Film: Bloody Daddy

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Ronit Bose Roy, Rajeev Khandelwal, Sanjay Kapoor, Diana Penty

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

OTT: Jio Cinema

Rating: 2.5 Moons

From 'Kisne Touch Kiya Preeti Ko' in Kabir Singh to 'Kisne Touch Kiya Mere Bete Ko' in Bloody Daddy, we have seen an evolution of Shahid Kapoor as the dark, intense and anti-hero protagonist. In his first collaboration with Ali Abbas Zafar, Shahid Kapoor 2.0 plays the role of a 'Daddy' who is 'Bloody' good at kicking goons and going to any extent to rescue his son from the clutches of the drug mafia. There are fatherly sentiments running underneath a mission to bust a drug cartel. 

This 'Daddy' Sumair (Shahid Kapoor) is a Narcotics Control Bureau officer who is secretly (not really a secret since the film is a remake) on a mission to track down the mastermind of the cartel and also save his son Atharva (Sartaaj Kakkar) from Sikandar Choudhary (Ronit Bose Roy) and his brothers. The drama unfolds over one night and it is a long way to reach the conclusion. It is important to clarify that Shahid Kapoor is no Keanu Reeves and this Ali Abbas Zafar directorial is no John Wick hence comparisons can be put to rest.

Bloody Daddy is an old concept in a new packet. Sleepless Night (2011) released in the last decade and struck the right chord due to its relevant setting. This Ali Abbas Zafar directorial also has a timely setting as the film is set post-COVID-19 second lockdown. The relevance is soon put on the back burner. 

Ali has given some of the best action films, the prime example is Tiger Zinda Hai. He knows what his audience wants from him. Undoubtedly, Bloody Daddy has some of the most unique action sequences. Especially the combat between Sumair and Sameer (Rajeev Khandelwal) in the kitchen with utensils and knives. Bloody Daddy is one of those films which is better than the trailer. 

Bloody Daddy appears to be two different halves stitched together. While the first half is engaging, humourous and pacy, the second half is predictable and tedious. It starts on a thrilling note but the decline is seen pretty early. Since it is a story of one night, the film begins to feel stretched and dragged with little or no enthusiasm shown by the director to keep the audience engrossed with unexpected twists. Even if one hasn't seen Sleepless Night, Bloody Daddy is easier to crack than a grade 1 math paper. 

In spite of having all the reasons to keep the runtime shorter, there's an unnecessary song added to give some limelight to rapper-singer Badshah. The chase has to happen in the middle of an ongoing concert inside the hotel and this makes no sense. Kindergarten-level proceedings like Sumair hiding a bag full of cocaine in the attic of a washroom cubicle and leaving the place without erasing footprints, and a drug addict laughing stupidly are just the basic flaws. Bloody Daddy happens to be Ali's weakest directorial to date. 

The script doesn't do justice to veterans like Ronit Bose Roy. While he does an incredible job at making Sikander a fun character, the flaw lies right there in the way it's written. Reminding of villains of the 90s, Sikander is subject to cracking some humourous jokes that become boring soon. Diana Penty's character does no good to the film. Apart from one scene with Shahid's Sumair where they are having a fight, Diana's Aditi has barely anything to contribute. Sanjay Kapoor is certainly having fun but the foundation of his character is weak. Ankur Bhatia is wasted. It is a role that could have been eliminated at the edit table as it gets irritating to watch him in an annoyingly bad part. Vivan Bhatena also could have been utilised but sadly, he doesn't get the kind of space he deserved. 

The two standout performances in Bloody Daddy are delivered by Shahid and Rajeev. It is a delight to watch their kitchen combat scene which is the only memorable thing in the film. Shahid is flawless in a flawed film. He is especially phenomenal in action sequences and his swag is unmatched. Rajeev is ageing in reverse and getting the kind of roles he is worthy of. He is brilliant. 

Bloody Daddy has a familiar and done-to-death topic. It is a remake of a film that has been remade way too many times and it is about time to let Sleepless Night get a good night's sleep with no further experiments. It is an uneven ride that's worth taking only if you're a Shahid fan.

PeepingMoon gives Bloody Daddy 2.5 Moons