Gandu

An unnamed teenage rapper lives in Kolkata, supported at home by his mother and her lover, Dasbabu. He steals money from Dasbabu's wallet to buy drugs and play games at the Internet cafe, carefully concealing his theft from his mother. This fragile domestic situation sets the stage for his volatile aspirations and misadventures.

Gandu is mocked by peers for his shaved hair and rap persona, becoming an object of ridicule. He feels deep loneliness and searches for belonging through his music. This isolation fuels his risky behavior and cravings.

Gandu meets Ricksha, a cycle rickshaw driver, who slaps him and then confronts him with a sudden display of kung fu that leaves him shaken. The encounter unsettles him and foreshadows a strange bond between them. He later dreams of Ricksha in a near naked embrace.

During one stealing mission, Gandu's mother catches him and shields him from Dasbabu, seemingly in complicity. She laughs at the scene, creating a moment of painful tension for Gandu. When she later knocks on his door, he is slow to respond and she slaps him, deepening his sense of guilt.

Gandu asks Ricksha to take him away, and they ingest Dhatura seeds, plunging into a wild and intense hallucinogenic experience. When the trip ends, they realize they have no money left, leaving them disoriented and stranded. The episode deepens a sense of alienation and risk.

In a surreal turn, the director Q drives into the frame, and Ricksha explains that Gandu is a character in a movie being shot. Gandu struggles to grasp the idea of his own fictional status. The boundary between cinema and reality becomes blurred.

Gandu returns to Kolkata to discover he has won the Bhutan State lottery, fifty thousand rupees. He contemplates how to spend the money, moving between relief and opportunism. The windfall becomes a new catalyst for his next actions.

He gives some money to his mother and then sinks into a crack binge with Ricksha. The spree reinforces his reckless behavior and fuels his fantasies of success. The dynamic between Gandu and Ricksha underscores the pull of addiction.

Ricksha remarks that Gandu has never slept with a woman despite rapping about sex, exposing a gap between his bravado and reality. The moment stings and prompts introspection about his identity as an artist. Gandu processes this critique while continuing to pursue his goals.

Gandu resolves to record a rap demo and show it to the Asian Dub Foundation, framing his ambitions as a route to recognition. He discusses the plan with Ricksha and envisions a breakthrough through music. This marks a shift from mere rebellion to a concrete artistic objective.

The film closes with Gandu achieving a level of success and continuing to rap, while simultaneously pondering the meaning of life and humanity's purpose. The final moments leave his future open, balancing achievement with existential questions. The work invites viewers to question art, desire, and identity.