Bhuj Movie Review: Moderate Ode to Unsung Warriors

Movie: Bhuj: The Pride of India
Rating: 2.5/5

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharad Kelkar, Sanjay Dutt, Ammy Virk, Pawan Shankar and Nora Fatehi
Cinematography: Aseem Bajaj
Edited by: Dharmendra Sharma
Director: Abhishek Dudhaiya
Date of publication: August 6, 2021
Stream to: Disney+ Hotstar

With Independence Day just around the corner, every Indian is naturally looking forward to the usual patriotic movie released every year.

This film is set against the backdrop of the war of 1971, in which India supports freedom fighters in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) against Pakistan’s oppression, and Pakistan tries to force India to the negotiating table by crossing our western borders. spirit of patriotism. But it doesn’t.

The story revolves around the commander of the Bhuj IAF base, Vijay Karnik (Ajay Devgn), who tries to prevent the area from falling into the hands of the enemy, and the efforts of the women of the village of Madhapur, who contribute to its reconstruction. . the runway destroyed by bombing by the Pakistan Air Force.

Painfully tedious, with the story from the point of view of the Ajay Devgn character, this film, while atmospheric in parts, seems disjointed. The tell-and-show plot is linear, but the story tends to get confusing.

There is a strong sense of déjà vu and despite a forced attempt to incorporate all the elements of a patriotic film, and the pathos-filled backstories of Air Force officers, the film fails to move the viewer.

On the performance front, the capable actors fail to leave a mark. Ajay Devgn delivers a mediocre performance, in which he only speaks heavy dialogues without emotions and conviction. The only scene where he stands out is when he praises a ‘sipahi’ with the words, “Main jeeta hoon marne ke liye, main hoon sipahi.”

Sharad Kelkar delivers what is expected of him, Ammy Virk as Baljeet touches your heart with his heartfelt portrayal of a single father and a brave soldier. Nora Fatehi, who plays a RAW cop, tries her best but fails. Her accent pulls her down.

Sanjay Dutt as Ranchod Bhai Baghi, a RAW agent from Kutch, is skilled but brings nothing new through histrionics. Pawan Shankar, as the shrewd Mohammed Hussain Osmani from Pakistan, is impressive and good-looking. Sonakshi Sinha, as Sunderben a wonder woman from Kutch, is also wasted.

The film was shrewdly shot by cinematographer Aseem Bajaj, but the computer-generated images of the fighter planes look amateurish and do not fit seamlessly with the actual action scenes, which lack drama and appear staged.

The music isn’t extraordinary either; it’s easy to do. The background track ‘O des mere’, although sweet, doesn’t leave a strong impact. The dialogues are rock hard in some scenes and capture the essence of the film well.

Overall, ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’ is a feeble attempt at fulfilling Independence Day’s patriotism quotient and won’t leave you with a bloated chest or foggy eyes.