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Bholaa Movie Review : Bholaa serves great action in this fast-paced thriller

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Guest User 26 days ago

Hasmukh doshi 210 days ago.

Too much action

Nehal Patvi 418 days ago

Fantastic movie.

Anil Garg 469 days ago

Bundle Movie. No Subject. No Story. Only useless fighting

Tanvir Ahmed 480 days ago

Wrost Ajay Devgan / Tabu movie i ever saw since 1992

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Thalapathy Is The G.O.A.T

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After getting out of prison with the desire to meet his daughter, Bholaa's plans are interrupted by a well-orchestrated drug bust. After getting out of prison with the desire to meet his daughter, Bholaa's plans are interrupted by a well-orchestrated drug bust. After getting out of prison with the desire to meet his daughter, Bholaa's plans are interrupted by a well-orchestrated drug bust.

• Lokesh Kanagaraj
• Ankush Singh
• Aamil Keeyan Khan
• 224 User reviews
• 22 Critic reviews
• 3 nominations

Top cast 47

• SP Diana Joseph

• Chomu Singh

• Constable Angad Yadav

• Special Appearance in song 'Paan Dukaniya'

• IG Jayant Malik

• Devraj Subramaniam

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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia The film was earlier to be directed by Dharmendra Sharma. Ajay Devgn stepped in as director after receiving appreciation for his direction in Runway 34.
• Connections Remake of Kaithi (2019)
• Soundtracks Nazar Lag Jayegi Music by Ravi Basrur Lyrics by Irshad Kamil Vocals by Javed Ali

User reviews 224

• Jun 16, 2023
• How long is Bholaa? Powered by Alexa
• March 30, 2023 (India)
• Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Ajay Devgn Ffilms
• Archis Films
• Dream Warrior Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• ₹500,000,000 (estimated)

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• Runtime 2 hours 24 minutes

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Bholaa review: The return of Ajay Devgn-Tabu in a larger-than-life action spectacle

It ends with a surprise package that will translate into a second instalment

Another Ajay Devgn-Tabu starrer has hit the big screen. For  Bholaa , Tabu slips back into the cop-mode with Ajay Devgn playing the lead, this time helping her navigate the thugs and saving her life. 

Devgn plays a goon who is out of jail after a decade, and on a mission to meet his daughter who lives in an orphanage. On his way, he encounters a cop-in-need Tabu, who seeks his help to reach the police station before the drug cartel finds their seized drugs. How they do it and how Devgn does his bit more than the cops in fighting the drug lords becomes the story of  Bholaa . The film is a remake of the Tamil film  Kaithi  and had Karthi in the lead. 

Directed by Devgn himself,  Bholaa  is a superhero in disguise – not much so as a character but with his strengths. He is nearly immortal – he never dies despite being stabbed twice, even though the goons he fights die with Devgn's single power punches. Now and then, Makarand Deshpande appears on screen, narrating the tales of Bholaa's greatness – how he is infallible, the all-powerful uber-human. 

While Tabu and Ajay Devgn's stunning pairing yet again in a typical action film holds the attention till the end, Deepak Dobriyal's portrayal of an eccentric goon with kohl-rimmed eyes is praiseworthy. Sanjay Mishra, as a cop in his fifties, who manages to command the police station as a one-man army even as hundreds of goons try to break into it, and how he eventually kills the antagonist, makes for a good watch too. Amala Paul's short cameo playing Devgn's love interest is just as fresh as Deepak Dobriyal playing a dangerous antagonist. 

However, the film does falter with its stereotypes. The good cop fighting the bad goons, unbelievable action and Tabu once again play a cop with Ajay Devgn in the lead. Bholaa, however, sticks to the sexist stereotype by including Raai Lakshmi's 'item number' with suggestive dance steps in which Lakshmi dances around, enticing hundreds of men who match suggestive steps with her. 

The film ends with a surprise package that will translate into a second instalment of  Bholaa  – Abhishek Bachchan in a Terminator-like cameo, giving new enemies for Devgn to fight in the next film. Though he almost hits a century with his killings of goons and there are none left to fight in the end. 

The film is a watchable entertainer for the action-craving audiences giving them larger-than-life two-and-a-half hours of their lives, which is understandably the current cinematic pull for the filmmakers to get audiences into theatres. 

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Bholaa Review: Ajay Devgn shines bright in gripping remake of Kaithi

Bholaa, starring and directed by ajay devgn, is a well-packaged actioner that caters to the mass audience. the film features a good mix of elevation sequences and emotional scenes..

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• Bholaa is directed by Ajay Devgn.
• It is a remake of Karthi’s Kaithi.
• Bholaa features Ajay Devgn and Tabu in the lead.

Cast & Crew

Release Date: 30 Mar, 2023

Bholaa, this week’s only major Hindi release, is a well-executed actioner that hits the right notes because of Ajay Devgn’s intense performance and grand vision.

The movie, a remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Tamil blockbuster Kaithi, revolves around an ex-convict who is roped by IPS Diana Joseph (Tabu) to carry out a task for cops during a major crisis. He reluctantly agrees to assist them after she promises to help him meet his daughter, who is in an orphanage.

The protagonist soon finds himself in the middle of a war between the police and a drug trafficking mafia. The rest of the narrative revolves around his attempts at fighting off menacing foes to unite with his child.

Bholaa stays faithful to Kaithi as far as the core storyline is concerned. The difference between these films, however, lies in the execution. Lokesh Kanagaraj took his time to build Kaithi's world. Moreover, its action scenes felt realistic.

Ajay Devgn, by contrast, treats Bholaa as a star vehicle. Each scene builds an aura around the lead character. This sets the stage for several whistle-worthy moments. Moreover, the action scenes feel grand and stylish. The decision to cast Tabu in the role originally played by Narain too proves to be a smart one as it changes the dynamics at play.

Tabu’s sequences with the Shivaay actor too are a highlight of Bholaa. The ace performers complement each other quite well. In a touching scene, they talk about their sad pasts.

The track involving Devgn and his reel daughter adds a touch of tenderness to the inherently violent and dark film.

A crucial sequence set in a police station too works reasonably well and gives us a proper look at the menacing Nithari (Vineet Kumar)

The action scenes are Bholaa’s backbone. They do a good job of taking the narrative forward. The Paan Dukaniya number too has been integrated into the plot quite intelligently.

On the flip side, the flashback portions fail to add much to Bholaa. They feel rushed and predictable. This is quite unfortunate as they had the potential to add another layer to the film. Similarly, a few characters feel half-baked as they don’t get enough scope. The makers could also have tried to examine Tabu’s tragic backstory.

Ajay Devgn’s performance is the heart and soul of Bholaa. He excels in the action scenes, the way he had in the Singham series. The actor is equally good in the emotional scenes as he uses his eyes to express the character’s anguish. Watch out for his heartwrenching expression in a scene where he hears his daughter’s voice for the first time.

Tabu is good in a role that requires her to be tough and vulnerable in equal measure. She also makes a decent impact in a couple of action scenes.

Deepak Dobriyal shines in some of Bholaa’s most unnerving scenes. He, however, deserved a meatier role.

Vineet is at his wildest best in a disturbing scene where threatens to eliminate a policeman. He too deserved more screen time.

Sanjay Mishra proves to be the surprise package of Bholaa. The actor, who has often been burdened with one-dimensional comedy roles, received praise for his work in Vadh. This too is a fine outing for him. The actor delivers a natural and subdued performance. This makes it easier for one to relate to his character,

The rest of the cast serves its purpose.

Bholaa features dialogues such as ‘pandav bhi paanch the’ and ‘shakal dekh kar chargsheet banane lagi hai police’, which cater to the masses. The music, sadly, is not up to the mark. None of the songs, barring the soulful Nazar Lag Jayegi, make any impact. This is quite surprising given the fact that the tunes are composed by Ravi Basur, who rose to fame with his work in KGF.

To conclude, Bholaa is a treat for Ajay Devgn’s fans. It has everything, right from action scenes to punch dialogues, that one would expect from a big-screen spectacle meant for the mass audience.

We are going with 3 stars out of 5 for Bholaa. Published By: Grace Cyril Published On: Mar 30, 2023 --- ENDS --- ALSO READ | After Drishyam 2, will Ajay Devgn spread magic on screens with Bholaa? Trade experts talk

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• Bholaa Movie Review: Ajay Devgn-Tabu Return To Action With Guns Blazing; Add Soul To The Gripping Thriller

Bholaa Movie Review: Ajay Devgn-Tabu return to action with guns blazing; add soul to the gripping thriller

Bholaa movie review: ajay devgn's bollywood movie is crafted for the masses and perfectly blends high-octane action, thriller and soul in the first half and ends with a surprising climax where a 'bollywood actor' cameo is waiting..

• Movie Name: Bholaa
• Critics Rating: 3.5 / 5
• Release Date: March 30, 2023
• Director: Ajay Devgn
• Genre: Action-thriller

Bholaa Movie Review: With his earnest eyes and grim demeanor, Ajay Devgn once again gave a performance to remember. The actor plays the role of a convict who is out of prison and on his way to meet his daughter in the action-thriller movie Bholaa. From the film's beginning, the tone is set that Bholaa is a larger-than-life man who cannot be messed with. He is not only dangerous but can fight like a warrior. The first half hour of the movie works to set the stage for what is going to happen during the course of two and a half hours. While it is quite evident where the film is going, every frame and every scene is worth watching. 

A racy action thriller is expected from the start where the high-octane action sequences are meant to steal the limelight. And that's what happens in the entire movie! The way other prisoners describe Ajay Devgn aka Bholaa and his beefed-up look justify how he fights the drug mafia and throws hundreds of goons away like pebbles in his way. Even an animal as fierce as a leopard is scared to fight Bholaa when he has ash on his forehead. While the storyline is predictable, Bholaa's character has not been defined completely in the film.

Through one long flashback, we are told why Bholaa has never met his 10-year-old daughter yet and what happened to his wife but there is no recollection of who he really is. How he started his journey? Looks like we have to wait for the sequel to reach that part of the story.

Other than Ajay Devgn, all the other characters, big or small, contribute to carve a world that gets intriguing with every scene. Ashwathama played by Deepak Dobriyal deserves special mention as he gets into the skin of his character of a heartless villain and still looks appealing. He effortlessly shifts from his image of a comedian onscreen to a ruthless bad guy. Tabu's onscreen presence again impresses and her chemistry with Ajay Devgn appears natural. This is the first time she has tried her hands at hard-core action and she nailed it by fighting several goons singlehandedly. Other supporting characters are also executed to perfection and help understand the plot more deeply. The side characters not only add meaning to the plot but frequently bring comic relief amid bone-breaking fights, high-speed bike chases and rip-roaring gunfire.

The only area where Bholaa falls short is not focusing more on the emotional side of the lead character's relationship with his daughter Jyoti. In the first half, the heartwarming father-daughter bond manages to tug at the heartstrings but feels missing or nearly forgotten in the second half. Eventually, when they meet, it appears sudden and breaks the mood.

To conclude, Bholaa is crafted for the masses and perfectly blends high-octane action, thriller and soul in the first half and ends with a surprising climax where a 'Bollywood actor' cameo is waiting. An exciting watch for the weekend!

Bholaa Trailer:

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Bholaa Movie Review: Ajay Devgn, Tabu Excel In Action Extravaganza Despite Weak Script

Updated Mar 30, 2023, 10:11 IST

Bholaa movie review: Ajay Devgn, Tabu film is an excellent action-entertainer

• Bholaa Movie Director: Ajay Devgn
• Bholaa Movie Actors: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Deepak Dobriyal, Sanjay Mishra
• Bholaa Movie Rating: 3.5/5

Bholaa: The Premise

Bholaa: a review, bholaa: acting, bholaa: in conclusion.

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Bholaa Review: Better than Kaithi?

Bholaa is Kaithi on steroids. Director, leading man and co-producer Ajay Devgn take Lokesh  Kanagaraj’s  2019 action drama – Kaithi means prisoner - and cranks up the volume, literally and metaphorically, to 11.  The operating  principle  of this film is more is more. So there are multiple bad guys who have so many henchmen attacking Bholaa on so many occasions that it’s impossible to keep count. Every frame is stylized to within an inch of its life.  The background score, by K.G. F composer Ravi Basrur, is so loud that in a few scenes, it’s difficult to understand the dialogue.  And in places, the exaggeration is so extreme that Bholaa resembles a video game with its titular character moving up levels one by one.  One of the bad guys seems straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Kaithi wasn’t overtly interested in realism or logic either.  But Lokesh deftly married Western tropes with masala sensibilities.  He created a gripping story that takes place over a single night in which a man with a checkered past, staggering strength and unyielding morals finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Karthi was terrific as Dilli, who, released from jail after 10 years, gets caught in a bloody war between cops and drug lords.  The stakes are high – 900 kilos of cocaine, Dilli’s daughter who is waiting at the orphanage to meet him for the first time, 40 policemen who are drugged and unconscious and moles on both sides making victory that much harder. 

You would think this was enough plot to work with.  But Bholaa has four  adapted  screenplay  and dialogue  writers – Aamil Keeyan Khan, Ankush Singh, Sandeep Kewlani and  Sriidhar Rajyash  Dubey – who add more.  We get a gender swap for a key character – the SP who forces Bholaa to drive the truck is now a female cop named Diana. The good thing is that this allows the film to include Tabu who after the Drishyam series and Kuttey, is back in uniform.  There is something so inherently dazzling about Tabu in Ray-bans, shooting baddies while hanging onto the side of a jeep that I want to recommend that Rohit Shetty consider adding her to his cop universe.  But the narrative doesn’t give her much to do.  There is one scene in which Diana talks about what she has lost in the line of duty.  Tabu, with moist eyes and  a  steely gaze, does so much with so little.  But mostly, the heavy-lifting is done by Bholaa himself. 

Now here’s where I get confused.  Ajay has been a leading man for 32 years.  He swept to stardom with that iconic split in Phool aur Kaante and continues to deliver hits with the regularity of a cuckoo clock.  Just last year, he was in RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Drishyam 2.  This is an actor with multiple National Awards and a built-in superstar persona.  He doesn’t need elevation.  When he walks into  the  frame, he owns it.  But this film insists on talking up his character at regular intervals.  One of many tweaks in the Hindi version is a new character whose only function is to construct and embellish the myth of Bholaa. The crowd listens, stunned, as this man waxes eloquent about Bholaa.  He says: Uski saans ruk jaati hai lekin woh  nahi  rukta. 

Like the other three films in which Ajay has directed himself – U Me aur Hum, Shivaay and Runway 34 – in Bholaa also, his character is a father and very much, the alpha male. Bholaa is essentially a superhero without a cape but with celestial overtones.  The film references Lord Shiva who also loomed large on Shivaay.  It’s widely known that Ajay is a keen devotee of Lord Shiva and even has a tattoo of him on his chest.  Bholaa is positioned as the human incarnation of the lord of destruction.  The film is peppered with visual references.  A key scene takes place at an outdoor temple where a gigantic statue of Lord Shiva stands – a low angle shot frames Bholaa and statue side by side.  For the final battle, the weapon of choice is a trishul.  We see Bholaa doing a maha-aarti and when he puts that ash on his forehead, you know there will be trouble.  

But to have  an  impact, a superhero who might be a demi-god needs a ferocious villain and this is where the film stumbles. The set-up is ek chattan aur sau shaitaan.  But none of these shaitaans have any real menace to them.  Deepak Dobriyal, with earrings, eyeliner, tattoos and a nail ring, plays an unhinged cocaine addict. This is a man so heinous  that  he bludgeons his own henchman to death, then sits on his body and snorts a line.  Deepak is a terrific actor but Ashu bhaiya mostly requires posturing. Vineet Kumar as his older brother Nithari gets even less.  That name may refer to the horrific Nithari case in which children were murdered.  This guy, with eyes bulging out says, khakee mera favorite khana, ab tak gyarah khaa chuka hoon.  But he barely evokes fear either.  The equation is skewed further because Bholaa is presented as virtually indestructible.  In Kaithi, Lokesh created moments in which we were genuinely afraid for Dilli.  But here, we know that Bholaa will conquer all. The only suspense is how.  However, Sanjay Mishra as the hapless constable who must find his inner hero, finds a few moments to shine.  As does Amir Khan who provides comic relief as Kadchi. 

Ajay isn’t a dull director.  He works consistently to keep the story moving and the visuals, by DOP Aseem Bajaj, are flashy but inventive.  The action sequences in this film, which include a six-minute-long chase sequence, have ambition and scale.  Like he has done in his earlier films, he also includes a song interlude where you don’t expect it – here’s it’s a remix of the iconic Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai from Guide.  The effort is consistent but his obvious talent for spinning a yarn seems to get lost in the noise.  And the 3D doesn’t help – in one scene, Bholaa punches a man in the face and teeth and blood come flying at you.  There are also visuals of bones ripping out of flesh and in one scene, when Bholaa hits a man on his chest, his heart comes out of his back.  At least I think it was a heart.  Perhaps Nithari speaks for the film when he says: Rakht ke bhakt hain hum. 

I’m not a Rakht ka bhakt and Bholaa exhausted me.  But I’m intrigued by the clash promised in the sequel.    

You can see Bholaa at a theater near you.

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Bholaa Review: Ajay Devgn Packs A Powerful Punch, High-Octane Action Sequences Make It A Mass Entertainer

Ajay Devgan fans have a reason to celebrate as the actor's much-anticipated film Bholaa has hit the theatres today(March 30) on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami and is a true-blue masala entertainer. The movie not only stars Ajay in the lead role but the superstar has also donned the director's hat. Bholaa is an adaptation of Tamil film Kaithi and is being released in IMAX and 3D formats. Touted as one of the most anticipated films, Bholaa had already created quite a buzz ever since the trailer was released and now the the film is out here's the first review!

Bholaa Story

After 10 years of imprisonment, Bholaa(Ajay Devgn) is finally going home to meet his young daughter. Meanwhile, a lady IPS officer Diana Joseph(Tabu) offers Bholaa an escape route in exchange for him carrying out a deadly task. Soon Bholaa faces a pathway full of crazy obstacles, with death lurking around every corner.

Bholaa Review

The movie has every element to make it a mass entertainer, from high-octane drama, brilliant VFX to a gripping plot. There's not a single moment when you feel like taking a loo break and it keeps you on the edge of your seat till the end. Another high point of the film is the ensemble star cast, Besides Ajay Degn and Tabu, Bholaa also stars Deepak Dobriyal, Sanjay Mishra and Gajraj Rao in key roles. Abhishek Bachchan is also part of the movie in an interesting cameo also hinting at the sequel.

#Bholaa has every element that makes it a #MustWatch @ajaydevgn takes the cake #Tabu is brilliant 🙌 Overall a complete masala entertainer 🍿high on action, superb VFX & gripping plot #Bholaareview will be up tomorrow #BholaaInTheatresTomorrow #AjayDevgn pic.twitter.com/SJwV4SHoHn — Aashu Mishra (@Aashu9) March 29, 2023

Bholaa is a well-executed action thriller and Ajay Devgn's intense performance makes it a treat to watch. Despite being an action-thriller Bholaa also has some emotional moments, there's a scene where Ajay Devgn & Tabu talk about their sad pasts. Towards the end, the track involving Devgn and his reel daughter will also leave you moist-eyed and adds a touch of tenderness to the otherwise violent and dark film.

Ajay Devgn's hard-hitting performance is the backbone of Bholaa. He excels in the action sequences, the actor is equally good in the emotional scenes and wins hearts with his heartwrenching expressions. Tabu is brilliant in her role that requires her to be tough and vulnerable at the same time. Deepak Dobriyal as evil Ashu is unmissable and shines throughout the film. Sanjay Mishra as police constable proves to be the surprise package of Bholaa and leaves his mark.

Overall Bholaa is a visual treat in 3D and has everything, right from high octane action scenes to powerful performances that makes it a masala entertainer you can watch with your entire family. So go grab a popcorn and watch Bholaa at a theatre near you.

According to trade experts, Bholaa is expected to witness a great run at the box office. The film has managed to create a substantial buzz among the audience and has also received a decent advance booking which drops hints about a great first day opening for this Ajay Devgn directorial.

Certified U/A, Bhola will be witnessing a box office clash with Nani starrer Dasara which is another big Pan India release. While it will be a treat for the movie goers, the trade expert believes that Dasara and Bholaa will not be affecting each other's collection as both have their own markets and can survive well at the box office.

Bholaa In-depth Analysis

Direction: 3.5/5 Dialogues: 3/5 Screenplay: 3.5/5 Visual appeal: 4/5

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Bholaa review: Ajay Devgn brings some slick but mindless action in this 'dark' thriller

Bholaa movie review: ajay devgn directs and stars in this less than impressive kaithi remake high on vfx and adrenaline..

Remember the iconic scene from Ajay Devgn's debut Phool Aur Kaante (1991) when he did that iconic split on top of two bikes? Cut to 2023, bikes are back but instead of balancing on them, he is flipping them in the air, setting them on fire, beating bikers left, right and centre and serving some high-octane action. Bholaa is undoubtedly an exhilarating watch. Slick action with the hero single-handedly beating 100 bad guys, Bholaa is nothing short of a full-on mass entertainer that turns a theatre into stadium with the public cheering and clapping each time the hero shows a gravity-defying move. Is that all realistic? No. Do you enjoy watching it? It depends on whether you're a fan of well-choreographed stunts. (Also read: Maidaan teaser: Ajay Devgn 'Lassos' in the golden era of Indian football to big screen in impressive first look )

Bholaa will give you adrenaline rush, but if you also look for an equally meaningful story or at least a narrative that brings some value, Bholaa will disappoint you at many levels. A Hindi adaptation of Tamil film Kaithi (2019), Bholaa tries to recreate the same magic albeit with its share of flaws. And there are many! Once again wearing the director's hat, Ajay Devgn ensures he brings larger-than-life action on screen which is not seen before, or at least not on this level. But in the process, the story is so side-lined that you actually wait for something to make sense. After a point, it's literally a montage of one brilliant action sequence after the other, but the mindless stunts can impress you only till they last.

Bholaa chronicles the tale of a night when a just-released prisoner, ex-conman Devgn (Bholaa) is waiting to meet his daughter for the first time in 10 years. But his journey turns out to be a rather difficult course when IPS Diana Joseph (Tabu) asks him to drive a truck full of 40 unconscious police officers who fell prey to a conspiracy at a farewell party of a senior officer (Kiran Kumar in a cameo). Parallelly, there is a drug mafia being run by Sika Gang - Ashwathama aka Ashu (Deepak Dobriyal) and his elder brother Nithari, who would go to any extremes to get their cocaine back that Diana has seized and kept in a jail. They send out multiple gangs to kill the cops in the truck and capture Diana, but Bholaa turns into an undefeatable force and fights them all. That's basically the plot, which keeps you busy, if not hooked, for some 2.5 hours.

Amid all this, several questions remain unanswered and very little is shown, told or revealed about Bholaa's past. Who is Bholaa? How did he become this strong? Why was he sentenced in the first place? There's a blink-and-miss kind of love angle between Bholaa and Amala Paul, but that's about it. How that love blossoms and becomes the catalyst for a lot of things is never touched upon. That somehow put me off. Of course, the cliff-hanger in the climax gets you super curious and the film ends on a 'to be continued' note, but this is a bit much of a tease for audiences to wait for the truth to be revealed. Yes, it's like pulling off a Baahubali kind of craze and hype. Not sure if the sequel would come back with all the answers or would again focus on just the adrenaline factor.

Bholaa is so fast-paced that one actually needs time to sink in an action sequence unfold onscreen before the next one comes up. Here, an engaging screenplay by Aamil Keeyan Khan, Ankush Singh, Sandeep Kewlani and Shriidhar Dubey does the trick. The action scenes one after the other don't look like disjointed pieces of a puzzle but cleverly placed to keep up the excitement high. Lokesh Kanagaraj, who has also written the original, is strong with an intriguing plot, but if you haven't seen Kaithi, then Bholaa ends up looking like a cat-and-mouse-chase between this truck being driven on endless roads across the state, and criminals lurking every few kilometres only to be evaded by Bholaa's might. Aseem Bajaj's cinematography has a lot to do. Given that the film is entirely shot at night and is mostly dark, highlighting the imagery and graphics isn't an easy feat in this case, so it does get a bit messy there.

Devgn as the actor is in top form and when he rolls up his sleeves and perform stunts, you can expect the unexpected. I mean, come on, isn't it very 70s' to watch the hero beating 100 men and continue to stand up and fight with the same stamina every single time? Yes, he channelises his inner Shiva in the best possible way, but it's all far from reality. I wanted to see more of him talk and even the emotional bits which just come and go should have stayed for a bit longer. Tabu seems to be becoming a pro at playing a cop. After two parts of Drishyam, Kuttey and now Bholaa, she looks confident and convincing in uniform more than any other female actor. Though in Bholaa, we hardly see her in the police uniform as most of the time she is made to disappear as Devgn takes spotlight while fighting the bad guys. Dobriyal in a completely psychotic and menacing role is unbelievably brilliant. For once, I thought it was choreographer Terrence Lewis making his acting debut, but when you look closer to find Dobriyal, and he just bowls you over with his performance. Yadav ji (Sanjay Mishra) and corrupt home minister (Gajraj Rao) in lend able support to the story and impress with their acting chops.

The heavyweight dialogues in Bholaa are so passable that you wonder why were they there in the first place. Sample some of these: Bandook ki naukri ki hai, goli toh khani padegi. Hum dikhe hote toh tum nahi dikhte. Yeh dharti banjar hokar bhi budzil paida nahi karti. Ladaiyan honslon se jeeti jaati hain sankhya, bal aur hathiyaron se nahi. They sound so cliched and stylised that when characters actually say these onscreen, you just yawn and say, 'Ok, next, please!'

Bholaa can sure be touted to be that typical mass entertainer with action that is totally paisa vasool, but again, we need to see something beyond just the heroic deeds.

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‘Bholaa’ movie review: Ajay Devgn’s messy, massy remake of ‘Kaithi’

Trishul in hand, his forehead smeared in sacred ash, ajay devgn looks menacing in ‘bholaa,’ but otherwise struggles to convey the mythic qualities of his character.

Updated - March 30, 2023 01:31 pm IST

Published - March 30, 2023 01:06 pm IST

Ajay Devgn in a still from ‘Bholaa’

An hour into Bholaa — the new film directed, produced and headlined by Ajay Devgn — a leopard is introduced. As a disclaimer in the opening credits informs, the animal was created entirely using CGI, though that’s not the tamest thing about it. As Ajay, playing our protagonist, Bholaa, swoops down from a truck and does so much as a short hero’s walk, the leopard retreats and bolts. Ajay’s heroism in the film is so grand it turns an apex predator into a literal (and laughable) scaredy cat.

The leopard is an addition, one of many that distinguish Bholaa from its source material. The film is a remake of the 2019 Tamil hit Kaithi . Written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj – undoubtedly, one of the most exciting action filmmakers in the country – the original is a lesson in delayed gratification, punctuating its pay-offs and big action set pieces with long stretches of buildup and dread. There is a wonderful way in which Kanagaraj, helped by his enigmatic leading man Karthi, keeps us on tenterhooks before piling on the madness in the film’s second half... where it belongs.

Bholaa (Hindi)

Bholaa , by contrast, is mad from the get-go. Ajay and his writers (four in total) forfeit any claim to restraint and then some more. The film is too masala , too eager to please; complete with animals, item numbers and balletic bike chases through the night. At times, it resembles a cross between Mad Max: Fury Road and K.G.F. , neither register particularly suited for a lean, emotional story like Kaithi . After Bachchhan Paandey and Vikram Vedha , this is another Hindi remake that goes in for an over-the-top treatment. It gives Bholaa a distinct visual identity, if not much suspense or edge.

A drug bust has been successfully conducted and 900 kgs of uncut cocaine seized. Both the loot and its transporters are locked up inside the secretive Lalganj jail in UP. Police officer Diana Joseph (Tabu) thinks the worst is behind her when she finds herself in a fix; several of her colleagues have dropped unconscious after drinking spiked booze at a senior’s farewell party. Pressed for options and time, Diana enlists Bholaa, an ex-convict on his way to meet his daughter, to load the cops up in a truck and drive them to the hospital. It’s a two-hour ride, enough time for Ashwatthama (Deepak Dobriyal), the maniacal chief of the drug ring, to lay siege on Lalgunj.

Bholaa is two films at the price of one; an action road movie interspersed with a last-stand survival drama. Sanjay Mishra plays an ageing cop who must fortify the Lalganj station against the invading thugs. Simultaneously, a bounty is put on Diana and the knocked-out policemen, prompting miscellaneous gangs to chase after the truck and halt its progress. Editor Dharmendra Sharma smoothly cuts back and forth between the two tracks. The emphasis, though, is on the action, as Ajay’s Bholaa crunches limbs, pops bones, and bashes out teeth to protect his benefactors, on the promise that they will help secure his daughter’s future.

The chase sequences are admirably crazy. Ajay and his team spare no expense in the vehicular department, from bikes and police cars that explode with relish to a fleet of tractors that stand up on their rear wheels. His action choreography is brutal, unhinged. Yet, the dodgy VFX — including a fake waterfall in the final stretch — and excessive day-for-night shooting sullies the illusion of watching in-camera action. There are some jarring tonal shifts in the film; violence interrupted by comedy interrupted by melodrama interrupted by romance.

Trishul (trident) in hand, his forehead smeared in sacred ash, Ajay looks menacing when hacking up goons but otherwise struggles to convey the mythic qualities of his character. The film is full of nods to the actor’s earlier hits; the truck-based action of Kachche Dhaage and Badshaaho ; the jungle mania of Kaal ; a similar cop-and-criminal equation between Tabu and him like in Drishyam . “I understand your zakhm,” Diana says at one point, another inadvertent nod to a 1998 Ajay film.

A pan-India release, Bholaa comes attached with the usual trappings, including shows in IMAX 3D and 4DX and cameos by Amala Paul and Rai Lakshmi (there is another cameo, much spoiled in media reports, that made me sit up in delight). The film screams out its crowd-pleasing credentials, but will this be enough? “These days, movies do not work without a story,” says a character in Kaithi . The line isn’t repeated in Bholaa , which is smart. Here is a film that bets the entire farm on its frills.

Bholaa is currently running in theatres

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Release date: 30 March, 2023

Bholaa movie.

BHOLAA is the story of one crazy night involving drugs, gangsters and a father dying to meet his daughter. ACP Diana (Tabu) fights a gang of thieves and confiscates 900 kgs of drugs from them, worth Rs. 1,000 crores. She hides the drugs in the basement of the sprawling Lalganj ...  Police Station. At night, she attends the retirement party of I G Jayant Malik (Kiran Kumar). In a strange turn of events, all the 50 cops at the party faint one by one after drinking the spiked drink. Diana, who was injured, didn’t consume alcohol and she’s the only one on her feet. Her undercover cop Bhoora (Arpit Ranka) informs her that Ashwathama aka Ashu (Deepak Dobriyal), whose drugs she has confiscated, is determined to finish off the cops. He’s also all set to take back his drugs consignment. Diana has only one choice – ask Bholaa (Ajay Devgn) to help her ferry the unconscious cops to the hospital before they die. Bholaa has just got released from jail after 10 years. He is all set to go to an orphanage to meet his daughter Jyoti (Hirva Trivedi) whom he has never seen before. Diana, however, spoils his plan as she asks him for help. Bholaa agrees when she promises to secure Jyoti’s future in return for his services. The truck journey begins. Sadly, Ashu and his gang put several roadblocks in the 80-kilometer-long journey. What happens next forms the rest of the film

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Bholaa Review: Slapdash Rehash That Rides Solely On Ajay Devgn's Star Power

Bholaa review: tabu, of course, makes the most of the footage that she gets but still has to settle for second-fiddle treatment..

Cast : Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Raai Laxmi, Amala Paul, Deepak Dobriyal, Sanjay Mishra

Directo r: Ajay Devgn

Rating : 2 stars (out of 5)

A remake that makes exceedingly heavy weather of an old formula. Bholaa , produced and directed by lead actor Ajay Devgn, is unlikely to have you shouting bumm bumm bhole in joy. The film is a bummer. Loud, prone to excess and wilting under its own weight, its creaks and croaks its way to a climax that issues a threat - there is more on the way.

Bholaa , official remake of the Tamil hit Kaithi (of which, too, there is a sequel in the works), sucks out whatever air there was in Lokesh Kanagaraj's film and delivers a stale, slapdash rehash that rides solely on Devgn's star power. He gives it his all, but that is hardly enough to paper over the massive creases.

The screenplay by a quartet of writers (Aamil Keeyan Khan, Ankush Singh, Sandeep Kewlani and Shriidhar Dubey) puts the actor front and centre. That is all there is to the film apart from the visual veneer that Aseem Bajaj's cinematography imparts to it.

Bholaa deviates from the Kaithi script in significant ways. But barring the replacement of a male Indian Police Service officer with a tough woman in uniform, the tweaks do not count for much. Worse, they damage the film's chances of being passed off as a middling thriller.

One key respect in which Bholaa differs from Kaithi is in the way the hero is projected. In the original screenplay, he was a tough guy who never lost his corporeal qualities. He felt hunger, was wracked by doubts and experienced physical pain while going about his job.

In Bholaa , the just-freed prisoner is sought to be raised to the level of an all-powerful deity - to the status of Shiva the Destroyer and the Protector, no less. He is a man of few words but when he speaks, he delivers stuffy homilies rather than take recourse to the believable language of a man desperate for a fresh shot at life.

The emotional quotient of the story - a convicted father who has never seen his daughter is granted a remission of his life sentence and is on his way to meet the girl who lives in a Lucknow orphanage - is severely undermined by the projection of Bholaa as an invincible larger-than-life figure endowed with the power to return at will from the jaws of death any number of times.

He is just the sort of superhuman that superintendent of police Diana Joseph (Tabu) is looking for as the force faces double trouble. One, nine hundred kilos of cocaine seized in a major drug bust and kept in a secret bunker is in danger of being taken back by a vicious gang led by a coke-snorting sadist Ashwathama alias Ashu (Deepak Dobriyal). He is the younger brother of an elusive drug kingpin (Vineet Kumar) nobody has ever spotted in public.

Two, 40 policemen, knocked out cold by alcohol spiked with Rohypnol, are being ferried to a medical facility 80 km away. The angry criminals are out to waylay the rundown lorry and kill the five cops who intercepted their truck and seized their contraband consignment. Diana enlists Bholaa's support to save the cocaine and the cops. The action unfolds in the course of one night that sees a series of explosive action set pieces on the road, in a forest and inside a police station.

In the police station, an ageing havildar, Angad Yadav (Sanjay Mishra), finds himself in the thick of the action. Stranded with three students who have been arrested for drunken behaviour and a girl who is love with one of the boys, the policeman is charged with keeping Ashu and his murderous men at bay until Diana, Bholaa and Kadchi, a biryani caterer roped in to guide the cops out of the woods.

With Bholaa firmly on her side, Diana has nothing to fear. The guy is more than a handful for the armies of menacing men deployed to stop him in his tracks. He can fight them off with his bare hands, cleavers and daggers with the same ease with which he wields a trishul and a rapid-firing multiple-barrel gun.

The trident, which had no place in Kaithi , is brought in for the purpose of endowing the hero with a divine aura that instantly dwarfs the bad guys. But no matter what he does to establish his insuperability, the dance of death that Bholaa unleashes across several action sequences is monotonous and laboured.

With Devgn towering over everything else (and that includes the screenplay) characters who mattered in Kaithi are reduced to complete nonentities. Among the worst sufferers are an undercover cop who infiltrates the gang of drug peddlers and a compromised police officer (Gajraj Rao), who strikes a deal with the drug dealers. They languish on the fringes of the plot.

No different is the fate of Kiran Kumar, playing an inspector-general of police whose retirement bash is where his subordinates consume the poisoned potion that leaves them sedated and dangling between life and death, and Makarand Deshpande in the guise of a jail inmate who tells everyone within earshot stories of Bholaa 's legendary exploits. He is no ordinary bloke, the raconteur insists. Jab yeh bhashm lagata hai pata nahin kitno ko bhashm kar deta hai (when he applies holy ash to his forehead there is no count of how many he sends to their doom).

The secondary and tertiary characters are given no space at all to develop because Bholaa , which is precisely the same length as Kaithi , is focussed squarely on ensuring that the lead actor does not cede any ground to the others in the cast. Tabu, of course, makes the most of the footage that she gets but still has to settle for second-fiddle treatment. Only two other actors are allowed their moments - Deepak Dobriyal (oozing menace) and Sanjay Mishra (exuding simmering doggedness).

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. It is a gratuitous addition that only slows down the film and does no justice to the actress.

Kaithi was a songless film with a near-perfect background score by Sam C.S., who factored sounds emanating from within the frames into the film's musical spine and created ample room for evocative variations in pitching and decibel levels to accentuate the action sequences.

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. Composer Ravi Basrur gives Bholaa the KGF treatment and rustles up what amounts to an assault on the eardrums.

The relentless cacophony is, of course, of a piece with what Bholaa is out to achieve. It is a film that goes the whole nine yards and loses its way.

• Cast Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Raai Laxmi, Amala Paul, Deepak Dobriyal, Sanjay Mishra
• Director Ajay Devgn

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Bholaa: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast

• Release Date 30 March 2023
• Language Hindi
• Genre Action, Drama, Thriller
• Duration 2h 15min
• Cast Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Sanjay Mishra, Deepak Dobriyal, Raai Laxmi, Kiran Kumar, Makrand Deshpande, Jahangir Khan, Vineet Kumar, Ketan Karande, Arpit Ranka, Amit Pandey, Lokesh Mittal, Dhaniram Prajapati, Hirva Trivedi
• Director Ajay Devgn
• Writer Shreedhar Dubey, Sandeep Kewlani, Aamil Keeyan Khan
• Cinematography Aseem Bajaj
• Music Ravi Basrur
• Producer Ajay Devgn, S.R. Prabhu, Shibashish Sarkar
• Production Ajay Devgn FFilms, T-Series Films, Reliance Entertainment, Dream Warrior Pictures
• Certificate U/A

About Bholaa Movie (2023)

In the remake of the Tamil movie Kaithi (2019), after getting out of prison, Bholaa (Ajay Devgn) desires to meet his daughter who lives in an orphanage, but his plans are interrupted by a well-orchestrated drug bust conducted by a law enforcement agency.

Bholaa Movie Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Songs and Ratings

Bholaa Movie Trailer

Bholaa movie songs.

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