Tag: Lokesh Kanagaraj

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Bholaa: A Competent Action Thriller, But Lacks The Vulnerability Of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Kaithi’

Better not to compare with the original!

Bholaa (Hindi)

  • Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Sanjay Mishra, Deepak Dobriyal, Gajraj Rao, Kiran Kumar, Amala Paul, and Abhishek Bachchan
  • Writer-Director: Ajay Devgn
  • Producer: Ajay Devgn FFilms
  • Music: Ravi Basur
  • Runtime: 2 hours 24 minutes

Ajay Devgn made his directorial debut with the romantic drama U Me Aur Hum in 2008. The film did just average business at the box office but that didn’t stop the acclaimed actor from continuing to direct films.

So far, he directed four films and each of these films covered different genres.

The latest is Bholaa. This time around, Ajay takes inspiration from Lokesh Kanagaraj’s 2019 film Kaithi (Prisoner) starring Karthi.

Kaithi was a gripping thriller about a prisoner who is desperate to meet his daughter. The entire story took place in one night.

The mass masala elements were much there. But, at the same time, it was not just a mindless commercial entertainer.

There was enough tension in the protagonist’s journey that made you root for Karthik’s character Dilli. Audiences feel a certain connection when Dilli talks about his past in a lengthy shot.

On the other hand, Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa is more generic. The background score swells each time the actor gets into a fight with the baddies. A huge aura surrounds him and this is mixed with mythical undertones.

Synopsis

For those who haven’t seen Kaithi, Bholaa revolves around an ex-convict of the same name (Ajay Devgn). Tabu plays IPS officer Diana Joseph. In the original, the same role was essayed by Narain.

The film begins by establishing the heroics of Diana. The intense chase sequence makes it clear that she isn’t a woman whom anyone would want to mess around with.

Bholaa is desperate to meet his daughter who stays in an orphanage and has no idea that she has a parent. He hasn’t seen his daughter till now due to some unfortunate circumstances.

In an unavoidable situation, Diana seeks Bholaa’s help. He initially doesn’t agree but is coaxed to help her after Diana promises to help him in meeting his daughter.

Pretty soon, Bholaa finds himself in the middle of a war between the police and the drug trafficking mafia. The rest of the story looks at how he fights off these menacing foes and manages to unite with his daughter.

Tabu wins the brownie points

The best thing about Bholaa is the inclusion of Tabu. We have seen Tabu playing a cop before as well in Drishyam and Kuttey. But still, there is something new that the actress brings to the table.

She commands the viewer’s attention right from her introduction scene. Tabu does a brilliant job of portraying determination of Diana.

The scenes between her and Ajay benefit immensely from the comfort level that both actors share. A scene that deserves a particular mention is when Tabu talks about how people forget that even cops are human beings at the end of the day.

The performances

Among the plethora of bad guys, Deepak Dobriyal is the only one who makes a solid impression. His Ashwathama is deliberately over the top and Deepak chews the scenery whenever he is on screen.

Vineet Kumar as Nihaari starts promisingly but suffers on the account of a half-baked character.

The subplot of Bholaa and the on-screen daughter has its high points but doesn’t have the impact of the original. This is major because of how Ajay presents himself.

However, Devgn does deserve praise for how he handles the track of Sanjay Mishra.

Sanjay Mishra is more known for his comic roles. But here, he plays a subdued officer who is forced to bring out his inner courage.

Too much super-heroic

The biggest issue with Bholaa is that the protagonist comes across as too much of a superhero.

The action sequences start getting tiresome after a point. As viewers, you know well that Devgn will slice off all the bad guys.

Interestingly, Karthik’s Dilli was someone who experiences a lot of physical pain while going about his job. There is a certain emotion that the viewers feel when Dilli talks about his past. But here, Devgn is an all-powerful deity from the start.

Hence Bholaa becomes an extension of the many intense avatars that the senior actor has done so far.

Ajay only shines in a couple of emotional moments.

The flashback sequence involving Amala Paul halts the proceedings significantly. Their love story comes across as rather hurried. The flashback leaves you with more questions than answers.

A sequel on cards

The film ends with a hint of a sequel but it would have been far better if Ajay Devgn had tied up the loose ends.
Some of the supporting characters also needed to be better established. The character of Gajraj Rao is one such example.

The motivations behind his character are rather sketchy. And as far as Abhishek Bachchan is concerned, he makes a tiny appearance at the end without any impact. Maybe he has a better role in the sequel if it happens.

Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography is appropriate for the scale of the film.

Ravi Basur’s music and background score is quite good. The “Nazar Lag Jaayegi” song is melodious. The title song has a powerful beat.

A special mention must be made of how Ajay Devgan uses the classic “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai” song in an important situation.

Verdict

The best way to watch Bholaa is by not comparing it with Kaithi.

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Vikram: A Masala Treat For The Fans Of Kamal, Fahadh And Vijay

The biggest victory of Lokesh Kangaraj’s Vikram is how he balances the three immensely talented actors. The script has been written in such a way that all three get their moments to shine. In essence, Vikram is a stylish action drama. The first twenty-to thirty minutes of the film are a bit of slog with the overload of the information but as you go along the film starts getting better. Vikram is not as engaging as Karthik’s Kaithi which also belonged to the same genre, but it definitely fares better than the director’s last film Master.

The films begins off the supposed death of Karnan (Kamal Hassan).  Karnan is the father of the martyred cop Prapachan (Kalidas Jayaram) We learn that a series of such killings has been happening, the people responsible for this are a group of masked men. This group calls it their war against the system. To stop these killings, the police chief brings in a black cops team. The head of this team is Amar (Fahadh Fasil). Amar starts digging into the past of Karnan. Vijay Sethupati plays a fearsome drug lord called Santhanam. Santhanam is searching for a shipment that would make him a king pin. Meanwhile, Amar is getting more and more puzzled by the many versions that he hears about Karnan. Was Karnan an alcoholic father grieving over the loss of his son, a womanizer or something more than that? But the bigger question is whether he is really dead.

The most intriguing part of Vikram is the investigation scenes of Amar and his team. These portions keep you hooked as you yourself are also trying to figure out who the actual Karnan is. There isn’t a lot of Kamal Hassan in this part but his presence can still be amply felt, both as an actor and also as a character.

The action part before the interval has a solid twist that makes you look forward for the second half. Post interval the plot becomes more straight faced. Just like Kaithi here too you have a bunch of cops holding against an army of gangsters.

The subplot of Karnan and Prapanchan’s baby gives the second half some emotional undercurrent. These portions are pretty good. Kalidas Jayaram has a small role but the actor does a good job nevertheless.

As I earlier said all the three actors get their moments to shine. Kamal Hassan packs a punch in both the action and the emotional bits. His scenes with the little grandson give some heat touching moments. Fahadh Faasil sails through his role with his usual aplomb. He shines the brightest in the first half. Vijay Sethupati’s Santhanam is an extension of what he did in Master but the actor still makes an impact with his villainous turn. His interactions with the family members raise some chuckle worthy moments.

What pulls down Vikram significantly are the overdose of action. There is no denying that they have been solidly choreographed, but these scenes come too frequently from the middle of the second half.

Also the suspense factor is no longer there once the identity of Karanan is revealed. The film becomes more generic after this in terms of treatment. As a result the film starts feeling very prolonged. The editing department is another minus for Vikram. At least thirty minutes of the film could have been easily chopped off. Because of the excessive length the impact of Surya’s cameo lessens down.

It also doesn’t help that the supporting characters with the exception of Kalidas are mostly gap fillers.  

In a nutshell, watch Vikram if you are a fan of the three actors. But be prepared for all the bloodshed.

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Master: Two Vijays, A Juvenile Home And Drugs

Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Master is a rare mainstream film where the villain gets equal footage to the hero. In fact we are introduced first to Vijay Sethupathi’s Bhavani rather than the hero Vijay Thalapathy and the reason for his evilness is also well established by the director. This plays a huge factor in the exciting face-off between the hero and the villain at the end. Plot wise Master is a routine good versus bad story but to the director’s credit he does package it in a fairly interesting way.
In simple terms the story is about an alcoholic professor JD played by Vijay Thalapathy. After working as a college professor he is sent to a juvenile home to reform the young children there. There his life takes a huge turn due to Bhavani. The rest is about how Master wins over Bhavani and also reforms the children and others who work for Bhavani.

An important part of the film is the realistic picture of life in juvenile homes and how the young prisoners there are treated. Lokesh Kanagaraj succeeds in making you empathize with the cause of juvenile children through JD. The major reason for this is how the characters of the young children have been written. He is also effective in showing the transformation of JD in the second half. There is also a strong message from the director about giving up alcohol and drugs.

The comic scenes where Vijay Thalapathy talks about why he is single are quite hilarious. You have references to Titanic, Premam, Attarintiki Daaredi and other movies. These scenes work well as they raise ample chuckles. Malavika Mohanan, the female lead has nothing much to do, like in most commercial movies.

Anirudh Ravichander’s background music is a major asset for the film. His background score elevates many of the film’s action scenes and slow-mo moments. The songs are also quite good.Performance wise Vijay Thalapathy is good but Vijay Sethupathi is the show stealer with his solid acting. Apart from being an effective villain the actor also shows his comic side in the scenes of banter. Master is a typical commercial film but well packaged.