Review: 'Bhaiyya Ji' is a rollercoaster of cliches and cringe wrapped in a Telugu mass hero movie template

Manoj Bajpayee's latest film, Bhaiyya Ji, directed by Apoorv Singh Karki, who previously collaborated with the actor on Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, promised a thrilling revenge saga. Unfortunately, the movie delivers an over-the-top melodrama that leaves viewers more amused than impressed. With a storyline that defies logic, science, and geography, Bhaiyya Ji struggles to resonate, despite Bajpayee's best efforts. But you can definitely add this movie to your 'cringe fest' lineup with friends—you're guaranteed to have a blast laughing out loud!

The film revolves around Ram Charan, played by Bajpayee, who is mourning the death of his younger brother, Vedant. Vedant is killed outside a Delhi railway station by Abhimanyu, the unhinged son of a corrupt politician. The murder is covered up, prompting Ram Charan to come out of his self-imposed retirement from violence to seek revenge. The storyline, resembling a Bhojpuri film template, is riddled with clichés and extreme melodrama.

From the very start, Bhaiyya Ji tries too hard to be a masala entertainer. The film adopts the typical Telugu mass hero template, complete with exaggerated dialogues, slow-motion action sequences, and a hero with a larger-than-life persona. The narrative is packed with scenes that are meant to be serious but end up being unintentionally hilarious.

The dialogues in Bhaiyya Ji are so cringy and absurd that they often provoke laughter instead of the intended emotion. For instance, when the villain, Abhimanyu, is introduced, he is depicted as a vile rich kid who runs over dogs for fun. His influential father, who slaughters a girl accusing his son of sexual harassment, only adds to the cartoonish villainy. Their evil deeds, like pushing a living person into a cremation chamber, are depicted with such over-the-top theatrics that they lose any sense of menace.

A massive fire looks like a poorly executed crayon explosion, and a CGI crow who is said to have Vedant's soul is way more involved in the story than Vedant was. 

Despite the film's many flaws, Manoj Bajpayee's performance stands out. Bajpayee fully embraces the mediocrity of the script, throwing himself into the role of Ram Charan with gusto. He looks good performing the action scenes and seems to be having a blast playing the avenging angel.  However, his enthusiasm is not enough to save the film from its numerous shortcomings.

One of the most glaring issues with Bhaiyya Ji is its shoddy screenplay. The geography of the film is nonsensical, with the distance between Bihar and Delhi seemingly reduced to a mere afterthought. The film's pacing is inconsistent, with the second half descending into a bizarre mess that loses all semblance of coherence. The build-up to the revenge saga is tolerable, but the execution is far from it. The villagers' blind and passionate following of Ram Charan feels forced and unconvincing. The exchanges between Ram Charan and the villains are poorly written.

The Verdict

Bhaiyya Ji is a film that had the potential to be an engaging revenge drama but ultimately fails to deliver. The movie succumbs to clichés, extreme melodrama, and absurdity. Manoj Bajpayee's dedicated performance is a silver lining, but it is not enough to salvage the film from its numerous flaws.

Rating

*1/2 (1.5/5) stars