Film Review: Manoj Bajpayee’s Talent Wasted In Slow, Cliche-Laden ‘Bhaiyaa Ji’

Just like any other Manoj Bajpayee movie, the release of ‘Bhaiyya Ji’ was eagerly awaited and anticipated. More so as it’s his 100th film.

His multitude of fans expected him to stand tall in another role of a righteous, ruffian-esque protagonist. But since ‘Bhaiyya Ji’ released in theatres last week, fans have frowned upon a wasted Friday night over an unauthentic, cliche-laden flick.

A master of his craft, Bajpayee deserved much better than the slow-motion script. As a seasoned actor who has aced numerous savage characters over the years, it was disheartening to see him struggle in ‘Bhaiyya Ji’.

The film’s over-reliance on slow-motion sequences quickly becomes boring, and then laughable, as it desperately tries to propel Bajpayee to the forefront.

The 2-hour and 11-minute long movie falls short as a slick revenge story.

The excitement created at the beginning was not justified with anything that could be described as a jaw-dropping experience for the audience.

Laying bare the flaws of a hero in a movie is fine, as long as it does not strip him of his heroism. The movie portrays Bhaiyya ji as an indecisive man who commits mistake after mistake and pays the price, as he struggles to get vengeance.

Coming from an actor who has delivered phenomenal performances in films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Satya’ and web series ‘The Family Man’, ‘Bhaiyya Ji’ feels like a ridiculous joke. The attempt to emulate South Indian film industry’s action sequences and rowdyism falls flat, wasting Bajpayee’s calibre and authenticity.

Even as meaningless direction and weak script exposed Bhaiyja ji’s struggle as a self-conflicting son and brother, Zoya Hussain as bhabi ji appeared pleasant to the audience, breaking free from the zero-figure heroine narrative.

Bajpayee’s fame and reputation helps the audience sit through the movie, but it cannot be anything but a one-time watch, even for his most ardent fans.

It’s a shame to see a super actor like Bajpayee being wasted in a film that fails to utilise his full potential.

No wonder that the box office is not ringing with cash. Having earned around Rs 5 crore in the first three days, the returns have been steadily declining.

Rajkummar Rao’s ‘Srikant’ is giving ‘Bhaiyaa Ji’ tough competition as well.