Bullet Raja
Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Shergill, Chunky Pandey, Ravi Kishan, Gulshan Grover, Vidyut Jammwal
Rated: 5.5/10
As the name suggests, bullets fly in this one from the word go. And not from AK 47s but from 12 bore and pistols. A reminder of the dacait movies that Bollywood churned out in the 70s and 80s. Not that the kind of guns used in Bullet Raja have much bearing on the movie. But since these are whipped out at the slightest of provocation, it is difficult to ignore the gun culture shown in this movie especially when we are in an era where the hero becomes a superhero and uses the latest technology to get the better of the baddie. Krrish 3 being the case in point.
However, Dhulia has ensured that his movie doesn’t get lost despite the fact that it is a subject on which many movies have been made in the past — the underbelly of the crime world in Uttar Pradesh and the nexus that exists among the criminals, the politicians and cops. So even though the story is a tried and tested one, under Dhulia’s direction, the performance by the starcast is good and tight. The script is taut and keeps one engaged for a major part of 138 minutes. With a much tighter editing, the film could have been cut down by the last 15 minutes to keep it slicker.
While Saif Ali Khan may not have the tag of a super star, he manages to give a rather good performance when it comes to roles where he has an unkempt look — remember his role and look in Omkara. The surprise performance here is by Jimmy Shergill. There is more chemistry between Saif and him (his four-hour-old BFF) than between Sonakshi Sinha and Saif. Ravi Kishan as a marksman who turns into a Radha (spoof on the UP IG DK Panda) to avoid arrest is engaging though his potential has not been explored to the fullest. In fact, one will find many references in the film to real-life characters that will tickle the funny bone now and then. But Chunky Pandey and Gulshan Grover are wasted here.
This doesn’t mean that Bullet Raja is sans absurdity. The songs too are mediocre. Over all, the film is entertaining even if one is not a Saif Ali Khan fan.