The plot of Qaidi Band is far-fetched as it is, and director Habib Faisal takes it a few notches more into nonsensical grounds as he gets overwhelmed by the amateur performance of his cast masqueraded as over-performance. A group of under-trials is leading a life of misery in a central prison, where out of the blues, the warden one day decides to form a music band to appease the politicians. If you have already watched the rich man's version of this film, Lucknow Central (2017), you know what's cooking. A band is soon formed and unsuspecting pseudo criminals suddenly turn into talented musicians. While the first half is bearable, the second half floods the lid off this over- exaggerated and illogical drama. Qaidi Band, as a film, is too far off from reality, almost to a point where you can push it into the genre of fantasy. Lead actors Aadar Jain and Anya Singh don't have feathers to fly, that's all. With enough pressure from whoever introduced them to the Tinseltown, supported by a weak direction, both of them stumble over their own inexperience. Director Faisal is known for his risky casting and explosive plots, but Qaidi Band is just a damp squib with nothing realistic to offer. At the end, you would wonder, is this a social commentary on the plight of under-trials in the country or a film about a rock band? (Neither.) TN.
Review of Qaidi Band
