Film: Bhaiyya Ji

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Suvinder Vicky, Zoya Hussain, Vipin Sharma, Jatin Goswami, Akash Makhija

Director: Apoorv Singh Karki

Rating: 3.5 Moons

Bhaiyya Ji is Manoj Bajpayee's 100th film and it has to be special and out-of-the-box. Delivering exactly what the audience wants, the veteran actor transforms into a never-seen-before rowdy intolerant towards injustice and social evils. The Bahubali within a 'family man' has to arise when it comes to his family. 

Directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, Bhaiyya Ji tells the story of Ram Charan (Manoj Bajpayee), who is all set to tie the knot with Mitali (Zoya Hussain). However, tragedy strikes the family when his foster younger brother Vedant (Akash Makhija) is killed in Delhi during a physical altercation with Chandrabhan Singh’s (Suvinder Vicky) son, Abhimanyu Singh (Jatin Goswami). The film is set over the 13 days of mourning and how Bhaiyya Ji avenges his brother's murder. 

Unlike most Manoj Bajpayee films, Bhaiyya Ji is proudly over-the-top and melodramatic. Who needs South action stars when we have our very own Manoj! Bhaiyya Ji celebrates the beauty and flavour of massy cinema that brings out whistles and claps at every corner. The story by Deepak Kingrani appeals to the masses over classes. While it is arguable as Indian cinema has seen such concepts being narrated on the big screen, the treatment is raw and unfiltered. There's gore, bloodshed, violence and all that's required to keep the audience glued to the screen. Making it palatable for the neutral audience, there's a hint of romance amid intense action. 

Deepak Kingrani's dialogues might be over-the-top and extremely dramatic with terms like 'narsanghar' and 'pratishod', but it somewhat fits the style of storytelling and the backdrop. Set in Bihar, Bhaiyya Ji is exaggerated, especially the action sequences. Watching Manoj Bajpayee reinvent himself with such edgy characters is interesting and thrilling. His fans are in for a treat with this pure masala indulgence. 

Apoorv Singh Karki shows versatility. His previous film, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, was a hard-hitting and impactful film with a strong core. However, Bhaiyya Ji is in the complete opposite direction. The director has fun with the story and the massy treatment. It has its moments. Amid tense situations, there's a gleam of humour that comes out effortlessly through the dialogues and actors' on-point performance. With Bhaiyya Ji, Apoorv doesn't have a point to prove. He's simply telling a pure desi story based in the Hindi heartland. 

What works in favour of the film is the unabashed action and the way Manoj Bajpayee has been presented. Zoya Hussain, who plays Mitali, is more than just his future wife. She gets a meaty and solid character that doesn't rely on heavy dialogues and caricaturist mannerisms. If the poor VFX is kept aside, Bhaiyya Ji rides high on top-notch production value. 

Bhaiyya Ji is a Manoj Bajpayee show throughout. The actor breaks out of a shell and delivers a brilliant performance. He carries the film on his shoulders with little or no support from the remaining cast. Zoya Hussain is a standout performer. She is a true revelation and beats many actors in terms of screen presence with a balanced performance. Suvinder Vicky is wasted. He has potential but Bhaiyya Ji doesn't do justice to his skills. Jatin Goswami and Akash Makhija have their moments but it's not enough to make an impact. If violence and action are your genres, Apoorv Singh Karki will not disappoint.