Star Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Akshay Oberoi, Saqib Saleem, Divya Dutta and others
Director: Ritesh Shah
Writer: Neeraj Pandey
Language: Hindi
OTT Platform: Netflix
MaverickNews30 Review: A Corrupt Cop, One Night and Plenty of Suspense
Can a corrupt police officer do the right thing for once without suddenly becoming a saint? Gajab Raat explores this interesting moral dilemma through SI Ajay Nirvit, played by Manoj Bajpayee, in a thriller that keeps its audience guessing.
Written by Neeraj Pandey and directed by Ritesh Shah, the Netflix film takes a familiar crime-thriller setting and adds a morally complicated protagonist. This is not the conventional Bollywood cop who always follows the rulebook or the larger-than-life action hero who takes the law into his own hands. Ajay Nirvit belongs to a greyer world, where personal interests, corruption and occasional flashes of conscience coexist.
The result is an engaging thriller that occasionally loses its pace but largely succeeds because of its lead performance and the mystery at its centre.
Story and Screenplay: A Night Full of Twists
SI Ajay Nirvit is a corrupt police officer who raids a motel allegedly operating a sex racket. However, his objective is not necessarily to uphold the law. He is unhappy with the money being paid to him and his senior officer.
His routine night takes a dramatic turn when an unidentified young woman, severely injured, is thrown out of a moving car on the streets of Delhi. As the incident goes viral on social media and public outrage builds, Ajay is assigned to investigate the case.
What follows is a complicated game involving multiple officers, competing interests and suspicious deals. A man claiming to be a CBI officer, played by Akshay Oberoi, arrives demanding control of the investigation. Saqib Saleem’s NIA officer adds another layer of tension, while social worker Neha Prabhu enters the picture.
The questions keep piling up. Who is the injured woman? Why is someone willing to pay to have her killed? What are the officers really after? And why does a policeman who routinely bends the law suddenly decide to protect a victim?
Neeraj Pandey understands how to build suspense, and the screenplay uses the one-night structure to create urgency. The shifting loyalties and negotiations keep the narrative moving, even when the answers remain out of reach.
Performances: Manoj Bajpayee Leads from the Front
Manoj Bajpayee is the film’s biggest strength. As Ajay Nirvit, he combines street-smart confidence, dark humour and flashes of emotional depth. He makes the character believable without asking the audience to forget his corruption.
His dialogue delivery and understated expressions add layers to a man who is neither a straightforward villain nor an uncomplicated hero. Bajpayee makes Ajay’s internal conflict the film’s emotional anchor.
Akshay Oberoi and Saqib Saleem contribute to the atmosphere of suspicion surrounding the investigation. However, their characters could have been developed further, particularly in the second half.
Divya Dutta makes her presence felt, while Nushrratt Bharuccha and Kiku Sharda leave an impression in their cameo appearances. The supporting cast provides adequate backing, although the screenplay does not give every character enough room to shine.
Direction, Music and Technical Aspects
Director Ritesh Shah keeps the narrative largely confined to a tense, time-bound investigation. The limited setting works in the film’s favour, creating a sense that every conversation and decision could change the outcome.
The film is at its best when it allows the audience to question the characters’ motives. The deals, shifting alliances and uncertainty surrounding the victim provide the thriller with its strongest moments.
However, the second half loses some momentum. Certain character motivations remain underdeveloped, while the longer monologues and moral explanations towards the end take away from the otherwise gritty storytelling.
The music supports the mood without becoming a major highlight. Ultimately, the film relies more on its screenplay, performances and atmosphere than on its soundtrack.
The Final Verdict: Is Gajab Raat Worth Watching?
One of the film’s most interesting aspects is its treatment of corruption. Ajay does not suddenly become an ideal policeman. Instead, he makes a conscious decision to put his questionable practices aside for one case.
His resolve to protect the victim, even if only temporarily, creates an intriguing moral question: can a fundamentally compromised person still choose to do something right?
The film does not offer a simple answer, and that ambiguity works in its favour. A scene in which Ajay speaks to the unconscious victim, mixing an unsettling anecdote with an apology and a thank-you, captures the character’s peculiar worldview.
Gajab Raat does not reinvent the crime-thriller genre. Its second half could have been tighter, and some supporting characters deserved better writing. Yet Manoj Bajpayee’s performance and Neeraj Pandey’s suspense-driven screenplay keep the film engaging.
You do not always need an elaborate cinematic universe to tell a compelling story. Sometimes, one night, a corrupt cop and a mysterious victim are enough.
MaverickNews30 Rating: 3/5 Stars
Watch it for: Manoj Bajpayee’s performance, the suspense and the morally grey protagonist.
Final Word:Gajab Raat is a reasonably engaging Netflix crime thriller that delivers enough intrigue to make it worth a watch, despite a few narrative shortcomings.
Disclaimer: This review is based on the reviewer’s individual perspective. Audience opinions may vary.
