Starring: Shiney Ahuja, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut

A goon and a singer, smitten by an irredeemable drunk. One of the tightest scripted thrillers in a long while, this one is low on budget but pretty darned intense. A very solid film with well-written characters, Gangster is a revelation, the kind of film that gives young/struggling filmmakers hope. It's gritty yet sophisticated, flawed yet often inspired -- falling just short of perfect.

Kangana Ranaut makes a dramatic debut in a film centring around her. With irresistible ringlets framing her troubled face, her character slurs in and out of lethal situations and high drama, glassy eyes and pout compellingly in place. Shiney delivers a near-flawless performance, high-strung and insecure, both powerful and helpless. And then there's Hashmi, who does well to underplay his character.

It's a well-shot film with smashing use of music, and a killer soundtrack. Some vivid, memorable visual imagery creates quite an impact, resulting in an impressive film.

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