Baadshaho: Milan Luthria's cinematic feast for action enthusiasts


By Murtaza Ali Khan

Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews





Baadshaho is the latest offering from the renowned Indian filmmaker Milan Luthria who is known for blockbusters like Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and The Dirty Picture. Written by Rajat Arora, Baadshaho stars Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'Cruz, Emraan Hashmi, and Vidyut Jammwal in the pivotal roles. The film costars Esha Gupta, Sanjay Mishra, and Sharad Kelkar. Baadshaho marks the fourth collaboration between Devgn and Luthria—the first three being Kachche Dhaage, Chori Chori and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, respectively. Set in the backdrop of the 1975 Emergency, Baadshaho presents the tale of a fictional Rajathani queen (loosely based on Maharani Gayatri Devi) and a bunch of smalltime criminals whom she entrusts to recover the ancestral gold confiscated from her at the behest of a powerful political figure (loosely based on Sanjay Gandhi).

The story behind the making of Baadshaho is certainly an interesting one. The film is shot on real locations across Rajasthan including Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Ranautar, and Kuldhara. According to reports, Milan Luthria was quite keen on shooting on real locations instead of creating them on sets in a bid to evoke a rugged and rustic feel which required the crew members to undertake extensive recces along with the local line producers and guides in remote desert landscapes. While shooting in Ranautar, the actors had to travel more than 100 kms on a daily basis. Shooting in these remote locations, the ensemble cast encountered several security issues, especially while commuting in auto rickshaws, not to mention the harsh weather conditions that everyone involved in the project had to deal with.

Baadshaho

The unique aspect about the films of Milan Luthria is their style marked by theatrics and flashy one-liners spoken by larger than life characters which both intimidate and inspire. And Baadshaho is no different in this regard. Yet again we are presented with characters which seem straight out of some Bollywood movie. One doesn’t encounter such characters in real life but in the world of Luthria there is no dearth of such colorful caricatures. There are villains capable of performing heroic deeds and there are heroes with villainous traits. There is no black and white, for that would be too boring for a filmmaker like Luthria. It’s the shades of gray that appeal to him. In Baadshaho, we are presented with petty criminals who come across to be more honorable than decorated soldiers. We also encounter debauched politicians and greedy policemen. The common bond that connects these characters is that none of them seem to have a clue about drudgery or boredom. For, they all have the luxury to live on the edge. It just cannot be any other way with Luthria.

 Baadshaho

Baadshaho has some of the most exhilarating action and chase sequences seen in Hindi cinema in the recent times. Without doubt, it is one of the best heist movies ever made in India. Ajay Devgn, Vidyut Jammwal, Emraan Hashmi, and Ileana D'Cruz are at the top of their game and so is Milan Luthria. Devgn's machismo, his powerful screen presence and sizzling chemistry with Ileana D’Cruz is a major highlight of the film. The song ‘Mere Rashke Qamar’ is already a chartbuster. Hashmi gets to speak the best one-liners in the film. He also gets to share some intimate moments with Sunny Leone in the beautifully picturized song sequence 'Piya More'. Carrying an air of cocky arrogance, Jammwal here proves that he much more than just a trained martial artist with a ripped physique. The movie’s period detail is striking and credit goes to Luthria and team for their meticulous planning and execution. Also, those heading the editing, cinematography and sound departments need to be commended for their seamless work. However, the movie's biggest flaw is that it tries really hard to outwit the viewer and in the process ends up with a few unnecessary twists that badly hamper the movie. Despite its flaws and excesses, Baadshaho proves to be a thoroughly entertaining film. Action enthusiasts, in particular, will love it. But if action is not your thing then this movie is certainly not for you!

Rating: 7/10  

Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda



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