Accused Movie Review: Konkona Sen Sharma Anchors a Tense Psychological Drama
Released: February 27, 2026
Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes
Language: Hindi
Genre: Drama & Thriller
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Critic's Rating: 3.5/5
User's Rating: 3.5/5
About the Film
If you appreciate layered psychological dramas powered by nuanced performances rather than shocking twists, Accused is undoubtedly worth your time. Director Anubhuti Kashyap delivers a compelling narrative that examines the fragile architecture of reputation through the lens of gender and power dynamics.
Cast and Crew
- Konkona Sen Sharma - Lead Actress
- Pratibha Ranta - Actress
- Sukant Goel - Actor
- Monica Mahendru - Actress
- Anubhuti Kashyap - Director
Story Synopsis
After sexual misconduct allegations shatter her impeccable reputation, London-based gynecologist Geetika Sen (Konkona Sen Sharma) fights desperately to clear her name. As she confronts buried truths and navigates the emotional fallout threatening both her career and identity, the film unfolds as a slow-burn interrogation of truth itself. Geetika stands on the cusp of becoming Dean, professionally accomplished and personally content with her wife Meera (Pratibha Ranta), until an anonymous email to the hospital's HR department detonates her carefully curated life.
Detailed Review Analysis
After exploring the male gaze within gynecology in Doctor G, director Anubhuti Kashyap shifts the lens dramatically with Accused. This time, the scalpel turns inward—toward power structures, gender expectations, and the devastating collapse of professional standing. Anchored by a riveting, multifaceted performance from Konkona Sen Sharma, this 107-minute psychological drama unfolds with deliberate pacing and emotional precision.
The film's first half remains taut and unsettling throughout. Kashyap masterfully resists melodrama, allowing silence and implication to carry the mounting tension. Much like Kahaani or NH10, Accused places a woman firmly at the center of its narrative while avoiding simplistic categorization as either victim or avenger. Instead, Geetika swings convincingly between authority and vulnerability. Sharma's performance thrives on ambiguity—she embodies both hero and potential villain with unnerving conviction, compelling viewers to question their own assumptions about guilt and innocence.
Where other thrillers embrace pulp and sensationalism, Accused opts for remarkable restraint. The drama unfolds not through dramatic twists but through gradual emotional erosion. As the institutional inquiry intensifies, social media outrage becomes as punishing as the formal investigation. The film captures with painful accuracy how reputations can collapse within hours, long before due process runs its course. It challenges viewers to confront their conditioned reactions when the accused happens to be a woman occupying a position of authority.
Performance and Character Dynamics
The second half deliberately slows the narrative momentum, shifting focus to Geetika's crumbling marriage. Meera's profound dilemma—whether to stand by her partner or step away—forms the emotional spine of the entire narrative. Pratibha Ranta delivers a quietly assured performance, never overshadowing Sharma yet holding her ground firmly during moments of confrontation. Their chemistry isn't rooted in overt romance but in the painful disintegration of trust and intimacy.
It is within these hushed arguments and lingering silences that the film discovers its most affecting moments. Supporting actors, including Aditya Nanda as Meera's colleague-turned-confidant Angad, lend steady support and help nudge the narrative forward without distracting from the central conflict. The ensemble cast works cohesively to maintain the film's tense atmosphere.
Visual and Technical Elements
Visually, the film leans consistently into muted palettes and shadow-drenched interiors that mirror Geetika's psychological descent. Hospital corridors appear simultaneously sterile yet suffocating, while London's grey exteriors feel emotionally distant and isolating. The cinematography complements the script's moral ambiguity perfectly, offering no easy visual cues where moral clarity remains absent.
Critical Assessment
The build-up proves gripping from the very outset, but the film does encounter minor faltering in pacing and a certain predictability toward the conclusion. Emotional stretches in the latter half dilute some of the sharp tension established earlier, and a few narrative threads feel underexplored. The resolution, though thought-provoking, may divide viewers. Yet this refusal to offer neat closure appears intentional—Accused seems less invested in providing easy answers than in provoking sustained discomfort and reflection.
Subtly but firmly, the film interrogates the unique burden placed on women in positions of power. It hints intelligently at how systemic hostility can harden behavior, without ever justifying misconduct. The outrage, isolation, and psychological toll on both the accused and their loved ones are portrayed with remarkable nuance and sensitivity.
Final Verdict
On the whole, Accused stands as an engaging psychological drama elevated significantly by commanding performances. It may not possess the adrenaline rush of conventional thrillers, but its moral ambiguity and emotional undercurrents linger long after the credits roll. The film makes a worthy addition to Hindi cinema's expanding canon of women-led psychological narratives, offering audiences a thoughtful examination of contemporary social dynamics through the prism of personal crisis.
