Platform: SonyLIV
Director: Devashish Makhija
Rating: 2.5/5
Manoj Bajpayee’s latest release Bhonsle is a sincere attempt at the storytelling that might impress a section of the audience. The film, which is set in Mumbai, revolves around the unlikely bond between a retired Maharashtrian cop and a woman from North India. The basic storyline is effective and has political undertones.
The screenplay relies heavily on ‘showing’ as opposed to ‘telling’, which adds depth to the reel action. The film, however, moves at its own pace and is unable to click with the aam janta. The opening half an hour, in particular, is not everyone’s cup of tea and feels a bit self-indulgent.
The conflict between the Marathi manush and the ‘bhaiyaas’, which is the backbone of Bhonsle, has been highlighted reasonably well. The confrontation scenes have a realistic feel and make an impact with their organic intensity. Moreover, the political discourse does not overshadow the human side of Bhonsle and gels with the core narrative. A key scene towards the end has been executed well and highlights the emotional connect between the main characters.
Coming to performances, Bajpayee is the heart and soul of Bhonsle. The Satya star gets in the skin of his character, underplaying things quite beautifully. His impeccable expressions and top-notch body language add a new dimension to his character. The actor also lets his silence do the talking in quite a few scenes, which is considered to be the hallmark of a good performer.
The supporting cast, which includes relatively less established actors, makes a decent impact despite getting limited scope.
As Bhonsle is essentially a ‘festival film’, there is no scope for songs. The background score, however, packs a punch and adds new to the narrative. The cinematography is decent and captures the sights the sound of the world depicted in Bhonsle. The other technical aspects have been handled rather competently.