Sanchita
Ajay Devgn as the director is technically impressive with the action sequences, but as an actor, the emotional heart of the story takes a backseat – as it becomes a case of style over substance.
Read Full Bholaa Movie Review –
Director: Ajay Devgn
Rating: 3/5
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Deepak Dobriyal, Sanjay Mishra and Gajraj Rao
Runtime: 2h 23m
Storyline:
The story of Bholaa takes place over one fateful night. IPS Diana (Tabu) and her team have carried off an impressive 1000 crore drug bust. Gangster Ashwathama (Deepak), pissed off with the drug haul, has set a bounty on their police force.
An injured Diana refrains from drinking while celebrating this win. She is the last one left standing as all 40 of her comrades get drugged with alcohol spiked by a mole in their team. With a truckload of unconscious policemen and multiple thugs chasing after them, Diana realises she has no backup other than Bholaa to rely on.
Coming to Bholaa – he is a recently released prisoner with a fearsome reputation to uphold. Eager to reunite with his daughter, he is inadvertently drawn into this chaotic crossfire between the cops and the drug mafia.
Watch as Bholaa goes on a dangerous, ambush-filled ride while trying to get back to his daughter and help the Inspector along the way.
What Do We Think:
Ajay Devgn has returned to the director’s seat with Bholaa and he has done a technically sound job! However, it is a case of style over substance.
Bholaa is packed to the brim with high-octane, grandiose action sequences. Some scenes – like Tabu’s initial car chase during the drug bust or the stunts in the forest as gangster bikes attempt to ambush the truck – they are cool to watch. But some of the exaggerated, over-the-top action like – Devgn single-handedly punching the bones out of a literal army of bulky thugs… might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Some fight scenes also start to feel a little repetitive in their pitch after a while.
While Devgn excels in the action, the emotional resonance of the story feels hollow. At its heart, it ought to feel like a story of an earnest father desperately trying to return to his daughter. But Devgn is too busy playing the larger-than-life hero. Nevertheless, if you’re in the theatres for the MASSY DISHOOM-DISHOOM, then Ajay does deliver on that front. There is never a dull moment in this fast-paced actioner.
It’s interesting to see Deepak Dobriyal forego his usual comic avatar for a more intense role. He looks and plays the part of a villain quite menacingly and it’s a meaty role indeed. Just wish he was given some more dark, messed-up stuff to do with the character, he could have carried that off too.
Gajraj Rao, who plays a cop in cahoots with the drug mafia, is solid as ever in his acting. And Sanjay Mishra, as an old yet brave Havaldar holding up the fort against the murderous gangsters, is also a stellar addition to the cast. Tabu is good in the action scenes but rather monotonous in some scenes.
Amir Khan as Kadchi, a hilarious caterer/Bholaa’s sidekick brings about a few chuckles with his one-liners and gives a very natural performance.
Ravi Basrur’s background score complements the pulsating action and maintains the hype throughout. Overall, Bholaa is entertaining on the action front but slightly weak in leaving an emotional impact. Bonus – Abhishek Bachchan appears in a surprise cameo too. Potential for a sequel, hmm?
Hit Or Miss:
Go catch Bholaa in the theatres if you’re in the mood for some masala action entertainer!
