Bhuj: The Pride of India
period war movie
the director: Abhishek Dudhaiya
starring: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharad Kelkar, Sanjay Dutt, Ammy Virk, Pawan Shankar and Nora Fatehi
New Delhi: With Independence Day, naturally, every Indian looks forward to the release of a traditional patriotic film every year.
In the backdrop of the 1971 war, India supported freedom fighters in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) against Pakistani oppression, and Pakistan attempted to bring India to the negotiating table by pushing our western borders. Movement is expected. Patriotic feeling. But it doesn’t happen.
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The story revolves around the commanding officer of the Bhuj IAF base, Vijay Karnik (Ajay Devgan), who tries to save the area from falling into enemy hands, and the efforts of the women of Madhapur village, who pitch in for reconstruction. The airstrip destroyed in a bombing by the Pakistani Air Force.
With painfully exhausting, narration from Ajay Devgn’s character’s point of view, this film, though atmospheric in parts, appears to be disjointed. The plot of ‘Tell and Show’ is linear, but the narrative tends to be confusing.
There is a strong sense of déj vu and despite a forced attempt to incorporate all the elements of a patriotic film, and the painful stories of Air Force officers, the film fails to move the audience.
Capable actors do not manage to leave their mark on the acting front. Ajay Devgn delivers a weak performance, uttering only heavy-duty dialogues without emotion and conviction. The only scene he stands out is when he praises a ‘soldier’ with the words “I live for Marne, I am soldier”.
Sharad Kelkar did what was expected of him, Amy Virk as Baljeet touched one’s heart with his honest portrayal of a father and a brave soldier. Nora Fatehi, playing the role of RAW operative, tries hard but does not succeed. His accent pulls him down.
Sanjay Dutt as Ranchod Bhai Baaghi, a RAW agent from Kutch, is capable but doesn’t bring anything new. Pawan Shankar is impressive and plays the role as the clever Mohammad Hussain Usmani of Pakistan. Sonakshi Sinha as Sunderben of Kutch is also ruined.
The film is cleverly shot by cinematographer Aseem Bajaj, but the computer-generated images of the fighter planes look amateurish and are not seamlessly connected with the actual action sequences, which lack drama and appear staged.
The music isn’t exceptional either; It is simply walkable. The background song ‘O Des Mere’, despite being melodious, does not leave much impact. The dialogues in some scenes are tough and capture the essence of the film very well.
Overall, ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’ is a feeble attempt to up the Independence Day patriotism quotient and leaves you with neither bloated chest, nor hazy eyes.
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