What is the story about?
Taapsee Pannu has found an interesting answer to the mixed response surrounding her latest release Gandhari. The Netflix film, which premiered on September
3, may have faced criticism from several reviewers, but its performance on the streaming platform tells a different story. Gandhari has topped Netflix’s global non-English films chart for the week, emerging as the platform’s most-watched title in the category. The achievement comes as the film continues to find viewers across international markets. Taapsee was quick to celebrate the milestone on X, sharing the numbers while also responding to a post highlighting the film’s journey despite its reviews.
Gandhari Tops Netflix Global Chart Despite Mixed Reviews
Taapsee Pannu’s Gandhari has emerged as the most-watched non-English film on Netflix globally in the latest weekly rankings. According to Netflix’s data, the film has recorded 9.6 million views, translating into 18.7 million viewing hours since its release.
The film has also reached the No. 1 position in 58 countries since its Netflix premiere. Its performance puts it ahead of titles such as Facing El Chapo and The Secret Woman in the platform’s global non-English film rankings.
Taapsee Pannu Takes A Dig At Critics
Taapsee was quick to celebrate the achievement on X. Sharing a screenshot of Gandhari topping Netflix’s non-English movies chart, the actor wrote, “#Gandhari when numbers speak.”
She later reshared a post claiming that the film had topped the Netflix chart despite being “trashed by everyone.” Taapsee responded with a playful but pointed remark: “Not ‘everyone’ I guess. When you throw lemons, we make lemonade. Cheers!”
Her reaction appears to highlight the contrast between the film’s critical reception and its streaming performance, with the actor choosing the latter as a measure of its audience reach.
About Gandhari
The Netflix thriller Gandhari follows Bani (Taapsee Pannu), a mother whose five-year-old daughter Mishty is abducted from a railway station in the fictional border town of Joypurra. A horrific accident during her pursuit leaves Bani temporarily blind. As the police fail to make progress, she decides to use her blindness to her advantage, secretly training her other senses and investigating the child-trafficking network known as Blackhole. With help from Jhunu Amba (Mita Vashisth), Bani uncovers the syndicate’s deep roots in the town. The film’s title draws from the Mahabharata character Gandhari, reworking the symbolism of blindness into a story of resilience and revenge.
The story builds towards the Chaumukhi Devi festival, when Blackhole plans to move the trafficked children out of Joypurra. Disguised as a Bahurupi performer, Bani infiltrates the syndicate and discovers a shocking betrayal involving her husband, Gokul (Ishwak Singh). Her search ultimately leads her to the ruthless kingpin Magrasur (Prashant Narayanan), who uses Mishty as a human shield during their final confrontation. Despite his attempts to distract and overpower her, Bani fights back, kills Magrasur, brings down the trafficking operation and rescues the children, including her daughter.
