Darlings: Alia Bhatts Netflix Debacle Fumbles the Art of Dark Comedy

The film Darlings, featuring Alia Bhatt, is set to release on Netflix this Friday. It claims to be a black comedy revenge thriller, centering around a young woman (Bhatt) trapped in a violent marriage who seeks revenge against her alcoholic husband, portrayed by Vijay Varma. The film oddly divides its 134-minute runtime fairly evenly between the protagonist’s suffering and her retaliation plans after enduring her breaking point. However, it takes too long to reach the pivotal moment, and even after that, Darlings struggles to increase tension and direction, resulting in a narrative that meanders rather than gains momentum.

On one hand, this issue arises because Darlings, directed by debutant Jasmeet K. Reen, is more of a comedy of blunders than a genuine dark comedy. At some points, it resembles a Hrishikesh Mukherjee classic like Gol Maal, rather than aligning with the tone of true black comedy revenge thrillers like Promising Young Woman. In the lead-up to its release, the Darlings team tried to «educate» audiences on the concept of dark comedy. Yet it is evident that they themselves do not fully grasp it, leading to a tonal dissonance as the film shifts unnecessarily between genres. If a film aims to be a dark comedy, every aspect should align with that vision from the start.

Darlings’ struggle to establish a coherent tone reflects the broader hesitance in Bollywood to delve into darker themes. Yet, sometimes the flaws aren’t about dramatic shifts but rather about how elements are combined. For example, a character who deflects their trauma with humorous dialogue is only fully explored in the latter part of the film when the audience learns about their past. Darlings would have benefited from revealing this information sooner, allowing the character’s words to resonate with a darker significance for viewers while being perceived merely as comedic by others. By flipping this dynamic, the humor diminishes for the audience as well. Such shortcomings ultimately hinder Darlings from achieving its aspirations.

Also seeAll You Need to Know About Darlings

Settled in a chawl in Byculla, Mumbai, three years after her marriage, Badrunissa “Badru” Shaikh, played by Bhatt, endures constant abuse from her husband Hamza Shaikh (Varma). Their neighbors have grown accustomed to the nightly disturbances emanating from their home. Badru suspects Hamza’s alcohol consumption—he starts his day with a shot of liquor—to be a contributing factor to their issues. His government job as a train ticket collector, which includes serving his boss by cleaning toilets, seems to exacerbate his frustrations, which he then unleashes on his wife. There’s no doubt that Hamza is the antagonist, as he manipulates Badru’s feelings and skews situations to his advantage.

Despite her mother, Shamshunissa “Shamshu” Ansari (Shefali Shah), insisting from the beginning that Badru needs to break free from Hamza, Badru clings to the hope that she can transform him. Darlings does not clarify whether this stems from love or loyalty to her long-term goals. Badru has a timeline mapped out for her life: first child in 2020, a bigger house in 2021, a second child in 2022, and a car by 2024. She continuously nudges Hamza to agree to a redevelopment deal proposed by a builder, which could lead to gentrification, although the film fails to address this issue. Instead, it only serves to fuel Hamza’s anger, prompting Badru to devise a plan to change him permanently.

Regardless of her attempts, Hamza shows little willingness to improve, offering only empty assurances. When his rage crosses a line one night, Badru comes to the harsh realization that changing her husband is a lost cause—at least temporarily. Darlings grapples with a curious issue where the protagonist shifts unpredictably between the extremes of Hamza’s intolerable behavior and her still lingering affection for him. Badru appears passive for the first half of the film and lacks direction in the latter half, even as she is meant to evolve. Her transformation from a naive girl to a determined and empowered woman is continually overshadowed by the film’s inclination for comedic moments, many featuring a police officer (Vijay Maurya).

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Light plot spoilers ahead.

As Darlings unfolds into a comedy of mistakes, early in the second act, when Badru ponders how to change her husband, her mother suggests killing him. A moment later, when Shamshu receives a call from the police, they both panic, convinced the police heard their conversation. 🤦‍♀️ The ensuing scene is reminiscent of a moment from Hera Pheri. Later, after Badru decides to teach Hamza a lesson, his boss—who also makes him clean toilets—starts inquiring about Hamza. The situation quickly spirals in a similarly comedic fashion. Even later, as Badru contemplates the fate of Hamza, who is tied to a chair, she and her mother opt to file a missing person report. This decision brings unnecessary attention to themselves.

The only factor that prevents their exposure is Zulfi (Roshan Mathew), a naive young man who loiters around the Shaikhs and Ansaris, paralleling the film itself. Zulfi’s role feels peripheral, as his character barely contributes to the story’s main events.

Beyond the comedic misapplied moments, what ultimately damns Darlings is its failure to maintain a cohesive narrative and character development. After Hamza makes a false commitment to change, the following scene shifts to a romantic yet unrealistic portrayal, enhanced with a musical montage. While it’s plausible to suggest Badru might be self-deluded, there is no rationale for the film to share that delusion. Furthermore, the Netflix film glosses over the trauma experienced by some characters, while for others, it remains unexplored. They don’t carry their past pain from one scene to the next as realistically as they should, which enables the film to indulge in its lighthearted comedic moments but creates an unsettling disconnect for the audience.

Similarly, the film’s conclusion is chaotic. It hints at a moral framework within Darlings. Yet, in its pursuit of a feel-good ending—with a full-screen public service announcement inserted into the movie—the film ultimately turns Badru into Alia Bhatt. At the least, Darlings concludes in theaters. The film, originally intended for theatrical release, reflects an “interval” that coincides with Badru’s supposed transformation before it transitioned to streaming. It is interesting to note that Netflix became the final outlet, as Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies is a producer of this project.

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Alia Bhatt and Vijay Varma in Darlings
Photo Credit: Netflix

In late 2017, Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings made a personal visit to woo Shah Rukh Khan, persuading him to have his Red Chillies banner create films and series for their platform. This was likely with the anticipation that this collaboration might eventually lead to a film featuring India’s star. However, that dream never came true, with the partnership gradually fading as Red Chillies produced subpar content for Netflix—like the Emraan Hashmi-led Bard of Blood, the zombie horror series Betaal, and the Bobby Deol-led thriller Class of ‘83.

While Darlings appears to signal a revival for these collaborations, it may not be the case. Red Chillies has not produced anything original for Netflix since 2020. More importantly, Darlings is co-produced with Eternal Sunshine, the new venture from first-time producer Bhatt. This movie marks the beginning of Bhatt’s business endeavors, and Netflix is undoubtedly hoping this partnership yields better results than the previous one.

Darlings premiered Friday, August 5 at 12:30 PM IST on Netflix worldwide.


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