A Thursday

{{short description|Indian thriller film by Behzad Khambata}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox film

| name = A Thursday

| image = A Thursday poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Behzad Khambata

| producer = Ronnie Screwvala
Premnath Rajagopalan

| writer = Behzad Khambata

| story = Ashley Michael Lobo
Behzad Khambata

{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes

| label1= Dialogue by

| data1 = Vijay Maurya}}

| starring = {{ubl|Yami Gautam|Atul Kulkarni|Neha Dhupia|Dimple Kapadia|Karanvir Sharma}}

| music = Rooshin Dalal
Kaizad Gherda

| cinematography = Anuj Rakesh Dhawan
Siddharth Vasani

| editing = Sumeet Kotian

| studio = RSVP Movies
Blue Monkey Films

| distributor = Disney+ Hotstar

| released = {{Film date|2022|2|17|df=y}}

| runtime = 129 minutes

| country = India

| language = Hindi

| budget =

| gross =

}}

A Thursday is a 2022 Indian Hindi vigilante thriller film written and directed by Behzad Khambata.{{Cite news |date=10 February 2022 |title=Thursday trailer: Yami Gautam as a deadly kidnapper challenges PM Dimple Kapadia, Neha Dhupia is a pregnant cop |work=Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/a-thursday-trailer-yami-gautam-as-a-deadly-kidnapper-challenges-pm-dimple-kapadia-neha-dhupia-is-a-pregnant-cop-watch-101644468139459.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220211/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/a-thursday-trailer-yami-gautam-as-a-deadly-kidnapper-challenges-pm-dimple-kapadia-neha-dhupia-is-a-pregnant-cop-watch-101644468139459.html |archive-date=11 February 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite news |date=10 February 2022 |title=A Thursday trailer: Yami Gautam takes 16 kids hostage in tense thriller |work=The Indian Express |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/a-thursday-trailer-yami-gautam-thriller-video-disney-plus-hotstar-7765328/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220211/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/a-thursday-trailer-yami-gautam-thriller-video-disney-plus-hotstar-7765328/ |archive-date=11 February 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{cbignore}} The film, produced by RSVP Movies stars Yami Gautam, Atul Kulkarni, Neha Dhupia, Dimple Kapadia, and Karanvir Sharma.{{Cite news |date=9 February 2022 |title=A Thursday teaser out. Yami Gautam's hostage drama to release on Disney+ Hotstar soon |work=India Today |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/binge-watch/story/a-thursday-teaser-out-yami-gautam-s-hostage-drama-to-release-on-disney-hotstar-soon-1910690-2022-02-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209063552/https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/binge-watch/story/a-thursday-teaser-out-yami-gautam-s-hostage-drama-to-release-on-disney-hotstar-soon-1910690-2022-02-09 |archive-date=9 February 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{Cite news |date=9 February 2022 |title=A Thursday teaser: Yami Gautam's scary stare sends chills down the spine, fan says 'oh bhai'. Watch |work=Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/a-thursday-teaser-yami-gautam-s-scary-stare-sends-chills-down-the-spine-fan-says-oh-bhai-watch-101644388593479.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209075746/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/a-thursday-teaser-yami-gautam-s-scary-stare-sends-chills-down-the-spine-fan-says-oh-bhai-watch-101644388593479.html |archive-date=9 February 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{Cite news |date=10 February 2022 |title=Yami Gautam's grim look in A Thursday teaser is sure to send chills down your spine |work=Firstpost |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/yami-gautams-grim-look-in-a-thursday-teaser-is-sure-to-send-chills-down-your-spine-watch-here-10361291.html/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220211/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/yami-gautams-grim-look-in-a-thursday-teaser-is-sure-to-send-chills-down-your-spine-watch-here-10361291.html/ |archive-date=11 February 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{cbignore}} It premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 17 February 2022.{{Cite news |date=4 September 2021 |title=Yami Gautam to star in A Thursday, film to release on digital |work=Bollywood Hungama |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/yami-gautam-star-thursday-film-release-digital/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220211/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/yami-gautam-star-thursday-film-release-digital/ |archive-date=11 February 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite news |date=10 February 2022 |title=Yami Gautam as terrorist in A Thursday will hook you. Disney+ Hotstar film to release on Feb 17 |work=India Today |url=https://www.indiatoday.in//movies/bollywood/story/yami-gautam-as-terrorist-in-a-thursday-will-hook-you-disney-hotstar-film-to-release-on-feb-17-1911117-2022-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210052347/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/yami-gautam-as-terrorist-in-a-thursday-will-hook-you-disney-hotstar-film-to-release-on-feb-17-1911117-2022-02-10 |archive-date=10 February 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2022}} The film received mixed reviews, but Gautam's performance was praised.

At the 2022 Filmfare OTT Awards, A Thursday received 4 nominations – Best Web Original Film, Best Actress in a Web Original Film (Gautam), Best Supporting Actor in a Web Original Film (Kulkarni) and Best Supporting Actress in a Web Original Film (Dhupia).

Plot

Naina Jaiswal, who teaches at the Little Tots play school in Colaba (part of Mumbai), had been on leave for three weeks for an unknown reason. The school is in front of the property owned by Rohit Mirchandani, Naina’s fiance, where Rohit lives. Parents drop off their children, and Naina asks one parent to send a cake since the next day is their daughter Niharika’s birthday. The parent asks if their driver can deliver the cake to the school. Everyone leaves, and Naina snaps; she calls the police station and tells them that she has 16 children as hostages. Niharika’s driver arrives with a cake and Savitri, the helper, returns for her phone; both are also taken hostage.

The police suspect it is a hoax, but Naina fires a shot. ACP Catherine Alvarez contacts her, but Naina says that she will only negotiate with Officer Javed Khan. Javed is brought to the scene, and she tells him that she will free one child for every demand he meets. Her first demand is for a transfer of {{INR|5}} crore to her account. Catherine and Javed had a romantic history, and are incompatible when working together. Catherine does not listen to Javed, and tries to send armed police inside. Naina kills Aakash, one of the children, in alphabetical order, as she had said. The Commissioner of Police places Javed in charge and assigns Catherine to do research.

Naina’s second demand is to speak to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Maya Rajguru talks to Naina on the phone, and Naina urges her to meet her in person. Naina then tells Javed to find Rakesh Mathur and Charan Kumar, who she last knew were working at a school in Goregaon (a Mumbai suburb) and bring them to her. The police find Rakesh, but are unable to locate Charan. No one knows what Naina is up to, and Javed and his team have no choice but to agree to her demands because the children are still hostages.

During a background check, Catherine learns that Naina has been taking antidepressants and seeing a psychologist since she was 16 years old. She searches Naina’s house and finds receipts for medication prescribed by Dr. Juneja. Catherine contacts Dr. Juneja, and Javed gets hold of Naina’s mother Kusum, whose revelation comes across as a brutal shock to Javed : Naina was raped when she was 16 years old, and Javed and Catherine were then officers in charge of the case. They paid little attention to Naina’s case, since they were pursuing a high-profile case to gain recognition. After begging them to help for two years, Kusum became resigned to their indifference; in the present, she blames Javed for being the root cause of the drama due to his and Catherine's inaction.

Rajguru decides to meet Naina in person, accompanied only by Javed. Naina brings up the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, which become effective in 2012 to protect children under the age of 18. Naina asks the prime minister why there is no protection for people over 18, and demands that her rapists face the death penalty. Rajguru tells her that legislation is a complex task that requires time, but her rapists are found and imprisoned. Naina then says that the child she supposedly killed is actually alive.

Although the police could not find Charan Kumar, Naina reveals, in a twist, that he is the family driver who brought Niharika’s birthday cake. He held Niharika's hand (arousing Naina's fear that he would rape the child as well), and Naina asked Niharika’s mother to send him with the cake so she could take him hostage; he was her rapist, while Rakesh held her hands. Naina shoots Charan, and the commandos enter the school and arrest her. Rohit salutes her, referring back to a conversation they had where he believes one should only salute people who deserve it. While Naina is being transported to prison, Rajguru brings up the issue of capital punishment in parliament. Seven months later, as she is teaching a class in prison, Naina picks up a newspaper, sees the headline about capital punishment, and smiles.

Cast

  • Yami Gautam as Naina Jaiswal
  • Atul Kulkarni as Javed Khan
  • Neha Dhupia as ACP Catherine "Cathy" Alvarez
  • Dimple Kapadia as Prime Minister Maya Rajguru
  • Karanvir Sharma as Rohit Mirchandani, Naina's fiance
  • Maya Sarao as Shalini Guha, Naina's friend Yash's mother
  • Sukesh Anand as Lokhande
  • Kalyanee Mulay as Savitri, Naina's maid
  • Boloram Das as Charan Kumar, Naina's rapist and Niharika's family driver
  • Shubhangi Latkar as Kusum Jaiswal, Naina's mother
  • Adi Irani as Police Commissioner
  • Divjyot Kaur as Renuka Dubey
  • Micky Makhija as Rohit's father
  • Sanjeev Jotangia as Malcolm
  • Sulagna Chatterjee as Aakash's mom
  • Bhavin Hirani as Aakash's dad
  • Raj Kumar sharma as Home Minister
  • Asim Sharma as PM PR REP
  • Hardika Sharma as Niharika (play school student)
  • Prachi Hada as journalist

== Production ==

Principal photography began on 12 March 2021,{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/yami-gautam-and-neha-dhupia-start-shooting-for-a-thursday-1778505-2021-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312084108/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/yami-gautam-and-neha-dhupia-start-shooting-for-a-thursday-1778505-2021-03-12 |archive-date=12 March 2021 |url-status=live |title=Yami Gautam and Neha Dhupia start shooting for A Thursday |work=India Today |date=12 March 2021 |access-date=11 February 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/yami-gautam-begins-filming-for-thriller-a-thursday/articleshow/81468475.cms |title=Yami Gautam begins filming for thriller 'A Thursday' |date=12 March 2021 |work=The Times of India |access-date=11 February 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/celebrities/yami-gautam-begins-filming-for-thriller-a-thursday-690534 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312095902/https://www.indiatvnews.com/entertainment/celebrities/yami-gautam-begins-filming-for-thriller-a-thursday-690534 |archive-date=12 March 2021 |url-status=live |title=Yami Gautam begins filming for thriller 'A Thursday' |date=12 March 2021 |work=India TV News |access-date=11 February 2022}} and wrapped in July of that year.{{cite news |title=Yami Gautam announces official production wrap for 'A Thursday |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/entertainment/bollywood/yami-gautam-announces-official-production-wrap-for-a-thursday20211123203208/ |date=23 July 2021 |work=ANI News |access-date=11 February 2021 |archive-date=23 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123174552/https://www.aninews.in/news/entertainment/bollywood/yami-gautam-announces-official-production-wrap-for-a-thursday20211123203208/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Yami Gautam Wraps Up A Thursday Shoot With The "Best" Team And A Trunk Of Memories |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/yami-gautam-finishes-shoot-of-a-thursday-shares-special-post-for-best-of-teams-2497686/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729091416/https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/yami-gautam-finishes-shoot-of-a-thursday-shares-special-post-for-best-of-teams-2497686 |archive-date=29 July 2021 |url-status=live |date=23 July 2021 |publisher=NDTV |access-date=11 February 2021}}{{cite news |title=Yami Gautam wraps up shoot of 'A Thursday' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/jul/29/yami-gautam-wraps-up-shoot-of-a-thursday-2337159.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729100750/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/jul/29/yami-gautam-wraps-up-shoot-of-a-thursday-2337159.html |archive-date=29 July 2021 |url-status=live |date=6 August 2021 |work=The New Indian Express |access-date=11 February 2022}}

Reception

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|13|4.9|8|consensus=}}{{Cite web |title=A Thursday {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_thursday |access-date=6 February 2025 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en}}

Cyril of India Today gave the film a rating of four out of five and wrote, "Yami Gautam's A Thursday is the kind of thriller that has been missing from Indian screens for a while."{{cite web |title=A Thursday Movie Review: Yami Gautam's film is one of the best thrillers in recent times |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/a-thursday-movie-review-yami-gautam-s-film-is-one-of-the-best-thrillers-in-recent-times-1914147-2022-02-17 |website=India Today |date=17 February 2022 |access-date=19 February 2022 |archive-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218171159/https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/movies/bollywood/story/a-thursday-movie-review-yami-gautam-s-film-is-one-of-the-best-thrillers-in-recent-times-1914147-2022-02-17 |url-status=live}} Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated it three out of five and wrote, "Despite a rather predictable backstory, A Thursday redeems itself with its powerful emotional arc and social commentary in the latter half. It touches upon a relevant issue that will resonate with women across the globe."{{cite news |title=A Thursday Review: An intriguing hostage drama that's high on emotion |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/a-thursday/ottmoviereview/89592049.cms |website=The Times of India |access-date=19 February 2022 |archive-date=17 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217202511/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/a-thursday/ottmoviereview/89592049.cms |url-status=live}}

Pradeep Menon of Firstpost gave the film a rating of 2.75 out of five and wrote, "A Thursday strives to be urgent, relevant and cool, but succeeds only partially, because it stops to make a point far too often."{{cite web |title=A Thursday movie review: Yami Gautam Dhar's vigilante-hostage thriller is slick but uneven with a polarising message |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/a-thursday-movie-review-yami-gautam-dhars-vigilante-hostage-thriller-is-slick-but-uneven-with-a-polarising-message-10379661.html/amp |website=Firstpost |date=17 February 2022 |access-date=19 February 2022 |archive-date=19 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219155151/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/a-thursday-movie-review-yami-gautam-dhars-vigilante-hostage-thriller-is-slick-but-uneven-with-a-polarising-message-10379661.html/amp |url-status=live}} Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated the film 1.5 out of five and wrote, "The chief problem with Yami Gautam's film is that we do not take any of this seriously, whether it is Naina brandishing a gun, or snarling and cooing at her hostages."{{cite web |title=A Thursday movie review: Yami Gautam starrer deserves a series of eyerolls |website=The Indian Express |date=16 February 2022 |url=https://www.indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/a-thursday-movie-review-yami-gautam-7776720/lite/ |access-date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301134622/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/a-thursday-movie-review-yami-gautam-7776720/lite/ |url-status=live}}

Accolades

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Award ceremony

!Category

!Nominee / work

!Result

!Ref.

rowspan="4" |2022

| rowspan="4" |Filmfare OTT Awards

|Best Web Original Film

|A Thursday

|{{nom}}

| rowspan="4" |{{Cite web |title=Filmfare OTT Awards 2022 - Nominations |url=https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-ott-awards-2022/nominations |access-date=11 February 2024 |website=filmfare.com |language=en}}

Best Actress in a Web Original Film

|Yami Gautam

|{{nom}}

Best Supporting Actor in a Web Original Film

|Atul Kulkarni

|{{nom}}

Best Supporting Actress in a Web Original Film

|Neha Dhupia

|{{won}}

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = A Thursday

| type = Soundtrack

| artist = Rooshin Dalal and Kaizad Gherda

| cover =

| alt =

| released = 24 February 2022{{Cite web |date=27 February 2022 |title=A Thursday – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |url=https://www.jiosaavn.com/album/a-thursday/IeJIafpr1-0_ |publisher=Jiosaavn}}

| recorded = 2021

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Feature-film soundtrack

| length = 42:51

| language = Hindi

| label = RSVP Movies

| producer = Rooshin Dalal, Kaizad Gherda

| misc = {{external music video| header = Official audio

| type = soundtrack |{{YouTube|6VFXzs5x4BE|A Thursday - Full Album}}

}}

}}

The soundtrack to A Thursday contains twenty-one instrumental compositions used in the film score, curated and composed by Rooshin Dalal and Kaizad Gherda.

{{Track listing

| headline = Track listing

| total_length = 42:51

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| title1 = Naina theme song

| length1 = 1:50

| title2 = The first call

| length2 = 1:37

| title3 = The Playschool

| length3 = 1:17

| title4 = The Quite

| length4 = 0:43

| title5 = Demand

| length5 = 1:06

| title6 = Wash your hands

| length6 = 0:58

| title7 = A for Akash

| length7 = 2:06

| title8 = Alvarez and Khan

| length8 = 0:53

| title9 = Back off Javed

| length9 = 2:10

| title10 = Naina's Mind

| length10 = 1:03

| title11 = Phir se bolna

| length11 = 0:56

| title12 = Maya Rajguru

| length12 = 1:38

| title13 = Rock a Bye Baby

| note13 = Sung by Deelraz Bunshah

| length13 = 3:47

| title14 = The interview

| length14 = 3:30

| title15 = Birthday Cake

| length15 = 2:07

| title16 = Case

| length16 = 2:04

| title17 = A Thursday

| length17 = 6:28

| title18 = Let go

| length18 = 2:34

| title19 = Do you know what it feels like

| length19 = 3:23

| title20 = Stand off

| length20 = 1:31

| title21 = The Last shot

| length21 = 1:10

}}

References

{{Reflist}}