Watching Bholaa in 3D was truly an experience. On the one hand, we have Ajay Devgn as a Shiva devotee who was recently released after spending 10 years in prison, eagerly waiting to meet his daughter who now lives in an orphanage. On the other hand, we have Tabu playing the role of a dutiful cop, who has just arrested one of the most notorious gangsters and confiscated the largest amount of cocaine, that the state has seen in years. There are two parallel stories taking place in two different locations at the same time, while Tabu is on her way to rescue a set of drugged police officers with the help of Bholaa, there is also Sanjay Mishra holding the fort at the police station. Deepak Dobriyal whose role as the villain is to get back his tonnes of supply of drugs that have been trapped in the bunker and rescue his brother. The film was an action-packed drama, full of emotions. Here are all the things I like and things that could have been better from the film for me…
Things I liked…
1. Ajay Devgn as a Director
It is a visually appealing film without a doubt. The shots are highly emotive and I must say, Ajay Devgn in his directorial debut has done a great job. From kickass action scenes to Bholaa applying his bhasma, everything is sure to catch your eye and keep you hooked for more. The close-up shots of Bholaa make sure you know how agitated and angry he is at all times. Not to forget, the scenes shot around the banks of the river Ganga, when the story takes us back to the early days of Bholaa, are sure to keep you mesmerised.
2. The Emotional Angle
The emotional angle was a relief of sorts at times from the high-intensity action on screen. The narrative of his daughter waiting for him at the orphanage, without knowing who she is waiting for added the perfect amount of emotional quotient and gave Bholaa purpose at all times to keep going. There is also a bit where you see him waiting to download the picture of his daughter but struggling to do so with his outdated phone. His daughter also acts as comic relief at times, with her silly untimely requests and questions.
3. Deepak Dobriyal as the Villain – Ashwathama
From a power-packed name to the attire, Deepak Dobriyal was the perfectly packaged villain in the story, who would stop at nothing to get exactly what he wants. There wasn’t a moment on screen that he let go of his character even the slightest bit and that is what made him one of the highlights of the film for me. He was as evil as one could be, but watching him portray that role on screen is one of the things that kept me going through the film.
Things that could have been better…
1. Unclear Plotline
The parallel storylines of Bholaa and Daina trying to get the policemen to a hospital whilst fighting goons, and Sanjay Mishra as the inspector tries to hold the fort(police station) down with the help of 4 kids, happening 80kms apart, definitely seemed a little too much after a point and difficult to keep up with. There was also an emotional plotline to keep up with, involving his daughter which complicated the plot too much.
2. Over-the-top Action Scenes
The film may have received a UA certification from CBFC, but the action scenes were too gory at one point even for me, let alone for kids who were there for the film with their parents. From bones breaking to teeth being splattered, the over-the-top action scenes and just the sheer number of them added to the gory quotient could have been cut down on. After a point, it does get a little repetitive and the attempt to showcase Ajay Devgn as the ultimate action hero comes off a little too hard.
3. Clarity on Characters
There was a lack of clarity in the background stories of the characters, throughout the film not once was it revealed why Bholaa was in prison for 10 years or what had Tabu as a cop done in the past, apart from losing her child. The was also no revelation as to how and why Bholaa lost his wife. There were a lot of loose ends in terms of characters and how they were connected to Bholaa.
The end has a surprise element, which surprises you but also leaves you with a lot of questions, hoping to have the second part of this film answer those for me. If you are someone who enjoys some power-packed action, then this one is definitely for you!
MM Verdict: 2.5 stars out of 5