Bholaa Review: Ajay Devgn’s a one-man army in this action drama with Tabu and Deepak Dobriyal

By Rashita Sahni

on March 30, 2023 10:00:40 AM

Film: Bholaa

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Sanjay Mishra, Gajraj Rao & Deepak Dobriyal

Director: Ajay Devgn

Rating: 3.5 Moons

Actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn is back at it and this time, it’s bigger than ever. The action star has made his most-challenging and blistering film ever – the fiery, action-drama Bholaa. It is the superstar’s most daring film. And has been styled as the story of a one-man army, set in one night, fighting a multitude of enemies in various forms, human and otherwise. Co-starring Tabu, Deepak Dobriyal, Sanjay Mishra and Gajraj Rao, the film showcases the tale of two outcasts, united in their quest for justice.

The 2-hours-23-minutes long film opens with Bholaa (Ajay Devgn) being released from jail after serving 10 years. He once was the biggest gangster in town, but now has just one mission – to unite with his 10-year-old daughter who is at an orphanage. But Bholaa must tackle a bigger problem before he gets to meet his daughter for the first time. He happens to meet Police Officer Diana Joseph (Tabu), who is in desperate need of Bholaa’s help to catch drug mafia don Ashu aka Ashwathama (Deepak Dobriyal).

What starts off as a night of trouble soon turns into a battle of life and death. But Bholaa doesn’t give up. Like the one-man army that he is, Bholaa tries to save Diana and her team in every possible way. What happens next is a series of heavy action-packed encounters that manage to make Bholaa an engaging watch.

Bholaa is one of Bollywood’s best-shot action movies with brilliant 3D that is as seamless as it gets. The film’s action is intense and gruesome. The story, however, focuses way too much on the action and moves away from the real narrative. It would have been an even better watch if Bholaa had focused a little more on the emotional side of the story.

Ajay Devgn as Bholaa is bold, fearless and trustworthy. He manages to keep the audience hooked not only with his action but also with his acting skills. He delivers a commendable performance with his brave act. Tabu plays the role of a cop efficiently. She brings in her emotional side to balance the story. Deepak Dobriyal as Ashwathama is the real deal. With the right amount of terror and quirk and an equal part of sass, Deepak’s menacing performance hits it out of the park. Be it his dialogue delivery or hand-to-hand combat, he owns the film. Full marks to the entire supporting cast including Sanjay Mishra, Gajraj Rao, Amir Khan and Vineet Kumar for pulling off their roles flawlessly. Kudos to Amala Paul and Abhishek Bachchan for their surprising cameo.

In Bholaa, Ajay is a better actor than a director. Direction-wise, the film lacks a little bit of pace and realism. Despite being based on the 2019 Tamil action-thriller Kaithi, the film does not manage to leave an equal impact. Aamil Keeyan Khan, Ankush Singh, Sandeep Kewlani and Shriidhar Dubey’s screenplay is gripping. Special mention to action directors Ramazan Bulut and R. P Yadav for designing the heavy action-oriented scenes flawlessly. Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography is impressive and Dharmendra Sharma’s editing does the work well. Music by Ravi Basrur is the real game-changer in Bholaa.

PeepingMoon gives Bholaa 3.5 Moons!