Xtreme Vogue Mumbai Desk: Komal Qureshi
Star Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Suvinder Vicky, Jatin Goswami, Vipin Sharma, Zoya Hussain
Director: Apoorv Singh Karki
What’s Good: You have the choice to skip it
What’s Bad: The execution, the dialogues
Loo Break: You can take one & return to find out Manoj Bajpayee is still slow-motioning his way through scenes
Watch or Not?: Only if you want to see Manoj Bajpayee in action mode & have a good tolerance
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 135 Minutes
User Rating:
When Ram Charan’s (Manoj Bajpayee) younger brother Vedant is mercilessly killed by Abhimanyu (Jatin Goswami) and his father Chandrabhan Singh (Suvinder Vicky), he has to bring back his ruthless side—Bhaiyya Ji. Ram Charan aka Bhaiyya Ji would go to any extent to seek revenge against the father-son duo for the misery they caused his entire family.
Script Analysis
Manoj Bajpayee’s Bhaiyya Ji is a story of revenge. An elder brother, who vowed to his dying father that he would never walk the path of violence again, has to break that promise. The loss of Vedant hit Ram Charan and his family hard, and the entire village is ready to fight for vengeance. On paper, the concept sounds interesting. However, the execution falls short. The first hour keeps you engaged for a while, but when Ram Charan gets into action mode, too much time is spent flaunting his skills; it feels like a photoshoot. I understand the need to show that he’s back to being his rowdy self, but who thought adding slow-motion shots every minute was a good idea?
The build-up of the revenge saga was okay, but the second hour is bizarre. For a man called ‘Robin Hood ka baap’ (Robin Hood’s father) and is hyped up for his ferocious tales, there’s very little shown in the present to prove it. Bhaiyya Ji gets the typical South Indian movie hero treatment as a larger-than-life persona, served with too much melodrama. The villagers mindlessly (and passionately) follow one man on his mission. To make Bhaiyya Ji look powerful and superior, everyone else is dumbed down. It’s no fun. The exchanges between the hero and the villain are poor, and Manoj’s character doesn’t come across as menacing at all!
Star Performance
One thing is clear: Manoj Bajpayee seemed to relish his role as Ram Charan, also known as Bhaiyya Ji. With plenty of slow-motion shots and stylish action scenes, the seasoned actor had the opportunity to embody a charismatic action hero. Typically, he is cast as a villain against such heroes. However, for an actor of his calibre, a more compelling narrative would have truly showcased his talents. It’s sad to see him wasted in such a weird revenge saga.
Suvinder Vicky’s Chandrabhan Singh initially looks like a big threat to Ram Charan, aka Bhaiyya Ji, but eventually, the story treats Suvinder’s character poorly, bringing nothing extraordinary out of him. Jatin Goswami offers nothing crucial, except for being Chandrabhan’s spoiled brat son, Abhimanyu. Actor Vipin Sharma plays a cop and genuinely makes you laugh with his silly lines.
Direction, Music
Apoorv Singh Karki directed ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’, starring Manoj Bajpayee, which is cited as one of the best films of 2023. Apoorv is a fan of Manoj, and the way he presented The Family Man star on screen proves it. The director intended to show that just like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, even Manoj can beat ten men at the same time with elegant kicks and punches. But amidst all the heroism, the story stops making sense completely. The revenge action thriller that could’ve wrapped up in 90 minutes is unnecessarily stretched to over two hours.
Bhaiyya Ji evokes laughter not from its intended comedic elements but from the absurd dialogues and exaggerated melodrama. While Vedant’s tragic loss feels real, everything after that seems like the actors were compelled to act against their wishes. The emotions are lost, and the tragedy transforms into a nonsensical and unexpected comedy.
The movie already numbs your thoughts, and the loud background music only worsens it.
The Last Word
Overall, the Manoj Bajpayee starrer struggles to impress, despite having the potential to become an intriguing revenge saga. The film succumbs to clichés and extreme melodrama, transforming the tragedy into unintended comedy.
One and a half stars!
