Bholaa Movie Review: Ajay Devgn comes in an action-packed avatar
After Drishyam 2, Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn surprised with another remake called Bholaa. Ajay Devgn’s actioner Bholaa hit theatres on Thursday amid much fanfare. Bholaa, which is an official remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2019 Tamil superhit film ‘Kaithi’. What is interesting to note is that Ajay Devgn is both the actor and director of the film. The film stars Tabu, Amala Paul, Sanjay Mishra, Makarand Deshpande, and Deepak Dobriyal in the lead roles. The official trailer of the movie arrived on March 6, 2023. Check out our review to know whether the film lives up to the surreal hype it created or not.
Bholaa Movie Review
Ajay Devgn and Tabu are back on the big screen yet again, for the 9th time that is. The plotline of ‘Bholaa’ is nearly the same, with a few additions and tweaks. Ajay Devgn is a star performer and his silent yet powerful demeanor is captivating. He rules the screen despite having less but very intense dialogues. There are some comedy scenes too that will make you chuckle. Tabu is one of the finest actresses in Bollywood and in Bholaa she is not playing a damsel in distress. Rather she has matched shoes with Ajay Devgn when it comes to fighting sequences. In fact, the film starts with Tabu pulling off a car chase scene fully Singham style. Gajraj Rao is in his best element, but on the other hand, Sanjay Mishra seems to be a wasted talent in the film. Amala Paul, in a non-speaking part, makes a fleeting appearance in a flashback meant to explain why Bholaa’s life has turned out the way it has. All the while, Bholaa’s little girl waits to be picked up at her orphanage. She’s never seen her dad, and given his rage issues, she probably grows up to wish that the villains intercepting him that night were more competent. The first half of Bholaa rides high on top-notch, high-octane action sequences. With stellar performances by Deepak Dobriyal and Tabu, the world of Bholaa is engaging and lures you in.
The flashback episodes are rushed through and they don’t add much depth to the story. It’s a new dimension added to the story from the Tamil Original, however, the mediocre presentation doesn’t help establish a strong emotional connection that is required for a film of this sort. Bholaa has its share of songs, including an item number performed by Raai Laxmi. But the background music, obstreperous and overwrought, does not take a backseat. Bholaa is ruled by pure raw action but at times it gets too much. At some point, even the action sequences become predictable because an almost-superhero Bholaa (getting these powers seemingly from his devotion to Lord Shiva) is practically invincible. Although the film has been marketed as a 3D film, it doesn’t really add much to it.
For those who haven’t watched Kaithi, Bholaa will turn out to be an intriguing experience. The film is a decent mix of action meets thriller.