Footfairy Explained

Footfairy is a Hindi-language crime-thriller film, directed by Kanishk Varma and produced by Anurag Bedi, Ruchir Tiwari and Nithin Upadhyaya. It starrs Gulshan Devaiah, Sagarika Ghatge, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Muskan Bamne, Karan Arvind Bendre, Ashish Pathode, Shamal Rokade and Yogesh Soman.^{[1] [2]}

Plot

Footfairy begins with the murder of Rita Madhav, whose body is discovered in a red suitcase, her feet missing. Inspector Vivaan (Gulshan Devaiah) is assigned to investigate the case, which is the latest in a string of killings by a serial killer dubbed "Footfairy." The killer targets women near railway tracks, leaving their bodies mutilated.

Vivaan meets pediatrician Devika, who shares her knowledge of psychopathy, and they soon begin dating. The investigation leads the police to a suspect, Joshua (Kunaal Roy Kapur), a restaurant owner with a foot fetish and a history of violent tendencies. However, despite circumstantial evidence, they cannot definitively prove his guilt. When Vivaan’s neighbor becomes the next victim, he violently interrogates Joshua, but DNA evidence exonerates him. Joshua sues the police for defamation, and the case stalls as the killings mysteriously stop when Joshua leaves town.

Seven years later, Vivaan has left the police force, married Devika, and started a security agency. A chance encounter with a child at the railway tracks reveals that the real Footfairy is still at large. The film ends with the suggestion that the killer has moved to another country, as shown in the final scene where a similar murder occurs abroad.^[3]

Cast

• Gulshan Devaiah as CBI Inspector Vivan Deshmukh
• Sagarika Ghatge as Devika
• Shonita Joshi as Anisha Kulkarni
• Kunaal Roy Kapur as Joshua Matthews
• Ashish Pathode as Harsh
• Taneea Rajawat as Rita Madhav

Soundtrack

The movie has three songs recorded at Zee Music Company by music director Jeet Gannguli.^[4]

Release

The film was released on &pictures on 24 October 2020.^[5] A week later it is released on Netflix.^{[6] [7]}

Reception

Rishita Roy Chowdhury for India Today rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "Footfairy is paced impressively. As soon as one attempts to crack the identity of the serial killer, the story turns. One is kept guessing throughout the run of the film, until the very closing scene."^[8] Moumita Bhattacharjee of Rediff.com found Footfairy an "intriguing and shocking". She further wrote, "The performances are nuanced and not a single character is without a purpose. Gulshan Devaiah takes time to grow on you because he isn't the usual brooding police officer with a dark past. There's no back story here, just the investigation."^[9]

Conversely, Ruchi Kaushal of Hindustan Times felt upset about the disappointing ending and writes "Even if the maker wants to not just highlight the obsession of the footfairy but also of a CBI officer obsessed with finding the culprit, the film feels pointless".^[10]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Foot Fairy . . 28 December 2022 . en . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228102207/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/foot-fairy-film-qxnzzxq6vlgtmtawmtgznjq . live.
2. News: Footfairy: Gulshan Devaiah chases after a serial killer with a fetish in gritty thriller that keeps you hooked . 28 December 2022 . . 22 October 2020 . en . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228131740/https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/news/footfairy-gulshan-devaiah-chases-after-serial-killer-fetish-gritty-thriller-keeps-you-hooked-569915 . live.
3. News: Service . Tribune News . Make way for a spine-chilling crime thriller Footfairy . 28 December 2022 . . 23 September 2020 . en . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228132657/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/lifestyle/make-way-for-a-spine-chilling-crime-thriller-footfairy-145382 . live.
4. Web site: Footfairy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Single by Jeet Gannguli . . 29 December 2022 . 23 March 2020 . 29 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221229002201/https://music.apple.com/us/album/footfairy-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-single/1529552718 . live.
5. News: Gulshan Devaiah, Sagarika Ghatge-starrer 'Footfairy' to release on &Pictures in October . 28 December 2022 . . . 21 September 2020 . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228134021/https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2020/sep/21/gulshan-devaiah-sagarika-ghatge-starrer-footfairy-to-release-on-pictures-in-october-2199899.html . live.
6. News: Juneja . Tanishk . From Unfavourable Reviews In 2020 To Trending At 2nd Spot On OTT, 'Footfairy' Is A Hidden Gem! . 28 December 2022 . The Times of India . 28 July 2022 . en-IN . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228105515/https://www.indiatimes.com/entertainment/binge/footfairy-gulshan-devaiah-serial-thriller-575883.html . live.
7. News: Gulshan Devaiah and Sagarika Ghatge's Footfairy to release on &Pictures . limited . 28 December 2022 . . 21 September 2020 . en . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228105503/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/gulshan-devaiah-sagarika-ghatge-footfairy-release-6604712/ . live.
8. News: Roy Chowdhury . Rishita . Footfairy Movie Review: Gulshan Devaiah, Sagarika Ghatge film is a serial thriller . 28 December 2022 . . 4 November 2020 . en . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228123440/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/footfairy-movie-review-gulshan-devaiah-sagarika-ghatge-film-is-a-serial-thriller-1734455-2020-10-23 . live.
9. News: Bhattacharjee . Moumita . Footfairy review . 28 December 2022 . . 23 October 2020 . en . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228124026/https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/footfairy-review/20201023.htm . live.
10. News: Kaushal . Ruchi . Footfairy movie review: Gulshan Devaiah-starrer murder mystery aims big, achieves little . 28 December 2022 . . 24 October 2020 . en . 28 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221228130614/https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/footfairy-movie-review-gulshan-devaiah-starrer-murder-mystery-aims-big-achieves-little/story-NWNeUvW9QwJUqOna4GBEoJ.html . live.