By Murtaza Ali Khan
Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is an Indian crime thriller film directed
by Kushan Nandy and co-produced by Kiran Shyam Shroff, Ashmith Kunder, and
Nandy himself. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the titular role of a
sharpshooter. Babumoshai Bandookbaaz costars Bidita Bag, Murali Sharma, Jatin
Goswami, Bhagwan Tiwari, Divya Dutta, and Shraddha Das. The film is set in the
backdrop of the rustic landscape of Uttar Pradesh known for its distinct
dialects and strong indigenous flavors. Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is more about survival
than morality and its morally corrupt characters seem to have what it takes to
survive while treading these treacherous avenues where killing appears to be as
easy as breathing.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz first came in news when actress
Chitrangada Singh quit the project halfway
citing discomfort shooting intimate sequences with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Singh
was subsequently replaced by model turned actress Bidita Bag mostly known for her
work in Bangla cinema. Recently the film got engulfed in another major
controversy when the former CBFC Chief Pahlaj
Nihalani demanded as many as 48 cuts despite issuing an A-Certificate to the
film. The film was later cleared
by Film Certification Appellate Tribunal with just eight minor cuts.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s performance in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz may remind
some of a character that made Siddiqui a household name: Faisal Khan of Gangs
of Wasseypur. Siddiqui is known to get into the skin of the characters and he
never fails to surprise. Recently he essayed a 50 year old balding detective in
Ravi Udyawar’s Mom. Prior to that he played a no nonsense cop in Rahul Dholakia’s
Raees. While the performances in Babumoshai Bandookbaaz are solid all around,
it is Siddiqui who carries the movie on his shoulders; his spellbinding performance
is what holds the movie together. His sizzling chemistry with actress Bidita
Bag is a major highlight of the film.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz is a raw and gritty crime thriller that
constantly plays with one's expectations. While comparisons to Gangs of
Wasseypur are inevitable, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz bears a much closer
resemblance (in terms of style / themes) to films like Ishqiya, Omkara, and
Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster. The film also pays homage to the Western genre, in
particular Sergio Leone’s epic Spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Also, it would be remissness
to overlook the influence of Bhojpuri cinema on Babumoshai Bandookbaaz. The
subtle use of dark humor prevents the movie from becoming too serious. Babumoshai
Bandookbaaz offers some very interesting conversations (the dialogues written
by Ghalib Asad Bhopali are an absolute treat) but none tops the engaging
exchange between two sharpshooters talking about poverty and how underpaid they
are. There is a rather funny scenario in the movie involving a cop and his
pesky wife that’s been done quite neatly. However, as engaging as the film is,
it is alarmingly high on violence and cusswords and so those repelled by gore
and explicit language are better off skipping this one.
Rating: 7/10
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
People who liked this also liked...
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for sharing for valuable opinion. We would be delighted to have you back.