What works for the film and keeps it afloat through its two-and-a-half-hour-long duration is the formidable cast and punch dialogues.
'Bheema' is written and directed by Duniya Vijay. (X)
Vijaya Kumar’s sophomore directorial outing Bheema sees him playing the titular role that is set in the underbelly of Bengaluru against the backdrop of drug trafficking and sales.
When local ruffian Bheema becomes an ally of the police to bust the drug mafia, a gory tale follows in pinning down the culprits.
With Salaga (2021), Vijaya Kumar proved his mettle as a compelling filmmaker who knows how to tell tales of Bengaluru’s underworld in a raw, gritty style. Bheema is a step forward in the same direction.
This time, with the drug menace as the backdrop, he tries to show the ill effects of substance abuse and addiction.
The movie begins interestingly with the actor-filmmaker building the world around JC Road and adjoining areas. It kicks off with Java Ramanna, who is like a mentor to Bheema, losing his son to drug addiction and realising one of his boys Dragon Manja is peddling drugs in their garage without his knowledge.
From here begins the foundation and tone of the film, which takes a stern anti-drug abuse stance.
‘Bheema’ is an action thriller. (X)
The way Vijaya Kumar constructs the world in Bheema is both a boon and a bane.
What is commendable is how the audience is made to feel like they are a part of bylanes around JC Road, Kalasipalya and the hidden underbelly of Bengaluru.
At the same time, one often feels the filmmaker getting carried away in staying authentic to this world that he ends up shortchanging the original message of the film, which is his anti-drug abuse stance.
Throughout the film, he introduces way too many characters and caricatures that showcase the many layers of Bengaluru. In its mission to flesh out these characters and give them their arcs, the film seems to almost become a series of sketches of different characters found in the underbelly instead of one compelling story or purpose driving the narrative.
Charan Raj scored the music for the film. (X)
What works for Bheema and keeps the film afloat through its two-and-a-half-hour-long screen duration is the formidable cast.
The one who stands taller than the rest is Priya Shatamarshan as the no-nonsense cop Girija, who takes on the meanest of baddies and impresses with a brilliant performance. One only wishes she weren’t shortchanged in the climax as the filmmaker has played to the gallery.
The other interesting aspect about the casting is that there are many new and talented cast, which keeps the rawness and believability of the film intact.
Other than the casting, the dialogues are tailored for the frontbenchers and there are no filters, which is why the film has an “A” certificate, along with the excessive violence, of course.
With the disclaimer of a spoiler, the filmmaker has also offered a cinematic universe with a glimpse of an old Salaga at the end of the film, promising a crossover tale that could have both Salaga and Bheema.
Given that this film might not have the most compelling storylines, it still does have enough meat for the target audience to enjoy.
Salaga stands out taller and has a better storyline as compared to Bheema, but that still does not deter one who is genuinely keen on checking out Bheema.
The film can be a good learning ground for aspiring filmmakers to understand world-building and characters. As for the plot, the less said the better.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
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