Bhuj The Pride Of India movie review: Ajay Devgn’s film is loud and overdramatic

Bhuj: The Pride of India
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, Ammy Virk, Sharad Kelkar
Director: Abhishek Dudhaiya
Rating: 2/5

It’s good to have a clear mindset before setting out to make a film, but sometimes this also alienates all other sorts of viewers. Director Abhishek Dudhaiya’s audaciously tilted film is loud, full of noise and has absolutely no regard for subtlety.

Despite every second person talking in rhymes, one would still give some leeway to Ajay Devgn, who plays Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik. Even his worst films would have some moments to cherish. Well, all except Action Jackson that still gives me sleepless nights. Wasn’t Sonakshi Sinha also there! Here, he is walking past uninspiring milieu and mostly rudderless commands.

The timeline is around the India-Pakistan war of 1971, which saw the formation of Bangladesh. Karnik, with a group of daredevil pilots and soldiers, is expected to safeguard the Bhuj airbase as it’s strategically important for the protection of Indian borders. Pakistan is hell bent on winning it over within 48 hours and Karnik’s motley crew is cut loose from the rest of India. Can the mayhem be thwarted?

The planning of the film is more like a theatre production. Characters arrive and talk in couplets before indulging in fist and gun fights. The subpar vfx only diminishes their chances.

There are some unintentionally funny scenes as well. Consider this one: Sonakshi Sinha slashes a leopard’s throat in one swift move and a song breaks out in the background. The song is titled ‘Sunderben’ because that is Sonakshi’s name in the film. I might be exaggerating, but this sounded like ‘sunderban’. You get the drift, right?

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There are heavy-duty dialogues about real protectors, ideal warriors and ever-surviving cultures. By the time, the actors are done with their super-dramatic pauses and slow-motion entries, the enthusiasm for war scenes fizzles out. It ain’t no Border!

At 105-minutes, Disney+ Hotstar’s Bhuj: The Pride of India feels a tad bit long and tests the audience’s appetite for shrill sounds.

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