Gritty is not the adjective that comes to mind when you think of director Pradeep Sarkar or producer Yash Raj Films. So the first few minutes of Mardaani are startling.

After the interval, the filmmakers throw all restraint to the wind.

You might call "Mardaani" a South Asian version of the Liam Neeson thriller "Taken." But that's too easy.

Even though the movie is supposed to be serious, a few scenes come across as ridiculous and are reminiscent of 1980s Bollywood cinema.