Indolink 9 out of 10:
by Mukul Deshpande

Dushman ... a girl is raped and murdered by the villain and someone takes revenge. Usually that "someone" is the girl’s brother, but since this is a Pooja Bhatt film, this time the avenger is the victim’s sister. And the two sisters happen to be twins with contrasting personalities. So what’s the big deal? Dushman is just going to be another film with lot of gush and gore but very few chills and thrills. These were my thoughts while I made myself comfy in a seat at the local cinema-hall. 
And I couldn’t have been more wrong. 
After being treated to an overdose of mush and violence, the Hindi film audience has finally got what it deserves: a film that keeps one engrossed until the closing credits roll. 
Brilliant performances all around. Kajol is bang-up ... isn’t she always? Be it the confused lass in Sapnay, or the villainous girl in Gupt, or the conventional heroine in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge ... Kajol plays each character with ease. She seems to slip into the two roles - the crop-haired Sonia and the long-haired Naina - without putting any extra effort. And no, she doesn’t have to overact to create two different identities for the twins (attention Shah Rukh Khan!). 
It’s not often a producer employs an actor to rope in the audiences. But Pooja Bhatt, a smart producer she is, has done just that. She knows that even two Kajols cannot carry a film to box-office success. So she uses Sanjay Dutt to provide the mandatory glamour in Dushman. Sanjay has no problems playing the role of a blind ex-armyman. As for Jas Arora, what this bloke needs is a good role. He does have a good screen presence, maybe because of that wide-angled smile of his. 
The real hero of Dushman is the villain. Ashutosh Rana gives an award-winning performance as the merciless serial killer (very unlike the stereotype villain). He really makes the audience detest him. And that’s what acting is all about, right? Convincing the audience that you’re really the character you portray. Ten out of ten to this debutant. 
The flaws? Well, there are times when director Tanuja Chandra does succumb to the pressures of commercial obligations, like having a clichéd ending à la Mahesh Bhatt. While one is on the edge of the seat for most of the first half, one tends to relax a bit through the second half. 
But then I could fit all the cons in two sentences. Which is commendable stuff for Tanuja Chandra, who wields the megaphone for the first time. This young lady is a welcome addition to an industry where there is a dearth of capable directors.

India Web:

Women filmmakers have tried to explore the psyche of women through celluloid, but somehow always failed to hit the target. Still, it remains true that only a woman could comprehend a woman’s difficulties. Young Tanuja Chandra, who makes an impact with her debut film Dushman, has proved this. As a first timer her effort is laudable.
All the labor she put in as a director is evident in every frame. A hard-hitting story, an outstanding performance by Kajol in a double role and newcomer Ashutosh Rana, with able support from Sunjay Dutt as the blind major, make it a must-see movie.
Dushman successfully combines the Hollywood thriller that follows the quirky meandering of the serial killer with the social realism of meaningful cinema, without compromising on the formula. The story by Sachin Bhoumik may not be original, but the tight and racy screenplay by the Mahesh Bhatt-Tanuja Chandra duo makes for a gripping narrative.
The characters are clearly etched out, credible people who laugh, cry and express their anguish and desperation in a life-like manner. Sonia is a single, cool and considerate girl and Naina, who is engaged to Kabir is vibrant and effervescent. The roles of the twin sisters essayed by Kajol delve into the depths of the feminine psyche.
Kabir (Jas Arora) is the rich guy who smiles his way through Sonia’s heart and Suraj (Sunjay Dutt) is the blind major who brings out the holder, braver side in Naina, the demure damsel.
The film though a taut thriller has its moments of high emotional drama - the undomesticated, tomboy-ish Sonia’s dreams of domesticity with her fiancé, the anguish of Naina when she hears on a mobile phone the screams of her sister who is being brutally raped. Her speechless trauma, her bouts of anger coupled with her frail vulnerability and her final metamorphosis from timidity to valor have all been dealt with a rare sensitivity. Even the love story between the major and the maiden, both scarred souls, is poignant and a heart-tugging quality. The film inspires fear. Gokul as the innocuous postman by the day and psychopath rapist at night brings to life the first full fledged serial killer in Hindi cinema. One who candidly confesses his lust for women just as he hungers for food and once he satiates his sexual appetite, he coolly does away with them. And women, he finds in plenty.
Newcomer Ashutosh Rana adds a new dimension to evil with his studied portrayal of the psychopath. One that almost sends shivers up your spine. The performances are the highlight of Dushman. Sonia, devastated by Naina’s brutal death and the police inaction decides to take matters into her own hands. And thus begins a lively hide and seek between the killer and the heroine who is shadowing him.
It is during one of those encounters that Sonia bumps into the blind major who has lost his vision while in action and prematurely retired with high military honors. Their friendship grows into not only romance but also tutelage. Suraj prods Sonia into taking revenge. It’s Sonia’s liberation from fear and her freedom from shackles that evoke the viewer’s empathy. The romance between the two is subtly handled without lapsing too often into melodrama.
Sanjay Dutt, an unusual choice for a fumbling, blind hero is superbly restrained. Jas Arora as Kabir is slick as in his ad films but forgettable in the role of the bereaved fiancé. It is Kajol who carries the film on her fiery shoulders. Both as Sonia and Naina, she paints a riveting picture that makes it impossible to turn your eyes away even for a moment. The music by Uttam Singh is average, neither good nor bad. The song " Awaaz do humko hum kho gaye" is sweet and lingering. After Tamanna, Dushman is another excellent film from Pooja Bhatt, who is fast turning out to be a producer with a mission of projecting feminine strength on screen.

Afternoondc:
by Shruti Pandit

EVERY product has an USP and so does every film. The USP of Dushman was publicised as a film by women and for women. Yes, it is a film by women for women. But the USP is Kajol.
Brilliant display of histrionics by Kajol is the highlight of the film. She has been able to show the different shades of the two characters she plays, with tremendous ease. Her unaffected disposition assists her. One of the twin sisters is an extrovert with a temper that flies every now and then. The other is a little sober with her head firmly on her shoulders. Both are immensely fond of each other. Kajol has brought out the nuances of both characters beautifully.
Dushman is a revenge story with a difference. We have the female lead striving to revenge her sister's death. As all Mahesh Bhatt films, this film too has a psychopath. Only difference being, this film is written by Mahesh Bhatt and directed by Tanuja Chandra. There is no suspense. Right in the beginning the murderer is exposed. The hitch lies in nailing him. He manages to free himself whenever the police nab him. He threatens the heroine. It is sheer tenacity on her part that sees her through. Not to mention the encouragement on a blind Major's part.
The revenge story has an undercurrent of romance. In the early stages of the film it is the naughty, vivacious romance of Sonia (the one who is murdered) and Kabir (Jas Arora). The later half brings us the subtle, mature romance of the blind Major (Sanjay Dutt) and Naina, the other sister.
The villainous character of postman Gokul (Ashutosh Rana) is well penned. It does not have the regular loud streaks. He is a maniac and every move of his is calculated.
What disturbs you is why does the police take an action only after one of the female leads is raped and murdered. Why not immediately after the first murder?
Dushman is a maiden venture of director Tanuja Chandra. She has handled such a delicate subject with full command. It is a risk to start your career with an offbeat subject. It is laudable on Tanuja's part to choose a woman-oriented subject with a difference. She has a command over the medium. She has managed to get the best out of her team. There is a lot of intensity and conviction that runs through out the film.
Songs have been well picturised. Uttam Singh's music is good. Especially the song rendered by Jagjit Singh. Aadesh Srivastav has again come up with very apt background score.
Ashutosh Rana, an NSD graduate, has a way with his eyes. His dramatic performance in his first film is commendable. He easily identifies with the character. Sanjay Dutt too has given an admirable performance.
Dushman is a landmark in many a ways. It's a film produced by a woman, directed by a woman and shouldered by a marvellous performance of a woman. The film, produced by Pooja Bhatt, is an intense film worth watching.

India World:

This year, there seems to be a trend of double roles. First it was Shah Rukh in Duplicate, then it was Prashant in Jeans, and now Kajol in Dushman. Among all the three, it is Kajol who has stolen the show. This is the second film of Pooja Bhatt as a producer after Tamanna. The film is a directorial venture of young lady Tanuja Chandra. The film is based on the Hollywood film An Eye for An Eye. But in this film the mother is replaced by a sister to give Kajol full footage. 
Gokul (Ashutosh Rana), a postman, is a serial rapist and murderer who rapes and murder girls who are left alone at home. Of the twins Naina and Sonia (Kajol) who stay with their mother (Tanvi Azmi), Sonia, the bubbly one, becomes the victim of Gokul, who rapes her and then brutally murders her. Naina knows what is happening to her sister but is helpless. 
Naina, who is a shy type of person, tries to get justice and punish the guilty but is entangled in the legal system. The police are also helpless in arresting Gokul. Naina decides to take the justice in her hand to finish off Gokul. She is helped by a blind Major (Sanjay Dutt). He trains her in self-defence. However the end becomes melodramatic when Gokul ties Naina and the hero comes to her rescue. 
It is Kajol's film. She has given an excellent performance in double role. She is so natural and fits into any character given. She is one of the finest actresses the film industry has got in recent times. The film gives the industry a new intense face as Ashutosh Rana. He has given a marvellous performance as a villain. His acting is just mind-blowing and he is bound to go places in future. Sanjay Dutt has very little to do. Model Jas Arora is also introduced in this film but hardly impresses.
Director Tanuja in her first attempt has done a good job. The first half of the film keeps the audience glued to their seats. Second half becomes little loose and a bit melodramatic towards the end. Uttam Singh's music is good especially Awaaz Do Humko..., Pyaar Ko Ho Jaane Do....