Baadshaho (2017) Review!!!

Synopsis – Baadshaho is inspired by real-life events during the Emergency and revolves around stolen gold.

My Take – It doesn’t seem too far ago when director Milan Lutharia made a splash onto the big screen with his 1999 directorial debut action thriller Kachche Dhaage starring Ajay Devgn & Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles. Making fewer films in between in comparison to his comrades, features directed by Milan Luthria have more than often received praised for his fresher concepts despite the obvious odds to 70s film making style, in the sense most of the films released between 1999-2005 almost look the same. While some of his offbeat attempts turned into something exceptionally absorbing (like Dirty Picture, Once Upon a time in Mumbai, Taxi No. 9211), others have been rightfully dismissed over as films preferring style over substance (like Deewaar: Let’s Bring Our Heroes Home, Hattrick, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara!). His latest ensemble piece to tries to counter that presumed dismissal with an attempt at balance between story and swagger, yet loses steam post-interval and becomes a predictably haphazard.

Well, I guess what would you expect from a film where the heroine, after days, if not months in incarceration, walks out with coiffured hair and wearing a chiffon sari and a string of pearls, like she’s just out of a party? And then, proceeds to run across the desert. Yes, the film is over-wrought, melodramatic and designed as pulp fiction, but it is also intermittently fun, mainly as director Milan Lutharia delivers (even if considered partially) a killer concept of a Bollywood 70’s nostalgia filled action drama around an impossible heist. This film is out to quench the thirst of the masses for a good masala entertainer & rightfully does so, no matter how many times you irk at the high-dialoguebaazi. The story follows Bhawani Singh (Ajay Devgn), the brooding personal security in-charge of serving the last descendant of a Rajput family, princess Geetanjali (Ileana D’Cruz). Set in Rajasthan, in 1975 during the period of Indra Gandhi’s emergency, political leader Sanjeev (Priyanshu Chatterjee), in order to exact his revenge for refusing his advances towards her, uses the government’s power to confiscate Geetanjali’s ancestral gold & places her under arrest. Desperate to save her riches, she turns to Bhavani, who is also her secret lover, to find a way to stop the transfer to Delhi. As a de-facto leader Bhawani recruits a happy-go-lucky gun-for-hire Dalia (Emraan Hashmi), an ageing cat burglar Tikla (Sanjay Mishra) aka Guruji and Geentanjali’s trusted aide Sanjana (Esha Gupta) to help him intercept the highly armored truck carrying the gold without leading back any traces to Geetanjali. However, problem arises when the chief in charge appoints Major Seher Singh (Vidyut Jammwal), to take charge of transporting the treasure back to the capital personally. There are chase sequences, kickass fights, Rajasthani folk music and what not! The journey of these four main characters till the time of the climax keeps you going and not a dull moment is felt. The trailer had indeed left the audience intrigued about the film and it was expected to be one of its kind. However, the first half of the film left me disappointed as director seemed to be a in hurry covering up all the major aspects of the story, including the character introduction, the plot, romantic chemistry between Ajay and Ileana etc. Although this is not one of his bests! It is fastidious in its quest to recreate the styles, manners, talk and cultural minutiae of the 70’s. There’s a real spirit of using the film to transport the viewer into the past. It gives you an exhilarating sense of the similarities and differences between then and now. However, the filmmakers have taken creative liberties that viewers should ignore! The costumes, make-up, hair styling and props are in details, the film has some replay moments like the character introduction of Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi. Director Milan Luthria revisits the familiar tale of the emergency of the 70’s and pulls a new leafy from the state of Rajasthan. In setting the film in the 70s, director Luthria borrows much of that period’s cinematic style.

Every line is a punch line, every dialogue a clap-trap. The nostalgia is enjoyable initially, and the film successfully evokes the spirit of those Amitabh Bachchan starrers of the 70s. As befits a heist film, the narrative is appropriately twisty—in fact, there are so many double crosses to sort out that the film gives up trying to resolve them, opting instead for a confusing, sand-streaked climactic shootout. Every time Bhavani & Co. get into a soup, you think of the many ways that they might get out of it. The film surprises with its solution. Only difference is in the first half, you think it is smart, as interval approached things become quite laughable, especially the climax which just falls flat. If we look at the films Milan made, the only film that was unique at its time was Once Upon a time, and what clicked the most in that film was its whistle worthy dialogues. And from then on, the concentration was only on dialogues and not content. The same continues here and it’s as average as the previous films of Milan. Lot of scenes cater to the front benchers. The dialogues too belong to 1975. A lot of style is forced in order to get a stylish screenplay. The film doesn’t fail ever to go on a predictable note. The music of the film is a big letdown too. It tries hard to create chartbusters with masala numbers but in vain. The film may not be smart film, but it’s a reasonably savvy daft one, inventive enough to revisit a key event from multiple perspectives and silly enough to have Mishra pick a safe in horse blinkers. You don’t go in expecting much of a film that promises Sunny Leone bathing in a barrel. You don’t receive much either, but you’re grateful for the scraps. Cinematographer Sunia Radia has done a great job in capturing all the major moments with her camera. As for the performances, Ajay Devgan portrays his character with ease; not only that, he makes a remarkable impression with the dialogues that have been penned by Rajat Arora. Emraan Hashmi is sure to win your heart once again. Playing his usual flirty self, Hashmi seems right at home. While the underrated Vidyut Jammval is terrific as the army officer, Sanjay Mishra‘s humor and one-liners does give you some light moments in the film. Esha Gupta is also good in her own capacity. Then, there is Ileana D’Cruz who is the surprise package of this action-packed heist thriller. Undoubtedly, Ileana has justified ever bit of her role of a Maharani and she looks ravishing as the Rajasthan princess. The actress has been given ample screen space to explore her acting horizon and thankfully she does leave an impression. Her act as a shrewd ruler to a dramatic and sympathetic one is both convincing. On the whole, ‘Baadshaho’ is a wildly enjoyable flick which despite its major flaws manages to keep you hooked till the last frame.