Bholaa Movie Review: Let me start this review saying something nice about Bholaa, that's directed by Ajay Devgn who also plays the main lead. Firstly, I have to appreciate Devgn for trying not go for a cut-copy-paste remake job when it comes to adapting Kaithi. Secondly, I admire his attempts in trying pull off action sequences that defy logic and physics, but they look ambitious nevertheless. Thirdly, casting the great Tabu in the role that Narain played in the original was an inspired choice. Fourthly, the same can be said about Deepak Dobriyal, easily the most whacked-out entertaining performance in the film. Finally, teasing that star cameo in the end promises an interesting future for the World of Bholaa. Bholaa: Kajol Attends Special Screening of Hubby Ajay Devgn’s Film, Calls It ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ (View Pic and Video).

But for that to happen, you have to first bear through this film that surges ahead in power intermittently but halts quite often to make you lose interest in the drive. Kaithi, for the uninitiated, is a 2019 Tamil hit, starring Karthi in the lead, that put its director Lokesh Kanagaraj in superstar radar after his acclaimed debut film Maanagaram. Kaithi also marks the beginning of the 'Lokesh Cinematic Universe' that was established in last year's blockbuster Vikram, also directed by Kanagaraj.

Narrative-wise, Bholaa takes plenty from Kaithi, but Ajay Devgn also expands upon the context that is left untold in the first film, namely the protagonist's backstory. Whether that works or not is another story altogether, to which I will come to in some time.

First, let's talk about the plot. Bholaa, set in the hinterlands of UP, begins with a frenetic shootout and highway chase scene where SP Diana (Tabu) gets hold of a major drug consignment, along with its carriers, anyways those left who she hasn't killed. She brings the drugs to hide them in the basement of a police station that once used to be a British fort and puts the goons in the jail there.

The drugs belonged to a mysterious gang-lord called Nithari whose younger brother Ashu (Deepak Dobriyal) is determined to get the stock back. He also sends out a contract to catch Diana and make her reveal the location and a mole in his gang.

Meanwhile Bholaa (Ajay Devgn) is released from jail after spending 10 years in prison. The moment we see him, there is a legacy being built up around his reputation by an inmate, played by Makarand Deshpande. Why Bholaa went to jail is never told, but he is eager to see his daughter, whom he has never laid eyes till now, and collect her from her orphanage. Due to certain event that happens in the night (most of the film is set across a single night and daybreak), Bholaa has to drive Diana in a truck to help her in giving medical aid to several poisoned cops.

At the same time, Ashu and his men put siege on the police station that is guarded only by a newly-transferred aging policeman (Sanjay Mishra) and a bunch of collegians who are brought in for drunken driving. How these tracks cross paths and what exactly Bholaa's deal is what the rest of the film is about.

Watch the Trailer of Bholaa:

Before I talk about how Bholaa didn't work up to how awesome Kaithi was as an action thriller, let me discuss first how the action scenes in the film that was supposed to take Bholaa to greater heights don't exactly pull off the desired results. There is an attempt here by Ajay Devgn - who is one of the best action stars we have in this country - to bring the action scenes to the next level. There are acrobatic stunts, OTT fight sequences and captivating imagery that grab your attention. Be it Tabu driving back through a hail of red dust in the first chase scene or Bholaa's truck being chased by masked drivers, you can see that the actor-director wants to amp up the scale of his remake. Ajay needs to be appreciated for trying to make Bholaa a true big screen experience, IMAX at that.

Unfortunately, he should have put a check on the camerawork and the editing on these scenes. The camera is so shaky that I nearly had dizzy spells towards the end of the scenes, especially evident in a fight sequence that happens in the police station between a villain and the elderly cop and the collegians. There are so many cuts in a single fight scene that more so often takes away the sting needed to get the desired impact. There is also the fact that the protagonist here is given a larger-than-life, superhuman appeal that robs 'Die Hard' kinda quality that Kaithi's Dilli possessed. It's a creative choice that I need to respect but it also brings down the stakes when it comes to creating tension in such scenes. It often feels like the hero is going through various boss levels in a videogame while already pumped up on God Mode. Also for a film that's rated U/A, the bloody, bone-shattering violence in Bholaa makes you wonder what dope the Censor Board was on to give the movie such a harmless rating.

Then there is also the matter of Bholaa annoyingly cutting to flashbacks and melodrama right when the thriller aspect of the film is going good. I get why Ajay wants to explore of the father-daughter subplot but not when the film is at its gripping best. Similar goes for the post-interval flashback sequence, song actually, that features South star Amala Paul (whose picturisation seems inspired by Omkara's "Naina") that might continue in the sequel if the film works at the box office. Bholaa: Here's How Ajay Devgn Responded To a Fan Who Asked Him About People Who Do Piracy During #AskBholaa Session!

Bholaa, I believe works best when it sticks closer to the original. However, in that aspect too, not everything is upto the mark. It is surprising that Ajay Devgn, who has acted in some enjoyable mass masala movies like Singham and Simmba, couldn't bring out same 'mass punch' of Kaithi here. When you think of the original, two memorable scenes that are burnt in your mind are Dilli eating his biriyani before his assignment, and that gatling gun scene in the climax. Those two scenes are retained here, but they lack the same mass value from the original, and that's another missed opportunity.

As for the performances, Ajay Devgn repeats a similar performance that I have seen him do in the last action film he directed, Shivaay. Tabu does good in a role that don't exactly match the calibre of the actress, a complaint that I have with some of her recent mainstream ventures, but she is still an acting treat to watch. Can't think of a better example of how good her inclusion is in the film than the scene where Bholaa and Diana bond by the waterfall over their tragic backgrounds.

Bholaa has a plethora of villains, but truly the one actor who stands out among all the rest, including even the leads, is Deepak Dobriyal. It is always an enjoyable performance to watch when an actor knows the exact ham you need to bring out to make a villain look exciting to watch on screen, and Dobriyal does exactly that. I found the film truly enjoyable whenever he lands on the screen. Sanjay Mishra is decent, but his track (along with those college kids) doesn't get to shine in the same manner as it worked in the Tamil film. Gajraj Rao, one of the villains, tries hard to make his Tamil accent convincing here with mixed results.

Final Thoughts

Bholaa is definitely a juiced up, more muscular version of Kaithi, trying to create its own unique path here. But more muscles doesn't mean better stamina, and Bholaa lacks the sting and the right punch that made its original a worthwhile cult film.

Rating:2.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 30, 2023 08:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).