2019 · Film
Badla
Sujoy Ghosh's mystery thriller in which a veteran defence lawyer questions a businesswoman accused of killing her lover, over the course of one evening.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Badla is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
The story
Naina Sethi, a successful young businesswoman in London, is out on bail after being arrested for the murder of her lover, Arjun, in a hotel room where police found no sign of anyone else. Her lawyer, Jimmy Punjabi, brings in Badal Gupta, a renowned defence attorney, to prepare her case. Over a single evening in Naina's apartment, Badal presses her to tell him exactly what happened, from the blackmail that led them to the hotel to the events of the months before.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A compact, dialogue-driven puzzle that runs just under two hours, a good fit for viewers who like courtroom-style interrogations and twisty mysteries. It is rated U/A and deals with murder, a fatal accident and a cover-up.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Badla is a Hindi remake of the 2016 Spanish film The Invisible Guest, directed by Oriol Paulo. Sujoy Ghosh wrote the screenplay, with dialogue by Raja Vasant. Red Chillies Entertainment and Azure Entertainment produced the film, and principal photography began in Glasgow, Scotland, on 14 June 2018.
The film was released in cinemas on 8 March 2019. Its opening weekend in India brought in about ₹27.38 crore, and Wikipedia reports a worldwide gross of about ₹138 crore, making it a commercial success. At the 65th Filmfare Awards it received four nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Amrita Singh. It was also nominated at the 21st IIFA Awards for Best Director, Best Actress for Taapsee Pannu and Best Supporting Actress for Amrita Singh. The same Spanish film was also remade in Telugu as Evaru (2019).
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Mystery thriller, Courtroom drama
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Sujoy Ghosh
- Cast
- Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke, Manav Kaul
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Badla in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Badla is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Is Badla in Hindi?
- Yes. Badla is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Badla suitable for children?
- Badla has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Badla?
- Badla runs for 1 hour 58 minutes (118 minutes).