Bhaiyya Ji Review: A KGF-Meets-Pushpa Fever Dream Which Stands Its Own Ground And Delivers A Solid Punch

Needless to say, Manoj Bajpayee is no longer the low-key protagonist but a larger-than-life mass action hero. The actor plays this role to stirring effect. (Image via X)

Celebrity socialite Kim Kardashian cracked a self-deprecating joke last year, taking a jibe at her cosmetic surgeries. “I am so much more than that reference photo my sisters showed their plastic surgeons”, she said as the crowd at Saturday Night Live erupted with laughs. It was a cheeky dig at how her sisters—Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian often try to emulate her style.

I believe something similar happened when 'Bhaiyya Ji' was conceptualised—the brief was to make 'Bhaiyya Ji' a menacing hero, very similar to the towering men seen in the recent mega-successful South blockbusters like Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and KGF: Chapter 2 (2022). The mood board here was Rocky bhai and Pushpa Raj. Like the two men, Bhaiyya Ji enters in slow motion, smokes a cigarette, beats up the goons and has an emotional backstory. He isn’t Robin Hood (sorry, Allu Arjun) but “Robin Hood ka baap”.

The treatment is too mass-action-potboiler-inspired for its own good. But director Apoorv Singh Karki’s film stands its ground. Set in Bihar, the story is based on the life of Ram Charan (also known as Bhaiyya Ji; played by the versatile Manoj Bajpayee). The film opens with a celebration where Bhaiyya Ji is marrying his fiance, played by Zoya Hussain. Several jokes are cracked at the expense of his late marriage, but the plot offers no explanation as to why this delay occurs in the first place.

The first 25 minutes of the film are difficult to sit through. Bodies are exchanged at mortuaries, a man is run over by a car and a face lands on a hot tawa. The violence is too much, too sudden and frankly, too soon but necessary still, for it lays the groundwork of the revenge story that follows. At my screening, I heard a couple of women whisper “Mujhe aur nahi dekha jaa raha” — hinting at the gore and I wanted to chime in with “Mujhse bhi”.

The film however manages to find its feet soon after 'Bhaiyya Ji' resolves to avenge the death of his step-brother, Vedang (Akash Makhija). Helping him in his revenge mission is his protective mother Amma ji (Bhageerathi Bai Kadam) and a bunch of old men who are punching above their weight. Suvinder Vicky plays a menacing Chandraban Singh, the chief-antagonist whose son Abhimanyu Singh (Jatin Goswami) murders Vedang. While every cast member is on the top of their game, Vipin Sharma, who plays a double-crossing cop Ranga, is an absolute scene-stealer.

Much of the comic relief is courtesy Ranga whose zingers and witty remarks cut through the tension in intense scenes, allowing viewers to laugh a little and blow off some steam. The intense exchange between 'Bhaiyya Ji' and Chandraban Singh at his haveli also elicits a fair bit of laughs that keep the tempo high. In the second half, Hussain joins Bajpayee as the couple fight the goons together, while having each other’s backs—our very own Desi Bonnie and Clyde, except we aren’t told how Zoya mastered the art of gun combat in a few hours.

The film uses every possible formula in the masala-action potboiler rulebook. There are slow-motion fight sequences, a menacing villain, meticulously choreographed combat scenes to win over the viewers—perhaps get a few whistles and applause in the early-morning shows. But an over-reliance on these formulas makes one wonder if the filmmakers today are scared of taking creative risks and playing with the genre. In all honesty, based on the trailer alone, it seemed like 'Bhaiyya Ji' is a spoof of every mass action film, ever.

This isn’t about the what-could-have-beens as much as it is about riding on a wave of successful mass action films, all of which seem to have pretty much the same conflict and resolution. Does this show a lack of conviction in our filmmakers? Is this any different from the deluge of sports biopics post-Dangal? This isn’t to say that 'Bhaiyya Ji', the film, lacks originality. If anything, Kirki’s mass-action film is authentic and true to the time and the place it is set in.

In fact, I couldn't help but appreciate the film’s commentary on class hierarchies. The rich, spoilt Delhi brats with their pointed beards, bulky builts and arrogance the size of Mount Everest are outsmarted by the quick-witted informants of 'Bhaiyya Ji' from Bihar—one of them works as a cook at their haveli, the other is a pandit who decides to join forces with the enemy.

Needless to say, Manoj Bajpayee is no longer the low-key protagonist but a larger-than-life mass action hero. The actor plays this role to stirring effect. His deadpan expression, bloodshot eyes and vengefulness come through in every scene. Despite its over-reliance on tried-and-tested formulas, 'Bhaiyya Ji' works well, thanks to an original plot and powerful acting performances by the cast. Its win may be formulaic but it is rooted in originality and authenticity. If you are a Manoj Bajpayee fan, you should not miss this one!

'Bhaiyya Ji' is now playing in theaters.