Bloody Daddy (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – A messed up, tenacious man faces off against cops and crime lords to save the one relationship that matters to him.

My Take – If I could pick one actor from Hindi cinema who has constantly proven his unabashed talent, but has yet found himself rather underrated, probably due to his long string of poorly performing films, it has be Shahid Kapoor.

Constantly reworking himself over the past decade with challenging roles, this latest Jio Cinema release sees the 42 year old actor once again hone his skills by tapping into the traits of his characters from his biggest successes till date- the blockbuster feature Kabir Singh (2019) and the Amazon Prime Video series Farzi (2023).

With the blend of both the characters being placed right between a cat-and-mouse chase between police and drug lords, forcing him to become his version of John Wick. Something which despite his relatively petite frame and good-looking boy next door image, Kapoor ends up owning every bit of the outrageously witty yet violent character.

An adaption of the French film Nuit Blanche aka Sleepless Night (2011), which itself was remade in Tamil as Thoongaa Vanam (2015), starring Kamal Haasan, and even got an American adaptation titled, Sleepless (2017), starring Jamie Foxx, here, director Ali Abbas Zafar (Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai), who co-wrote the film with Aditya Basu and Siddharth–Garima (Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela), delivers enough gore, significant amount body count and smartly mounted gunfights and duels to provide an entertaining time, particularly for action enthusiasts.

Sure, by no stretch does the film manage to offer elements that they’ve never seen before to stand out in the sea of action thrillers, however, it does a respectable job of ensuring that you remain engaged throughout, specifically due to Shahid Kapoor who manages to nail the alpha male eccentric character, and watching him brawl is surely deeply fantastic.

Set right after the second wave of COVID-19, the story begins in Delhi’s Connaught Place and follows Sumair (Shahid Kapoor), an NCB officer, who along with his colleague, Jaggi (Zeishan Quadri), illegally nab and seize cocaine worth ₹50 crore from two drug dealers, with erroneous plans.

Being a divorcee and a father to his young son, Atharv (Sartaaj Kakkar), Sumair has much to prove, yet he revels in living dangerously and, as his ex-wife alleges, irresponsibly.

However, all his plans go for a toss when Sikander (Ronit Roy), the drug lord to whom the cocaine carrying duffel bag belongs to, kidnaps his son and blackmails him for an exchange. An exchange which will take place at his five-star hotel in Gurugram.

Though, Sumair reaches the destination well determined to rescue his son, it turns out that Sikander and his skewed brothers, Danny (Vivan Bhathena) and Vicky (Ankur Bhatia), aren’t the only adversaries that he must contend with.

And finds himself also squaring off with a gangster named Hameed (Sanjay Kapoor) and two anti-narcotics cops, Sameer (Rajeev Khandelwal) and Aditi (Diana Penty), who are out to get him. To make matters worse, despite initially hiding it in a safe place, Sumair no longer knows where the bag is.

The film doesn’t take itself too seriously. Director Ali Abbas Zafar makes sure has added elements from his niche to the audience. Right from building tension to leaving the most action for the second half. The plot might not be the meatiest or the most novel but it is the writing that deserves brownie points. A screenplay that is effortlessly peppered with enough humor, to keep things light.

The film rides high on its quirky one-liners and oddball situations. Also, unlike the action heroes we’re familiar with it, Sumair is way closer to reality. He’s not larger-than-life, he’s not perfect and may even come as a selfish and irresponsible father.

His character is fleshed out in the smartest fashion and his oscillating moral compass will keep you guessing which direction he would go till the very end. He’s not seen engaging in death-defying and anti-gravity based stunt sequences either. His fight sequences are bloody, believable and still keep you engrossed.

Yes, the film has several shortcomings like certain segments seem stretched and just when you think it might tie up the loose strings in the end, it leaves some. Even Sumair’s relationship with his teenage son needed more focus. Nevertheless, the comedic twists and powerful performances prevent your interest from fading.

The film without a doubt belongs to Shahid Kapoor. His undeniable charm wants you to root for him as he gets his hands bloody. His intense and nervous portrayal of an uninhibited and strong Sumair punctuated with these quirky comic situations are as remarkable as his scenes, though far and few, with his onscreen son, which add a whole new layer to his character.

He’s ably supported by Ronit Roy, who once again takes on the role of a baddie, this time with a subtle comic timing, and delivers an impressive act. Rajeev Khandelwal once again excels. It is not easy to share screen space with a powerful performer such as Shahid Kapoor and yet make a place of one’s own, but he does. Diana Penty lights the screen with her presence and plays a pivotal role in shaping the plot.

In other roles, Sanjay Kapoor, Zeishan Quadri, Vivan Bhathena, Ankur Bhatia and Sartaaj Kakkar are effective. On the whole, ‘Bloody Daddy’ is a solid action thriller that is both familiar yet engaging.