a woman with whom he had recently ended a relationship. When the police arrive to arrest Samar, they carry a warrant in the name of “Samir” Mehra. The fact that they do not bother to get his name right speaks volumes about the film’s message. The cops take Samar into custody and remand him to a trial jail, refusing his request for bail. Samar’s cries of innocence fall on deaf ears, as the police have already deemed him guilty without investigation. Given their disdain for him, as they believe he is a “rapist,” they barely allow him to exercise his rights as an accused. Buying his way out through a corrupt police system is not an option with his shaky finances. Though he cares about his parents and does not want to involve them in his mess, his brigadier father oddly offers no help.
This is when Bandar brings us to the atmosphere of the trial jail, which becomes its own character, with big credits going to the cinematography. The unhygienic conditions, deplorable food, and overcrowding highlight the denial of human rights to prisoners. While Samar is still an accused, not only the police, but most inmates are ready to label him a rapist. Moreover, it was rather intriguing to learn that rape carries more stigma than murder among inmates, where they advise the man to claim murder as his accusation.
Bandar positions Samar in a tricky space by never diving into his plea with credibility. If he had slept with Gayatri, was it with her consent or not? Was their relationship compatible while it lasted? Why did he try to avoid her? Why did he move on to another woman without informing Gayatri? Is Gayatri using her legal privilege as a woman against him? Is there any proof for Samar’s alleged crime? None of these questions is investigated by the police. The news channels that run sensational stories against Samar Mehra do not bother either.
In Bandar’s narrative, what happened in a closed room between two adults in a relationship is lensed only from one person’s claim. So, when one accuses the other of abuse, is it not only fair that the other person has a say too? It also makes us rethink whether “No means No” has become a gender-specific phrase.
Anurag Kashyap’s film is a significant leap in Bollywood, where female-centric films take pride in projecting men as insensitive and chauvinistic brutes. Alternatively, male-centric films highlight grand toxic masculinity, where women are relegated to sexualized dance sequences. Bandar deviates from both narratives and holds its ground with honesty, navigating Samar’s story without whitewashing his flaws. Gayatri’s seemingly unreasonable actions, possibly due to her troubled past, are validated too – especially when Samar’s sister (Sanya Malhotra) confronts him over his ghosting and blocking of Gayatri. There are scenes near the end where Samar introspects and preemptively apologizes to his present girlfriend, Khushi (Saba Azad), for any pain he may have caused. All this adds a female point of view in the story, as it is directed by a female filmmaker, Sakshi Mehta.
Bandar also shines in its craft of filmmaking. There is a distinct mood dichotomy between Samar’s character and his jailmates, reflecting how Samar has not come to terms with his situation while others have. In true Kashyap style, the film uses sarcastic, dark humor throughout, with concise subplots of fellow inmates that mirror Samar’s story. The male bonding among inmates, even in dire circumstances, is heartwarming.
Another major strength of Bandar is the ensemble cast. It would be a long list to mention every actor, but dozens of accomplished artists appear in brief roles. Kudos to the casting team for such diversity and the use of various Indian languages, which feels authentic.
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Among the leads, Sapna Pabbi brings out the histrionics needed for her troubled character, Gayatri, convincingly. Saba Azad and Sanya Malhotra do justice to their roles. Indrajith Sukumaran is fantastic as a jail gang leader, and other actors such as Ankush Gedam, Sukant Goel, Jitendra Joshi, and Jaimini Pathak deliver solid performances; the list goes on.
Ultimately, Bandar belongs to Bobby Deol. After recently playing macho villainous roles in a string of films, he gets a bare canvas here. With no frills and zero props, Kashyap’s film demands a lot from Deol, with the screenplay giving him a chance to flex his face and demeanor like never before. The actor is superb as a man caught in an impossible trap. With Samar’s helplessness, despair and anxiety on full display, Bandar is a mighty win for Deol. Notably, he portrays a point of view that stands against the beliefs of most other characters in the film. Yet, in the end, it’s impossible not to empathize with the man, while reminding us of the monkey in a cage metaphor.
It is interesting that the film subtly references Deol’s younger days. These references seem to go deeper, where Deol channels personal setbacks and pain into his character’s emotions, making it a bold attempt by the actor to expose his vulnerability in front of the camera.
Bandar takes on cancel culture, the ongoing gender divide in ideologies, and how fragile relationships are on this date. If a film should tie everything up neatly or leave unresolved scenarios is open to debate, but Kashyap wraps it up in a way that leaves you unsettled, very intentionally so. This incessantly bold film is sure to open up conversations around these complex social issues when it hits theatres in India.
Rating: ★★★★
Bandar (Monkey in a Cage) had its World Premiere at the 2025 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.
