Bholaa is an action thriller produced and directed by Ajay Devgn, an adaptation of the 2019 Tamil film ‘Kaithi’. The film is especially made for the audience who crave for hard core actioners. It is also apparent that the writers were more focused on creating action sequences though it had a great plot at hand too! I take this liberty to state that the hero of the film is the action designers for their imaginative choreography.
Plot
IPS Diana Joseph (Tabu) has busted a huge drug consignment and is expecting the worst from the drug lords, who have sprung into action and want the drugs and the officer. As the turn of events had to be, most of the top police officers are spiked during a top officer’s retirement get together. Diana doesn’t drink hence saved. Now, her agenda is doubled up to protect herself and to transport the officers to a medical facility within 5 hours.
On the other hand, is Bholaa (Ajay Devgn), a prisoner who is released early for his good behaviour, waiting in a police vehicle to be transported to an orphanage to meet his young daughter, for the first time! However, his journey is not so simple as he soon faces a pathway full of crazy obstacles, with death lurking around every corner.
After finding no option, Diana pleads Bholaa to drive a lorry and help her take the officers for treatment. From here starts a race against time and a battle with countless gangs attacking Diana and Bholaa. The narrative is about the journey of Diana towards her duty and Bholaa, a father longing to meet his daughter but gets engulfed into the unforeseen stumbling blocks and a world that he had left far behind.
Critical Perspective
First things first, Bholaa is a film for die-hard Ajay Devgn action fans. The plot here, though theoretically strong, takes a back seat. Ajay has taken a step back to his initial films to move forward with more power and present an uncommon action choreography. Most of the narrative is shown in dark which adds to the thrill and the adrenaline rush while watching the action. It had all the successful ingredients at hand but somehow shortchanged the plot for action.
Performances
Ajay Devgn is in his elements and does what he does best – action. He has interestingly used super closeups to do a lot of storytelling. Tabu as an injured police officer, though is pivotal to the story but has little to do to take back home. It is Deepak Dobriyal as gang lord Ashwathama who gets a raw deal in this actioner to present a different side of the actor, right from his looks to his mannerisms and the overall perona. The film could be a game changer for Dobriyal.
The other actor who leaves an impression is Sanjay Mishra in his small but significant role. The actor who brings a smile on your face just by his presence presents the character with great depth, hiding the humour behind the seriousness of the situation and stuns the audience in an action scene… amazing. Gajraj Rao as Devraj Subramaniam too has a small role but performs well against his image in this negative role.
Overall
For the audience who have seen the original Tamil film ‘Kaithi’ might feel a bit let down for the shuffle on the editing table and the script. However, we are not complaining since Bholaa has been positioned as an actioner and delivers it. Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa is a must watch for all Ajay Devgn fans and more so those who love his action avatar, for the rest it is a better Bollywood film and a one-time watch.
p.s.: Don’t miss the last scene, for it reveals about a future collaboration with Abhishek Bachchan in an unexpected getup… Bholaa 2 is it?!
Movie: Bholaa
Director: Ajay Devgn
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Deepak Dobriyal, Gajraj Rao, Sanjay Mishra, Hirva Trivedi, Amala Paul, Vineet Kumar, Makarand Deshpande, Yuri Suri, Ketan Karande, Arpit Ranka, Kiran Kumar, Lokesh Mittal, Raai Laxmi, Abhishek Bachchan.
Cinematography: Aseem Bajaj
Editor: Dharmendra Sharma
Duration: 144 Mins
