A little over a minute long, the short, action-packed clip is a blend of sleekly edited shots of significant scenes from Khadaan, that offer broad hints about its general plot and storyline without giving away details about the characters and their identities.
One of the main elements of interest in the pre-trailer is the character played by Jisshu Sengupta, who may be cast in a dual role. As revealed in the teaser and character posters of Khadaan, his role is that of a Vaishnav singer who is a friend to the character of Dev. However, a scene where he briefly makes an appearance as an industrialist or maybe a politician makes the viewer question whether he also plays the role of Dev’s character’s adversary. His body language and demeanour also suggest that he is corrupt and dishonest, further intensifying the probability of his being involved in crime and betrayal, key themes already alluded to in earlier promos of the film. It is probable that Dev and Jisshu’s characters were friends who have now turned foes because of a clash of ambitions.
The pre-trailer offers clues of secrets being unravelled, with Dev’s character defying his fortune to forge his own destiny. Its setting in an industrial town in the coal belt, Khadaan’s pre-trailer is also full of explosive action, violence and bloodshed, indicating that it will be a full-blown commercial entertainer and will appeal to the masses. An intriguing angle is introduced into the pre-trailer in the form of the voice of Dev’s character, which acts as a narrator. It is cautious and mysterious, appears to speak in riddles and leaves a lot unsaid — adding to the curiosity and enigma surrounding the film.
As evident in the teaser also, Dev’s look, mannerisms as well as the spectacularly-choreographed action sequences seem to be inspired by South Indian blockbusters such as KGF and Salaar. The colour tone of the film too bears influences of these films, reflecting the sooty, charred environment of the coal heartland and also its grim and grey characters and themes.
The pre-trailer unfolds another important detail as yet unrevealed by the earlier promos — that Dev’s character had been imprisoned for a crime. Perhaps falsely indicted, he is the one who seeks revenge after he is released from jail. A lighthearted note is struck with a tiny snippet of a colourful, romantic song and dance number, and a scene of festive revelry. However, the momentary lapse of tension is renewed by a clamorous chorus chanting in the background that announces the launch of an onslaught by the protagonist, who has finally arrived to stake his claim on what has been wrongfully taken away from him.
Produced by Surinder Films and Dev Entertainment Ventures, Khadaan, also starring Anirban Chakrabarti, Barkha Bisht, Idhika Paul, and Sneha Bose, hits theatres on December 20.
