‘BLOODY DADDY’
By
KOMAL NAHTA
Jio Studios, AAZ Films, Offside Entertainment and The Vermillion World’s Bloody Daddy is a thriller about drugs, drug dealers and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officers.
Sumair (Shahid Kapoor) and his assistant, Jaggi (Zeeshan Quadri), are NCB officers who confiscate a bag full of drugs while it is being taken in a car. The consignment belongs to Sikander Chowdhary (Ronit Bose Roy) who, therefore, kidnaps Sumair’s son, Atharv (Sartaaj Kakkar), so that he can force Sumair to return him the drugs. Sikander, in turn, has to hand over the drugs to Hameed (Sanjay Kapoor) from whom he has accepted payment in advance. Sameer (Rajeev Khandelwal) and Aditi (Diana Penty) are also NCB officers who are involved in the same drugs case. It may be pointed out here that Sumair, Jaggi and Sameer have their won reasons for not wanting to return the bag of drugs. But, of course, Sumair has the bigger task of getting son Atharv freed from the clutches of Sikander.
The film is based on French film Nuit Blanche. Ali Abbas Zafar and Aditya Basu have written a fast-paced, taut story and screenplay about the predicament of a father whose son has been kidnapped because he has in his possession the drugs consignment belonging to a drugs dealer. The drama engages the viewers right from the word ‘go’ and keeps them involved all through because of the many turns and twists. The tricks adopted by Sumair, the game of oneupmanship between Sumair and Sameer, the motives of the various NCB officers, and the modus operandi adopted by Sumair to ensure the safe release of his son from the captivity of Sikander Chowdhary are all so exciting and interesting that the audience get sucked into the world created by the two writers.
A good part of the drama happens in just one hotel (owned by Sikander) but if, in spite of this, monotony does not set in, it is due to the fast pace of the drama, which does not give the viewers even a minute to think. The background music is another reason for boredom not creeping in but about that, later. Dialogues, written by Ali Abbas Zafar and Aditya Basu, with additional dialogues by Siddharth-Garima, are excellent.
Shahid Kapoor is extraordinary in the role of Sumair. He plays the NCB officer and the father of Atharv so wonderfully that one can’t help but shower praises on him. In not a single scene is Shahid found lacking or going overboard. Although the film abounds in action, Shahid Kapoor does not look out of place even one bit despite not having an action image. Rajeev Khandelwal gives his cent per cent to the character of Sameer. He is lovely and does the fullest justice to his character. Ronit Roy Bose does a fantastic job as Sikander Chowdhary. He is so understated that it is a delight to watch him. Diana Penty is quite good as Aditi. Sanjay Kapoor makes his mark as Hameed. Zeeshan Quadri is fabulous as Jaggi. He is so natural that watching him perform.
watching him perform becomes a delightful experience, so much so that the audience miss his presence in a good part of the latter half of the film. He mouths four-letter words with such flourish that it looks very real. Sartaaj Kakkar is natural and endearing in the role of Atharv. Vivan Bathena (as Danny), Ankur Bhatia (as Vicky) and Mukesh Bhatt (as Hameed’s assistant) make their presence felt. Suparna Moitra is truly natural and she makes a fine impression in the role of Sumair’s ex-wife. Sachin Verma looks handsome and is restrained in a brief role as Suparna’s new partner, Akash. Vikram Mehra (as Bunty), Anant Manger (as Lokendra (Thapa)), Dawa (as Nepali Amar), Badshah (as himself) and the rest of the actors provide very good support.
narration keeps the audience engaged and entertained throughout the drama. Music (Badshah and Aditya Dev, Julius Packiam and Anuj Garg) is fair and ought to have been better. Lyrics (Badshah, GD47, Harsimran Singh and Dinesh Pant) are okay. Bosco-Caesar’s choreography is alright. Julius Packiam’s background music is extraordinary and is like another hero of the film. It heightens the impact of the drama manifold. Marcin Lashawiec’s cinematography is first-rate. Action and stunt scenes (choreographed by Craig Macrae, Parvez Shaikh and Lee Whittaker) are very well composed and they look realistic. Production designing by Rajnish Hedao, Snigdha Basu and Sumit Basu (Acropolis)) is of a fine standard. Steven Bernard’s editing is super-sharp.
On the whole, Bloody Daddy is a well-made entertainer. Its presentation, performances and background score are its major plus points.
Released on 9-6-’23 on JioCinema.
#KomalNahta