Bhediya Movie Review : Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon's werewolf film has its heart at the right place

Bhediya Review : At the very onset, dear reader, I must confess, critiquing Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon starrer werewolf flick Bhediya was not facile. At one hand, I wanted to completely quash this Amar Kaushik horror comedy for its obvious use of tropes and disparities, while at the other hand, I could not help but marvel and champion the film's soul, addressal of issues and mostly, bringing to mainstream Indian cinema a concept which has largely been regaled to small-budget ventures and less-than-desirable representations.

BHEDIYA PLOT

Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya takes the audience to the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, where Bhaskar Sharma (Varun), a budding contractor, has been tasked with carving a highway, right through the middle of the forest – which incidentally has social, religious and cultural significance for the locals. Despite warnings from the residents, Bhaskar, who has in tow with him, his cousin Janardhan (Abhishek Banerjee) and friend Jomin (Paalin Kabak), carries on with his plans, only to be bitten by a wolf on a full moon night.

The bite gives him the abilities of a lycan and soon enough, the Delhi lad develops an acute sense of smell, hearing, some rock solid abs and the ability to turn into a werewolf. But underneath all the delights of a horror-comedy, the director addresses issues that have larger implications.

BHEDIYA CRITIQUE

Bhediya is an unusual film in a lot of ways. The film, while carving a path in lycan lore in India through the adventures and misadventures of Varun Dhawan’s Bhaskar Sharma, also effectively, and evocatively incorporate the culture and the lens through which the rest of the country is looking at Northeast - along with the prejudices, alienation, casual discrimination and the trials and tribulations they go through.

At a more cinematic level, what Bhediya manages to do in the Indian entertainment industry is what John Landis' 1981 horror comedy An American Werewolf in London did for world cinema. The film, a critical and commercial success, brought to mainstream media the celebration of shock-value, garbed in humour, as well as an allegorical representation of subdued societal issues.

BHEDIYA ACTING REVIEW

Would I consider anyone else in the role of Bhaskar other than Varun Dhawan? Probably not. Varun has carved for himself a niche in Bollywood, where he can effectively appear heroic, even while making the audience’s belly rumble with laughter. The actor’s innate ability to use humour to his advantage is unparalleled in contemporary times, a feat he manages to achieve even in his latest venture. Also, to be able to completely immerse oneself in a character which gets overshadowed by a fictive creature’s CGI representation and yet manage to still make it his own, is probably something that the contemporary crop of artistes, except Varun, would struggle to achieve.

Abhishek Banerjee and Paalin Kaban offer commendable foils to Varun’s Bhaskar and dialogues between the three are some of the highlights in the movie. Kriti Sanon as Dr Anika, who gets pulled into the tirades of the three musketeers is delightful in her uncertainty, and in a film largely dominated by male characters, offers a subtlety that markedly stands out. Needless to say, she has a larger role to play in the scheme of things – something that will leave the audience shocked – but, no spoilers here.

BHEDIYA’S SOUL

In all honesty, where Amar Kaushik has really excelled is in his representations of the canids in the film. The transformation of Varun Dhawan from a human to a shaggy lycanthrope makes for some delightful viewing, hitherto unseen in Indian cinema. Not one single time do their appearance in the film feel animated, and the CGI beings fit right into the narrative, propelling the plot forward towards an effective denouement.

IN CONCLUSION

Bhediya is not devoid of issues. The first half, save for a very peppy number Baaki Sab Theek sung by Sachin Sanghvi, Jigar Saraiya and Amitabh Bhattacharya feels incongruous and the action only picks up post interval. Where Bhediya really falters, however, is the marked lack of an anti-hero, or villain. In trying to turn the hero-trope upside down, the director has failed to provide the film, an evil catalyst, which could have really elevated the plotline.

What works for Bhediya is its soul. Amidst the narrative of a werewolf flick, the director has craftily etched issues of identity, representation (or misrepresentation), importance of nature, and above all the all-prevailing understanding of balance, to nurture progression. To say the least, this carnivorous Bhediya, is not devoid of a heart.