Dial 100 Review: Manoj Bajpayee & Neena Gupta's thriller offers predictable thrills with strong performances

Dial 100

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Neena Gupta, Sakshi Tanwar 

Director: Rensil D'silva 

Streaming Platform: ZEE5

Stars: 3.5/5

Manoj Bajpayee has been on a roll since quite sometime dishing out great performances. He seems to continue this streak in Dial 100 as well which is helmed by director Rensil D'silva. The film, which has a run time of little less than 2 hours, also stars Neena Gupta and Sakshi Tanwar in prominent roles. Set in Mumbai, Manoj Bajpayee is a Senior Police Inspector Nikhil Sood who works at the emergency control room. Apart from serving in the police, he is also a doting father to an 18-year-old son who has a past and does not pay heed to his mother (played by Sakshi Tanwar). 

The 1 hour, 44 minute film begins on a curious note as Sood fields a call early on during his night shift from a woman who is attempting to commit suicide. However, this one call changes the course of what is going to happen over the next few hours as it connects him, his wife and teenage son in a situation like no other. 

The screenplay kicks off on an exciting note and even builds up as it goes along the way. However, almost one hour into the film, the thriller gets a tad predictable with unsurprising twists and turns. However, what stands out are the strong performances of Dial 100. The talented cast does a good job of holding your attention and keeping you hooked till the end. 

Manoj Bajpayee as a police inspector and father plays the part with conviction and even makes it relatable. Sakshi Tanwar, who gets a limited amount of screen time, delivers her best and definitely stands out. While we are used to watching Neena Gupta deliver knockout performances, Dial 100 falls short. The veteran actress does not get enough material to chew on and thus delivers a mediocre performance. The film's supporting cast play their parts as expected.  

The film inches towards a decent suspenseful climax forcing the protagonist to put himself in the shoes of the woman whom he's trying to tackle all night. It clearly draws the line between his profession and personal life and forces him to ask himself some difficult questions. While Rensil D'silva's Dial 100 delivers a foreseeable thriller, it's strong performances make this film an interesting watch. 

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