Bhediya review

Express News Service It’s funny how crores of rupees of creature effects cannot achieve what a neatly honed psychological performance could. 'Bhediya', now out in theatres, isn’t the first time we are watching Varun Dhawan transform onscreen from man to beast. He did it exceptionally well several years ago in Badlapur — without claws, fangs, fur or a shiny, luxuriant tail. That 2015 film, about a man transformed by his need for revenge, was the real deal, and better suited for a truly animalistic metamorphosis. Amar Kaushik’s Bhediya literalizes that experience for a general audience, yet Badlapur, to my mind, is the better werewolf movie. Small-time contractor Bhaskar (Varun) is sent in to the forests of Arunachal Pradesh to secure land from local tribals. Bhaskar’s boss, Bagga (Saurabh Shukla), wants to construct a road there – ushering in a new era of ‘development’ in the region at the cost of environment and ecology. Predictably, some resistance, social or supernatural, is to be expected. Bhaskar is joined in his mission by his IAS-aspirant cousin, Janardan (Abhishek Banerjee, who looks oddly familiar from....those cheekbones...) and Jomin (Arunachali actor Paalin Kabak), his local friend. The trio drives down from Itanagar to Ziro, crooning a road song straight out of a mid-2000s Bollywood jukebox (composers Sachin-Jigar in fine form). Negotiations begin. Bhaskar, pressed for time, enters an uneasy alliance with a clutch of local officers. They all appear greedy and p...

The project in question involves building a road in Ziro and Bhaskar proposes they construct the road through the forest – he sells this idea as the more cost effective option (read: the one that lines their pockets). His proposal is met with opposition from Dr. Anika (Kriti Sanon), a local Raju (Deepak Dobriyal), and the tribal elders – all of them warn Bhaskar against destroying nature for the sake of his project. Amidst all this, Bhaskar is attacked by a wolf which gives him werewolf-esque abilities (though, his powers more accurately match that of a Lycan). Above all, the film deals with the idea of the ‘outsider’. Bhaskar wonders why a snake is ‘in their way’ while they drive through a forest. In the same way, he wonders why the tribal elders refuse to give his company access to their land even though they’ll be chopping down a forest they consider vital and sacred. In Ziro, Bhaskar and JD are also ‘outsiders’. They treat people around them with an entitlement derived from…nothing. JD considers himself superior to Jomin because the former’s Hindi is more refined and often commits several racist microaggressions against the latter. Thankfully, the film does address JD and Bhaskar’s behaviour, making a commentary on the racism residents of North-East India face (with a specific reference to how they were affected by the rampant xenophobia across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic). Bhediya boasts of a strong cast though. Varun Dhawan as an entitled-prick-turned-relu...

Amar Kaushik’s Bhediya takes 75 minutes to convey the following: a mercenary contractor, Bhaskar (Varun Dhawan), travels to an Arunachal Pradesh hamlet to build a road amid the forest, gets bitten by a wolf, and turns into a werewolf. The supporting plot points try to justify a new Bollywood formula: ‘comedy horror’. The subgenre has existed for quite some time, but it derived sizeable momentum from Kaushik’s excellent debut, Stree (2018). The same production house, Maddock Films, backed Roohi (2021) – an unfunny film horrific for the wrong reason. Reuniting Kaushik and Maddock, Bhediya resembles more Bhaskar than Stree. A movie rustling with profit-making motive, obsessing not over storytelling mechanics but box-office riches. Let’s first discuss the most basic element: characters. Or, more accurately, ‘loglines’. Bhaskar, greedy and callous; his sidekick, Janna (Abhishek Banerjee), a buffoon; their local collaborator, Jomin (Paalin Kabak), a punching bag for ‘northeast jokes’. An obviously suspicious officer, Panda (Deepak Dobriyal); a sanctimonious veterinarian, Anika (Kriti Sanon); and simplistic villagers: either pro- or anti-‘development’. Each character follows the same playbook. If a person exhibits a certain quality, then almost every scene reinforces it. In fact, those traits fuel the comedic fire, too. Kaushik’s filmmaking lacks two essential features: motivation and economy. Bloated scenes, poor transitions, and an unfocussed story define this film. It doesn’t ...

Amar Kaushik is playing his space well, and we say why not? Bhediya might be one of those films that's well enough to be an experience in that sense, and due credits to the director for the same. With top quality VFX, a vision that seems to have come to life beautifully, there aren't enough complaints in this section for us. Varun Dhawan as Bhaskar shines in the movie. He has had his share of films when it comes to quality performances, and we can add this one to the list. It was very easy for his character to come across as a little overboard, but that doesn't happen, and credit to him as well as the writers here. An absolutely amazing watch every minute of the film is Abhishek Banerjee - I think I could almost never get enough of his comic timing. Kriti as Dr. Anika has a limited role, but she lives up to that. Paalin as Joe is also someone who you thoroughly enjoy watching on the screens, along with Deepak, who also puts together a classic act. Based on ancient Arunachali folklore, Bhediya tells the story of Bhaskar, an ordinary man who begins to transform into a wolf after being bitten by the mythical animal. Whether he manages to escape the curse or does he turn a monster, are just a few questions that come to our mind and well, they are all well answered by the end. We are shown the beautiful forests of Arunachal Pradesh, and in all its glory, with the film also trying to raise the issue of how people in the East, are often treated as non-Indians. With horror and com...

Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon-starrer 'Bhediya' was released in the theaters on Friday Bhediya hit the theaters on Friday, November 25. This marked the return of ace director Stree. Bhediya might be a regular werewolf story but it comes with a local flavor and some strong punch lines. Here's our review. The twist of a local folklore Things soon begin to change for Bhaskar when he realizes that his body is changing and that he has some wolf traits in him. While Dr. Anika is secretly treating him, a contractor is killed and rumors of a 'vishanu (werewolf) take over the village. The story then begins to unfold showing how local folklore is often forgotten under the shadow of science. Film delivers important messages packed in a fantasy world While Stree was about witchcraft, Bhediya is based on werewolves. Most importantly, it addresses two issues—one is how in the name of development, jungles are being destroyed, and the second is about Northeast citizens being treated as outsiders in India. Kabak's dialogue: Pura North East Shaolin Temple hai tumhare liye (The whole of North East is Shaolin temple for you) will hit you hard. Unlike 'Brahmastra,' 'Bhediya's VFX is more realistic Vijan recently said that the VFX for Bhediya was done by the same team which did it for The Jungle Book. His tall claims that the film's graphics will leave the audience impressed stand true. Compared to Brahmastra, Bhediya doesn't run high on VFX but its graphics are far more realistic. One of the hi...

Running time 156 minutes Country India Language Hindi Budget est. ₹60 crore Box office est. ₹89.97 crore Bhediya ( transl. Wolf) is a 2022 Indian It was released on 25 November 2022 to positive reviews and received praise for its VFX, humour, and dialogues. It earned ₹89.97 crores (US$11 million) against a budget of ₹60 crores (US$7.33 million). Plot [ ] Bhaskar and his cousin, The next day, Bhaskar starts experiencing changes within him. He experiences a heightened sense of smell and hearing, whilst also communicating with animals. Meanwhile, the local people and tribals are against the idea of cutting down trees in the forests to construct roads and refuse to support it. However, Bhaskar manages to get support of the youth and they give their agreement for the project. Soon, two men who were a part of the project, are found dead. The scratch and bite marks on their body suggest that they might have been mauled and killed by an animal. Panda says that a shape-shifting Seeing Bhaskar's increasingly strange behavior, Jana suspects that Bhaskar might be the shape-shifting werewolf. Jana and Jomin secretly acquire some of Bhaskar's stools to conduct a stool test and find that fragments of human bones were found in Bhaskar's stools. It is revealed that Bhaskar is indeed the one behind the killings, as he reveals the truth to them that ever since he was bitten by the wolf, he has been transforming into a werewolf, every night, and that he has no control over it. They decide to ...

Director: Amar Kaushik Writer: Niren Bhatt Cast: Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Paalin Kaabak, Deepak Dobriyal Bhediya displays layers of flesh, both literally and figuratively. Varun Dhawan is in his underpants for nearly half the film. (This is not an accusation). The story finds good reason to be a giant thirst trap. His character, Bhaskar, is a cityslicker who gets bitten by a wolf in the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh. The film's best scene features Bhaskar morphing into a wolf, in agonizing detail. In a single take, the camera lingers on different parts of his naked torso as the creature violently pops out of his skin – a nice riff on the unbroken male gaze that has objectified the female body in all those ichadhari nagin stories over the years. At another point, a bulge in his boxers reveals a thick and throbbing snake, an innuendo that looks less tasteful than it sounds. It's no coincidence that Bhaskar's body exudes muscular beauty only after the beast within him awakens. Until then, he’s just a guy with a penchant for furry jackets. At first glance, Amar Kaushik’s Bhediya (“Wolf”) is a nifty horror comedy with a message. Bhaskar is a greedy contractor from Delhi. He detests dogs and nature. His mantra is development at all costs. He arrives in the Northeastern town of Ziro for a major land acquisition project. The road he plans to build is supposed to connect the isolated state to the rest of India. But the catch is that it must cut through the regio...

Horror Comedy Director: Amar Kaushik Starring: Varun Dhawan Kriti Sanon Abhishek Banerjee Paalin Kabak Deepak Dobriyal New Delhi: 'Bhediya' starring Varun Dhawan, Abhishek Banerjee, Paalin Kabak, Deepak Dobriyal, and Kriti Sanon deserves full marks for originality. The Amar Kaushik directorial has the right slant of comedy with rootedness though the horror is not so apparent in this horror-comedy flick. 'Bhediya' opens with a narration of the Wolf and the Seven Lambs story from Panchtantra which introduces Sharad Kalkar in a marginal role only to be eaten by a werewolf. Like the Panchatantra story, the film is filled with such folklore references, drawing upon the legacy of oral cultures, traditions and storytelling. And, that is why 'Bhediya' manages to land like its predecessor film 'Stree'. 'Bhediya' is about Varun Dhwan ( Bhaskar or Bhasky) getting bit by a werewolf in Arunachal when he is on a project to get a road built through the forests of Ziro. His friends played by Abhishek Banerjee, Paalin Kabak help him through this journey. The film is set in the Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh where the cold-windy-wintry landscape changes the colour palette to toned down shades of blue and gray.Makers of 'Bhediya' also obviously make use of the Ziro Music Festival reference but superimpose the Bollywood element overshadowing a small moment which may have thrown some light on the festival. However, there is a specific background score dedicated to Ziro everytime untoward incidents ...

Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon-starrer 'Bhediya' was released in the theaters on Friday Bhediya hit the theaters on Friday, November 25. This marked the return of ace director Stree. Bhediya might be a regular werewolf story but it comes with a local flavor and some strong punch lines. Here's our review. The twist of a local folklore Things soon begin to change for Bhaskar when he realizes that his body is changing and that he has some wolf traits in him. While Dr. Anika is secretly treating him, a contractor is killed and rumors of a 'vishanu (werewolf) take over the village. The story then begins to unfold showing how local folklore is often forgotten under the shadow of science. Film delivers important messages packed in a fantasy world While Stree was about witchcraft, Bhediya is based on werewolves. Most importantly, it addresses two issues—one is how in the name of development, jungles are being destroyed, and the second is about Northeast citizens being treated as outsiders in India. Kabak's dialogue: Pura North East Shaolin Temple hai tumhare liye (The whole of North East is Shaolin temple for you) will hit you hard. Unlike 'Brahmastra,' 'Bhediya's VFX is more realistic Vijan recently said that the VFX for Bhediya was done by the same team which did it for The Jungle Book. His tall claims that the film's graphics will leave the audience impressed stand true. Compared to Brahmastra, Bhediya doesn't run high on VFX but its graphics are far more realistic. One of the hi...

Amar Kaushik’s Bhediya takes 75 minutes to convey the following: a mercenary contractor, Bhaskar (Varun Dhawan), travels to an Arunachal Pradesh hamlet to build a road amid the forest, gets bitten by a wolf, and turns into a werewolf. The supporting plot points try to justify a new Bollywood formula: ‘comedy horror’. The subgenre has existed for quite some time, but it derived sizeable momentum from Kaushik’s excellent debut, Stree (2018). The same production house, Maddock Films, backed Roohi (2021) – an unfunny film horrific for the wrong reason. Reuniting Kaushik and Maddock, Bhediya resembles more Bhaskar than Stree. A movie rustling with profit-making motive, obsessing not over storytelling mechanics but box-office riches. Let’s first discuss the most basic element: characters. Or, more accurately, ‘loglines’. Bhaskar, greedy and callous; his sidekick, Janna (Abhishek Banerjee), a buffoon; their local collaborator, Jomin (Paalin Kabak), a punching bag for ‘northeast jokes’. An obviously suspicious officer, Panda (Deepak Dobriyal); a sanctimonious veterinarian, Anika (Kriti Sanon); and simplistic villagers: either pro- or anti-‘development’. Each character follows the same playbook. If a person exhibits a certain quality, then almost every scene reinforces it. In fact, those traits fuel the comedic fire, too. Kaushik’s filmmaking lacks two essential features: motivation and economy. Bloated scenes, poor transitions, and an unfocussed story define this film. It doesn’t ...